Does your school allow in-class parent volunteers?

[Anonymous]

Our principal is a control freak. Teachers don't allow volunteers past K. Principal will not say why no volunteers and just offers volunteer positions copying in the office only or hanging things on walls outside the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Our MCPS ES permits volunteers in all the grades. However, I don't think they help with academics, which is fine with me as I expect my child to be taught by her actual teachers. Parent volunteers are involved with special projects, field trips, recess, helping teachers with non-academic tasks.

[Anonymous]

Our school does not allow in-class volunteers past K. It is the principals mandate. I've asked around and learned that many other local ES do allow and even encourage volunteers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents in our school gossiped too much about the kids so they stopped being allowed to volunteer with the kids in the classroom.

You must be in Potomac or Bethesda, where parents have nothing better to do than gossip about 6 year olds. How ridiculous.

I have volunteered in my MCPS kids' classrooms once a week, and have never had any issues with parents/teachers gossiping. WTF is there to gossip about 6 year olds??

Our schools definitely takes volunteers up to 3rd grade. Not sure about past that because we're not there yet!

There is plenty to gossip about. Usually it involves behavior of certain children. There are many children who have behavior issues for one reason or another which must be kept confidential. Some children have difficulty learning. This is another topic that parents can gossip about. There's plenty more. What goes on in the classroom must remain confidential. Period. If parents talk about what goes on, they should not be able to volunteer.

[Anonymous]

Our ES does trainings for volunters. Confidentiality is definitely part of it.

[Anonymous]

Our ES allows volunteers. I go in when my work schedule permits and do a combination of admin tasks and reading with kids in small groups while the teacher works with another small group (and then we rotate). Each teacher has their own uses for the volunteers. Some need more admin help and some will let you work with kids.

Have been volunteering since K and at one point, the para-educator gave a rundown of the rules (for volunteering during recess) and one of them was definitely confidentiality. I will sometimes let a parent (that I know) know their child got a star that day or did something extra great if I bump into them. I will not gossip or tell another parent about who had a temper tantrum or had trouble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP again -

I'll just add that our MCPS actively asks for volunteers. Maybe it depends on the principal? Ours sends out a note in the newsletter at the beginning of every year, calling for parents to aim for at least an hour a quarter (more, if possible!). And, they obviously welcome parents on field trips.

This sounds like the practice at our MCPS ES.

[Anonymous]

No, and I prefer it that way. The most important concern is a privacy one.

Some parents can be excellent volunteers, but others are gossip, nosy and incompetent, and you never know who you will get.

I was educated in various European countries, where parents are non grata in classrooms.

However, I would be prepared to pay more in taxes for smaller classrooms. I believe this is the root cause of most problems in MCPS, namely the lack of differenciation/acceleration. Parent volunteers or professional classroom aides are a mere stop-gap measure and do not address every problem arising from too many students in the class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, and I prefer it that way. The most important concern is a privacy one.

Some parents can be excellent volunteers, but others are gossip, nosy and incompetent, and you never know who you will get.

I was educated in various European countries, where parents are non grata in classrooms.

However, I would be prepared to pay more in taxes for smaller classrooms. I believe this is the root cause of most problems in MCPS, namely the lack of differenciation/acceleration. Parent volunteers or professional classroom aides are a mere stop-gap measure and do not address every problem arising from too many students in the class.

I agree. I much rather they just track all the kids appropriately than get parents to help keep the troubled kids busy so the poor teacher can teach. I think the bottom tracked class should have a lower ratio and a paraeducator the whole time instead of rotating to all classes. Then other tracked classes have a volunteer help if needed. But that makes too much sense and would help everyone involved so it isn't something MCPS would consider

[Anonymous]

Our ES--in Bethesda(!)--allows volunteers. However, some teachers like having them and some don't.

[Anonymous]

There is plenty to gossip about. Usually it involves behavior of certain children. There are many children who have behavior issues for one reason or another which must be kept confidential. Some children have difficulty learning. This is another topic that parents can gossip about. There's plenty more. What goes on in the classroom must remain confidential. Period. If parents talk about what goes on, they should not be able to volunteer.

The thing is, kids will come home and talk to their parents about behaviors of other kids in the classroom. Also, the kids with behavior issues frequently also play on a sports team, be a member of a scout troop, go to church or the grocery store, or just play outside in the neighborhood. People don't need to be in the classroom to know about a child's behavioral issues, they see them in many other interactions. Most don't really care that much, unless it affects their own child.
Really, there is no need for classroom gossip for people to know that some kids have behavioral issues.

[Anonymous]

"Most don't really care that much, unless it affects their own child. "

I have volunteered so I know who is more of a handful but who cares? Is this some sort of state secret? Agree grown adults should not gossip about kids but the possibility that some might is not a good reason to keep parents out.

[Anonymous]

"Agree grown adults should not gossip about kids but the possibility that some might is not a good reason to keep parents out. "

Why not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Agree grown adults should not gossip about kids but the possibility that some might is not a good reason to keep parents out. "
Why not?

Because they all know about it anyway- see 11:21 above.

[Anonymous]

I would love no parents in the classroom. And get them out of the office, or administrative roles too.

Parties twice a year sounds reasonable and sane.

Count your blessings!