Visitor screenings in MCPS

[Anonymous]

What is the procedure for visitors entering your school? Is there an MCPS policy? I walked in as a parent volunteer for the first time and just had to sign in. Was figuring there’d be more security.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the procedure for visitors entering your school? Is there an MCPS policy? I walked in as a parent volunteer for the first time and just had to sign in. Was figuring there’d be more security.

There is: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/abarb.pdf

[Anonymous]

Just because there is a procedure or policy doesn’t mean it’s actually enforced or enacted. I visited a middle school recently as a teacher candidate. Made sure to bring my license because I thought it would get scanned when I signed in. I was shocked when not only did I not have to sign in, but when I buzzed the front door they just unlocked it. Nobody asked me to identify myself!

[Anonymous]

As a teacher this upsets me so so so much and as a parent its emraging, I've seen our secretary just buzz people in and not scan and it's frustrating because it's the bare minimum we can do to keep our students and staff safe

[Anonymous]

Op here - agree with PPs! I couldn’t believe I wrote on the “staff” sign in and that was it. No ID check, no volunteer training (aka child abuse prevention), no name tag, nothing. My moms school system she retired from had drivers license scanning and a printed name tag back in 2012. A written sign in sheet doesn’t seem like enough??

[Anonymous]

There should be volunteer training, the child abuse and prevention course is mandatory! I assume since it's late in the year, they forgot to check?

Every school I've entered this year just buzzed me in without asking any questions. But then I'm a small petite female, and I don't think there's been a school shooter in that demographic.

Anyway. The one and only long-term solution is gun control. We can reinforce school security all we want while we wait for that, but entry procedures, metal detectors, SROs and double entrance systems aren't going to materially cut down on the 45K gun deaths a year, when a large part of them occur inside homes because they're accidents and suicides, and the rest occur outside on street corners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
There should be volunteer training, the child abuse and prevention course is mandatory! I assume since it's late in the year, they forgot to check?

Every school I've entered this year just buzzed me in without asking any questions. But then I'm a small petite female, and I don't think there's been a school shooter in that demographic.

Anyway. The one and only long-term solution is gun control. We can reinforce school security all we want while we wait for that, but entry procedures, metal detectors, SROs and double entrance systems aren't going to materially cut down on the 45K gun deaths a year, when a large part of them occur inside homes because they're accidents and suicides, and the rest occur outside on street corners.

Op here - yes, I did the training last fall in hopes to be able to volunteer. Nothing was asked of me at check in other than to sign in. I am also a short female fwiw.

[Anonymous]

My college age kid went back to visit just now at her former HS. They were told they needed a teacher to sign them in. They were able to email a teacher who did it. I can understand why they would not just let them come in but I do not think it occurred to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just because there is a procedure or policy doesn’t mean it’s actually enforced or enacted. I visited a middle school recently as a teacher candidate. Made sure to bring my license because I thought it would get scanned when I signed in. I was shocked when not only did I not have to sign in, but when I buzzed the front door they just unlocked it. Nobody asked me to identify myself!

All the schools my kids have gone to in MCPS have been very strict about following the procedures. Which should are you talking about specifically?

[Anonymous]

Security seems to vary per school. When I last volunteered at my DC's ES a couple years ago, they had me do the driver license scan and computer sign in before they let me in with a temporary pass. And they were very strict about only students entering the building.

They do seem to just buzz people in, but yes I'm a typical mom-looking person so probably not all that threatening looking. Still, it would be nice if there was some protocol. And maybe additional front-office security doors as an additional security layer.

I raised a concern a while ago about the lack of thorough criminal background checks for before- and after-school school enrichment teachers that are not school sponsored. Depending on the organization, they may or may not have done a background check and the teacher, who is a stranger, is inside my DC's school and is one-on-one with them. Not to mention the unvetted teachers are there as all the students are beginning or ending the school day - there's some overlap in time. So not at all comfortable with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just because there is a procedure or policy doesn’t mean it’s actually enforced or enacted. I visited a middle school recently as a teacher candidate. Made sure to bring my license because I thought it would get scanned when I signed in. I was shocked when not only did I not have to sign in, but when I buzzed the front door they just unlocked it. Nobody asked me to identify myself!

All the schools my kids have gone to in MCPS have been very strict about following the procedures. Which should are you talking about specifically?

Same. And due to one of my kids medical problems, I was at the schools (3 different ones) probably >100x a year, sometimes multiple a day. The single only time I didn’t have to go through protocol was during a life threatening emergency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just because there is a procedure or policy doesn’t mean it’s actually enforced or enacted. I visited a middle school recently as a teacher candidate. Made sure to bring my license because I thought it would get scanned when I signed in. I was shocked when not only did I not have to sign in, but when I buzzed the front door they just unlocked it. Nobody asked me to identify myself!

All the schools my kids have gone to in MCPS have been very strict about following the procedures. Which should are you talking about specifically?

Same. And due to one of my kids medical problems, I was at the schools (3 different ones) probably >100x a year, sometimes multiple a day. The single only time I didn’t have to go through protocol was during a life threatening emergency.

I'm one of the PPs. That was before. This year, nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just because there is a procedure or policy doesn’t mean it’s actually enforced or enacted. I visited a middle school recently as a teacher candidate. Made sure to bring my license because I thought it would get scanned when I signed in. I was shocked when not only did I not have to sign in, but when I buzzed the front door they just unlocked it. Nobody asked me to identify myself!

All the schools my kids have gone to in MCPS have been very strict about following the procedures. Which should are you talking about specifically?

Same. And due to one of my kids medical problems, I was at the schools (3 different ones) probably >100x a year, sometimes multiple a day. The single only time I didn’t have to go through protocol was during a life threatening emergency.

I'm one of the PPs. That was before. This year, nothing.

PP here. My ID gets checked each time. I have t see. A difference.

[Anonymous]

Wow.

My kids are at two different MCPS ES and the visitor policy at each is *intense*. I (white, woman, UMC) regularly volunteer at both and get the third degree every single time. Must be buzzed into a locked vestibule, then allowed into the main office (and only have access to the office from that vestibule), where I have to scan my DL and get a printed nametag to show exactly who I am and where I am going. Then the secretary asks me again where I am going and let's me into the actual school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow.

My kids are at two different MCPS ES and the visitor policy at each is *intense*. I (white, woman, UMC) regularly volunteer at both and get the third degree every single time. Must be buzzed into a locked vestibule, then allowed into the main office (and only have access to the office from that vestibule), where I have to scan my DL and get a printed nametag to show exactly who I am and where I am going. Then the secretary asks me again where I am going and let's me into the actual school.

My experience, too! Except my first and last name are the same as an offender in Frederick Co, so I always tell them to check my middle name.