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

[Anonymous]

I just heard that PG county schools needed to run a criminal background check if the parent wanted to volunteer/chaperone.

Is this true?

[Anonymous]

I hadn't heard that, but it makes sense. Nursing homes have to do them on their volunteers.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I was a researcher on a project that involved interviewing teachers. I didn't even have contact with children but because I was entering the school beyond the front office I needed to go to the Sasser building in Upper Marlboro for a background check.

[Anonymous]

Do you have some problem with that?

[Anonymous]

I would be surprised if a school district didn't do background checks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be surprised if a school district didn't do background checks.

We live in Fairfax County in VA. I have never heard of such a thing. The PTA and classrooms run on volunteers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be surprised if a school district didn't do background checks.

Many local school systems do not. This is the first I've heard of it.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be surprised if a school district didn't do background checks.

We live in Fairfax County in VA. I have never heard of such a thing. The PTA and classrooms run on volunteers.

This was my experience in FCPS too. I've taught and volunteered in several districts and was stunned that our FCPS principal didn't require background checks for volunteers, including before and after school activity volunteers who were alone with children. In fact I called the FCPS central office, that's how shocked I was. The person I spoke with there said school principals could independently decide to require them, but the district did not. I expressed my dismay that FCPS didn't require them, if not out of concern for student welfare, then at least to mitigate the risk of lawsuits when something bad happens.

I never took the issue further because we were planning to move out of the district, but in the time we were there I volunteered with an after-school activity (no background check) that took students off-campus. I only allowed my own child to participate in two activities, the one I helped teach and one run by a close friend.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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?

[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?

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

[Anonymous]

Falls Church City requires it. I think they out it in place after a high profile incident with a dad molesting 2 girls at his daughter's sleepover party. Basically as a way to prevent him from getting into the schools if he was let out. Not sure if that is true... (But they do require every parent volunteer to submit a form to do a background check).

[Anonymous]

It's pg county... I would hope so.