Volunteering at school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there that many volunteer situations that are critical? In my kid's 6 years of elementary school, they've asked for volunteers to:

--Come in for 1 hour on the 4th tuesday of the month to change out the bulletin boards
--Set up TAW snacks in the teacher's work room
--Sell bingo cards for the evening bingo game

That's it. If the first two don't happen I think it's probably okay, and the last one shouldn't be an issue since all kids have to come with a guardian in the evening anyway. Some guardians are just going to sit at a table and take money.

My school doesn't have weekly/monthly volunteers for anything.

This is sad. Our school is flush with volunteers. Or should I say “was”.

+1. Schools with lots of volunteer opportunities are going to take a big hit.

Or if the parents have that much time and desire to volunteer repeatedly, they probably have an extra hour to get fingerprinted and fill out a form? It's not a huge ask. This isn't a TS-SCI.

I disagree. The level that requires fingerprinting is for 2 or more instances of volunteering in a school year. A lot of people who are infrequent volunteers but do like to help a little aren’t going to make the time to drive over to Gatehouse for fingerprinting just so they can volunteer twice. Plus, that level states that an FCPS staff member must always be present during the volunteer’s involvement. If that’s the expectation, then why the need for such a stringent background check? I’m sure is well intentioned, but it’s not at all well thought out.

Isn't it going to take a lot more forethought and planning also? Like we currently get asked on Monday or Tuesday if anyone can come in Thursday to help with picture day. And plenty of other random things come up like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there that many volunteer situations that are critical? In my kid's 6 years of elementary school, they've asked for volunteers to:

--Come in for 1 hour on the 4th tuesday of the month to change out the bulletin boards
--Set up TAW snacks in the teacher's work room
--Sell bingo cards for the evening bingo game

That's it. If the first two don't happen I think it's probably okay, and the last one shouldn't be an issue since all kids have to come with a guardian in the evening anyway. Some guardians are just going to sit at a table and take money.

My school doesn't have weekly/monthly volunteers for anything.

This is sad. Our school is flush with volunteers. Or should I say “was”.

+1. Schools with lots of volunteer opportunities are going to take a big hit.

Or if the parents have that much time and desire to volunteer repeatedly, they probably have an extra hour to get fingerprinted and fill out a form? It's not a huge ask. This isn't a TS-SCI.

I disagree. The level that requires fingerprinting is for 2 or more instances of volunteering in a school year. A lot of people who are infrequent volunteers but do like to help a little aren’t going to make the time to drive over to Gatehouse for fingerprinting just so they can volunteer twice. Plus, that level states that an FCPS staff member must always be present during the volunteer’s involvement. If that’s the expectation, then why the need for such a stringent background check? I’m sure is well intentioned, but it’s not at all well thought out.

Isn't it going to take a lot more forethought and planning also? Like we currently get asked on Monday or Tuesday if anyone can come in Thursday to help with picture day. And plenty of other random things come up like that.

Yup, and a lot of people will get turned away if they haven’t done the application. Then, parents don’t feel appreciated. So much for valuing family-school partnership.

[Anonymous]

This is getting really common for people who work with kids, even in a volunteer capacity.

[Anonymous]

What is the email?

[Anonymous]

https://www.fcps.edu/get-involved/volunteer-fcps

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are your thoughts on the new FCPS requirement for background checks for volunteers who participate more than once a year?

Do the volunteers have to pay for it? Will they have to get it every year?
-Its free.

What does it check for?

-If you were previously convicted of diddling children. -No, what do you think dipshit if your crew score is good?

This they already check when ID card is scanned to get the badge as far as I know

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there that many volunteer situations that are critical? In my kid's 6 years of elementary school, they've asked for volunteers to:

--Come in for 1 hour on the 4th tuesday of the month to change out the bulletin boards
--Set up TAW snacks in the teacher's work room
--Sell bingo cards for the evening bingo game

That's it. If the first two don't happen I think it's probably okay, and the last one shouldn't be an issue since all kids have to come with a guardian in the evening anyway. Some guardians are just going to sit at a table and take money.

My school doesn't have weekly/monthly volunteers for anything.

This is sad. Our school is flush with volunteers. Or should I say “was”.

+1. Schools with lots of volunteer opportunities are going to take a big hit.

Or if the parents have that much time and desire to volunteer repeatedly, they probably have an extra hour to get fingerprinted and fill out a form? It's not a huge ask. This isn't a TS-SCI.

+1 it will basically limit volunteers to SAHMs who have the time to go to Gatehouse to get fingerprinted. The same volunteers over and over.

[Anonymous]

Background checks are fine. I volunteer as a sports coach where I am alone with children..in multiple sports. But NONE of them require fingerprints. You can find what you’re looking for without needing them. But, if you’re going to require them, one location in a county the size of Fairfax, come on! At least let me go to the police station or the UPS store. This is a lazy, poorly thought out process. Is it well intentioned? Sure. Is it poorly planned out. Yes. And that is so FCPS under the tenure of Dr Reid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are your thoughts on the new FCPS requirement for background checks for volunteers who participate more than once a year?

Do the volunteers have to pay for it? Will they have to get it every year?
-Its free.

What does it check for?

-If you were previously convicted of diddling children. -No, what do you think dipshit if your crew score is good?

This they already check when ID card is scanned to get the badge as far as I know

They do and it gets scanned in a computer. This is all because their staff, who already gets fingerprinted, has had some “issues”. Poorly executed CYA which alienates the people doing your teachers’ work for free since you can’t manage an insanely large budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there that many volunteer situations that are critical? In my kid's 6 years of elementary school, they've asked for volunteers to:

--Come in for 1 hour on the 4th tuesday of the month to change out the bulletin boards
--Set up TAW snacks in the teacher's work room
--Sell bingo cards for the evening bingo game

That's it. If the first two don't happen I think it's probably okay, and the last one shouldn't be an issue since all kids have to come with a guardian in the evening anyway. Some guardians are just going to sit at a table and take money.

My school doesn't have weekly/monthly volunteers for anything.

Really? Not helping at library? Or being room parents, stuffing folders, making copies, organizing things, field trips, parties, field day, grade-specific days like pioneer day, picture day, book fair, probably more I forgot. We have a lot of repeat volunteers even if they are doing each of those events once or twice a year, it adds up to many times in the school in total. That's before any PTA events if those count.

Sounds like they have no idea what’s going on at their kids’ school. No way there’s this little done by volunteers. What’s the point in even having a pta if their only mission is bingo night? I guarantee there’s hundreds of hours of work you don’t know about.

[Anonymous]

My hypothesis is this-those complaining probably do a lot of volunteer work around the school and this feels like a slap in the face. They know the parameters. They know they’re not “alone” with kids. This feels onerous and lazy. This feels like you’re putting more on the volunteers to overcome your laziness and hoping they’ll just do it because they want to see their children and school succeed.

The ones saying it’s a good idea have probably never volunteered a day in your life other than to maybe write a check. So you don’t understand the actual scenarios, how much volunteers do (for free), and how much they do to allow the schools to function as they should.

It’s another case of speaking as an expert in a subject you know nothing about. But that is very 2025, so I get it. Just like the person who created this process probably has never volunteered at a school so didn’t know either and was too lazy to find out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there that many volunteer situations that are critical? In my kid's 6 years of elementary school, they've asked for volunteers to:

--Come in for 1 hour on the 4th tuesday of the month to change out the bulletin boards
--Set up TAW snacks in the teacher's work room
--Sell bingo cards for the evening bingo game

That's it. If the first two don't happen I think it's probably okay, and the last one shouldn't be an issue since all kids have to come with a guardian in the evening anyway. Some guardians are just going to sit at a table and take money.

My school doesn't have weekly/monthly volunteers for anything.

Really? Not helping at library? Or being room parents, stuffing folders, making copies, organizing things, field trips, parties, field day, grade-specific days like pioneer day, picture day, book fair, probably more I forgot. We have a lot of repeat volunteers even if they are doing each of those events once or twice a year, it adds up to many times in the school in total. That's before any PTA events if those count.

Sounds like they have no idea what’s going on at their kids’ school. No way there’s this little done by volunteers. What’s the point in even having a pta if their only mission is bingo night? I guarantee there’s hundreds of hours of work you don’t know about.

I forgot lunch monitors, which is definitely needed and some people do that every week. Also lost and found, moving furniture (those requests go out last minute), speaking to the class about you family's holidays or traditions, mystery readers.

Plus the PTA puts on 5 or 6 teacher appreciation breakfasts + TASW, and organized a military appreciation event and supports those families. They advocate for things beyond the school's control to get addressed like sidewalks and traffic.

We've had multiple events for the school community this summer, and there are a ton during the year, both big and small. The PTA officers do an incredible amount of work, but they also rely on the manpower of additional volunteers to pull all that off. I love our school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there that many volunteer situations that are critical? In my kid's 6 years of elementary school, they've asked for volunteers to:

--Come in for 1 hour on the 4th tuesday of the month to change out the bulletin boards
--Set up TAW snacks in the teacher's work room
--Sell bingo cards for the evening bingo game

That's it. If the first two don't happen I think it's probably okay, and the last one shouldn't be an issue since all kids have to come with a guardian in the evening anyway. Some guardians are just going to sit at a table and take money.

My school doesn't have weekly/monthly volunteers for anything.

Really? Not helping at library? Or being room parents, stuffing folders, making copies, organizing things, field trips, parties, field day, grade-specific days like pioneer day, picture day, book fair, probably more I forgot. We have a lot of repeat volunteers even if they are doing each of those events once or twice a year, it adds up to many times in the school in total. That's before any PTA events if those count.

Sounds like they have no idea what’s going on at their kids’ school. No way there’s this little done by volunteers. What’s the point in even having a pta if their only mission is bingo night? I guarantee there’s hundreds of hours of work you don’t know about.

I forgot lunch monitors, which is definitely needed and some people do that every week. Also lost and found, moving furniture (those requests go out last minute), speaking to the class about you family's holidays or traditions, mystery readers.

Plus the PTA puts on 5 or 6 teacher appreciation breakfasts + TASW, and organized a military appreciation event and supports those families. They advocate for things beyond the school's control to get addressed like sidewalks and traffic.

We've had multiple events for the school community this summer, and there are a ton during the year, both big and small. The PTA officers do an incredible amount of work, but they also rely on the manpower of additional volunteers to pull all that off. I love our school.

Ours too. The comment about our school has no volunteers comes from an obvious place of ignorance. Obviously never volunteered for anything and thinks everything happens by magic. The comment was as lazy as FCPS’s execution of this plan.

[Anonymous]

So if you volunteer for the ES book fair more than 2 days you need a criminal background check and fingerprinting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if you volunteer for the ES book fair more than 2 days you need a criminal background check and fingerprinting?

Yes. Complete and total overkill.