Is it true that schools do criminal background checks for parent volunteers?

[Anonymous]

Our coop preschool does for all parent coopers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they don't, they should. In fact, all schools should. If an adult is going to be spending time with other people's children, possibly unsupervised, then yes, they should run criminal background checks.

It's quick and easy.

If something comes up, then deal with it on a case-by-case basis, depending on the nature of the offense. But volunteers, especially with younger children, have access you wouldn't normally give a stranger (for example, escorting your child to the bathroom). I see it as a matter of due diligence on the part of the school system.

Do you think if you go to a private school or public school in McLean or Potomac, the schools would need to run a criminal background check on the parents?

Not McLean, but DD is at a independent school in Bethesda and everyone who volunteers has to get fingerprinted and checked.

[Anonymous]

Wow. Some of these comments are plain ignorant. Do people truly believe that criminals only live in certain zip codes? I have no issue with the background check and finger prints required for volunteering. They should be required for all school systems regardless of which zip or county. After all, we are talking about the safety of our children. When one applies for a job aren't we subject to a background and credit check? It gives me a little more security knowing the requirements that volunteers have to undergo. This is not to say that it is a guarantee that the volunteer will do no harm, but it is an appreciated extra security measure.

[Anonymous]

All the more reason to keep possession of 1/2 oz of marijuana in virginia a felony.

Black Americans were nearly four times as likely as whites to be arrested on charges of marijuana possession in 2010, even though the two groups used the drug at similar rates, according to new federal data.

Hancock County, West Virginia, for example, saw its rate of pot possession arrests jump a whopping 2,319 percent between 2001 and 2011. Other counties leading the way in stepping up enforcement over the last decade include the D.C. suburb of Fairfax County, Virginia (976 percent)

yes ban all those black adults that possessed marijuana from volunteering at school.

when you think background checks remember the type of laws we still have in fairfax county.

[Anonymous]

How did this become a FCPS post when it's clearly in the PG schools section about PGCPS?

To answer your question, yes a background check is required to chaperone field trips (not 100% sure about volunteering though). It costs $10 and is good for the whole year for all PGCPS schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we lived in Fairfax, the schools did not. We moved out if state, and here they do a complete background check, to include criminal records check, before you can even walk past the front office while kids are at school. You cannot volunteer. You cannot go on a field trip. You can't even have lunch with your child until your background check is completed. This is true for anyone -parents, grandparents, student teachers, visitors- who have access to kids.

Does this only happen in bad neighborhoods?

It isn't like you would have a metal detector in a safe neighborhood.

25 years ago my school had Deputies working as hall monitors. It was a safe place and not a bad neighborhood at all. Now they have metal detectors.
30 years ago I was in an elementary school in a posh area and an intercom system was utilized and front doors locked.

PGCPS requires the finger printing background check for volunteering and that's $60+ or there's a $7 check that you can get to allow you to chaperon. I went ahead and got the fingerprint background check done because it's good for as long as your kids are in school.

[Anonymous]

Yes, all parent volunteers must be finger printed and do a background check. Makes sense to me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Some of these comments are plain ignorant. Do people truly believe that criminals only live in certain zip codes? I have no issue with the background check and finger prints required for volunteering. They should be required for all school systems regardless of which zip or county. After all, we are talking about the safety of our children. When one applies for a job aren't we subject to a background and credit check? It gives me a little more security knowing the requirements that volunteers have to undergo. This is not to say that it is a guarantee that the volunteer will do no harm, but it is an appreciated extra security measure.

This. Sexual predators live in all sorts of neighborhoods, even the wealthy ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we lived in Fairfax, the schools did not. We moved out if state, and here they do a complete background check, to include criminal records check, before you can even walk past the front office while kids are at school. You cannot volunteer. You cannot go on a field trip. You can't even have lunch with your child until your background check is completed. This is true for anyone -parents, grandparents, student teachers, visitors- who have access to kids.

Does this only happen in bad neighborhoods?

Nope. I live in the most affluent county in our state. The schools take the safety of our kids very seriously and are willing to pay a lot of money for the background checks.

[Anonymous]

The issue I have with the background checks in PG County schools is the fact that at my daughter's ES, parent involvement (that I have seen so far) is close to zero. On back to school night, two parents showed up (myself and one other father), out of a class of 19 kids. If you want to volunteer in the school, not just chaperone a school trip, you have to pay $60+ to undergo the full fingerprinting/background check. In a school where nearly 90 percent of the students are receiving free or reduced meals, how likely is it that a parent will be able to shell out $60+ in order to volunteer in their child's school. You are in effect forcing lower parental involvement, which is practically nil to start with. How about some of that Title 1 or other grant money go towards reducing the cost of background checks in order to possibly increase parental involvement.

Of course, that's not likely to happen...it's much more effective to just put an iPad in the hands of each child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue I have with the background checks in PG County schools is the fact that at my daughter's ES, parent involvement (that I have seen so far) is close to zero. On back to school night, two parents showed up (myself and one other father), out of a class of 19 kids. If you want to volunteer in the school, not just chaperone a school trip, you have to pay $60+ to undergo the full fingerprinting/background check. In a school where nearly 90 percent of the students are receiving free or reduced meals, how likely is it that a parent will be able to shell out $60+ in order to volunteer in their child's school. You are in effect forcing lower parental involvement, which is practically nil to start with. How about some of that Title 1 or other grant money go towards reducing the cost of background checks in order to possibly increase parental involvement.

Of course, that's not likely to happen...it's much more effective to just put an iPad in the hands of each child.

In my county (we are out of state now) the school system pays it. It doesn't cost the volunteers anything.

[Anonymous]

I think that you need to have a background check to chaperone field trips or volunteer in the classroom. This is not fingerprinting but just a form. It costs $7. If you want to chaperone overnight field trips you must be fingerprinted.
I did a background check ($7) and have volunteered in the classroom on several occasions as well as gone on a field trip with the kids. The background check must be done every year. If you elect to get fingerprinted, that background check is valid indefinitely, or until they change the policy. You can go to the Upper Marlboro fingerprinting office during the week or there are several PTA's that are hosting fingerprinting sessions which are open to all parents. I know that Spellman has one and I think that there was one at Hyattsville last year.
And although it is a hassle, I would rather have adults that I don't know who are in contact with my child be screened, regardless of where they live. Pedophiles and felons don't just live in low income neighborhoods.

"Volunteers who qualify may elect to do a commercial background check in place of the fingerprinting as per Administrative Procedure 4215 Section G. Chaperones for day are only required to undergo the background check. For an overnight field trip, chaperones must complete a full fingerprint background check and form.

Costs of these Services are:

Fingerprinting - $61.07 (This has changed from $63.82)

Commercial Background Check ($7.00) - Acceptable forms of payment for background checks only include cash, Visa, Mastercard and money orders. Personal checks are not accepted.

Any applicant who requires a "duplicate receipt" of the background check must respond to the Fingerprint Office with proper identification and a $5.00 money order (only).

- See more at: http://www1.pgcps.org/security/index.aspx?id=188863#sthash.VYcEDjg8.dpuf "

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that you need to have a background check to chaperone field trips or volunteer in the classroom. This is not fingerprinting but just a form. It costs $7. If you want to chaperone overnight field trips you must be fingerprinted.
I did a background check ($7) and have volunteered in the classroom on several occasions as well as gone on a field trip with the kids. The background check must be done every year. If you elect to get fingerprinted, that background check is valid indefinitely, or until they change the policy. You can go to the Upper Marlboro fingerprinting office during the week or there are several PTA's that are hosting fingerprinting sessions which are open to all parents. I know that Spellman has one and I think that there was one at Hyattsville last year.
And although it is a hassle, I would rather have adults that I don't know who are in contact with my child be screened, regardless of where they live. Pedophiles and felons don't just live in low income neighborhoods.

"Volunteers who qualify may elect to do a commercial background check in place of the fingerprinting as per Administrative Procedure 4215 Section G. Chaperones for day are only required to undergo the background check. For an overnight field trip, chaperones must complete a full fingerprint background check and form.

Costs of these Services are:

Fingerprinting - $61.07 (This has changed from $63.82)

Commercial Background Check ($7.00) - Acceptable forms of payment for background checks only include cash, Visa, Mastercard and money orders. Personal checks are not accepted.

Any applicant who requires a "duplicate receipt" of the background check must respond to the Fingerprint Office with proper identification and a $5.00 money order (only).

- See more at: http://www1.pgcps.org/security/index.aspx?id=188863#sthash.VYcEDjg8.dpuf "

Hyattsville Elementary has theirs scheduled on Oct 1

[Anonymous]

Looks like the Administrative Procedure specifies much more clearly what is a volunteer vs. chaperone. So in most cases, a one time or sporadic volunteer (or regular volunteer in a supervised setting) only needs the $7 check. The full blown $60 fingerprinting is only needed if volunteering in an unsupervised setting or overnight chaperone trip. I'm all for background checks, of course I want my daughter to be safe, however, in the case where parental involvement is so low to start, any little thing ($7 fee being covered by county) that could improve upon it, would be a positive. While $7 doesn't seem like much to most people posting on these boards, I'm sure it's out of the range for many families in my local ES.

Here is the definition of volunteer/chaperone/mentor from the Administrative Procedure...

G. VOLUNTEERS, CHAPERONES, AND MENTORS:

1. Volunteers and mentors working in a capacity where uncontrolled
access is anticipated, such as those working with students in an
unsupervised capacity on school grounds, off of school property, or
after school are required to be fingerprinted and complete a full
fingerprint background check and form.

2. Volunteers working in a capacity where no uncontrolled access is
anticipated on a one time basis only, or on a sporadic basis, do not need
to be fingerprinted, i.e. parents volunteering for career day, book fairs,
school dances, or other one time events.

3. Parents and volunteers who volunteer in a classroom on a regular basis
in a supervised setting must obtain a commercial background check
through PGCPS on an annual basis.

4. Chaperones who will participate in a day field trip or an overnight
school trip are considered to be volunteers and must undergo a
commercial background check initiated by PGCPS through the
Fingerprinting Office before performing duties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While $7 doesn't seem like much to most people posting on these boards, I'm sure it's out of the range for many families in my local ES.

That is so true! I think that many of us are very fortunate and forget about the less fortunate (at least financially) in the school community. I wonder if someone could approach the local municipality to see if they offer a grant to cover some of these expenses. I know our small town gives out small grants to community organizations for this sort of thing.
Ideally, the PGCPS would pony up the money but I'm thinking more short term solutions.