SSL Requirement - Forced Volunteerism

[Anonymous]

I would not mind a community service or service learning credit requirement but I actually with other posters that there are too many restrictions which make it less meaningful. Its a good point that lower income students need this time for work, or family childcare. We are not religious but many good charities have religious affiliations which knocks them off the list. The SSL requirement doesn't support creative endeavors like kids setting up their own charitable activity so this is lost too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is something very dangerous/frightening about so many parents accepting this and defending this practice. Talk about a slippery slope to state control!

What happens when, for example, the list one day only includes groups with a particular religious or political affiliation. Sometimes you need to look at the principal at stake. I can't be the only liberal on this board, can I?

Have you actually looked at the list? Little danger of that happening.

Still concerned? Start an atheist, non-partisan non-profit where YOUR MCPS-attending children and like-minded students can volunteer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not mind a community service or service learning credit requirement but I actually with other posters that there are too many restrictions which make it less meaningful. Its a good point that lower income students need this time for work, or family childcare. We are not religious but many good charities have religious affiliations which knocks them off the list. The SSL requirement doesn't support creative endeavors like kids setting up their own charitable activity so this is lost too.

Not true! My daughter started her own foundation and got over 100 hrs in one school year that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How is it legal to require SSL hours in order to graduate from a public school?? I genuinely do not understand how this has not been challenged legally. I disagree so strongly with this program. Don't get me wrong - I think genuine volunteerism is admirable. Forced volunteerism, however, is crass b/c is it not genuine. In addition, what about lower income kids who might need to use out-of-school-time to work, babysit a sibling while mom works, etc.

This program really rubs me the wrong way. It is "state" (in this case the public school system) coercing underage and unpaid work at organizations it deems "worthy." Yuck.

First of all, you likely live in extremely liberal MoCo, so this is right up its alley.
Second of all, it may be another forced thing to add to one's college application.
Thirdly, I agree, it is not truly altruistic if you get praise, recognition, or a check-the-box.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not mind a community service or service learning credit requirement but I actually with other posters that there are too many restrictions which make it less meaningful. Its a good point that lower income students need this time for work, or family childcare. We are not religious but many good charities have religious affiliations which knocks them off the list. The SSL requirement doesn't support creative endeavors like kids setting up their own charitable activity so this is lost too.

There are plenty of SSL activities available during the course of the school day. You can shelve books in the library, or help a teacher and get credit. My kid got credit for running the camera on the school TV show. Low income kids (and other kids) can also start earning credits when they're 11 so they've got 3 years to get the 75 hours done before they're eligible to earn money anyway. The requirement is less than 11 hours a year, so hardly a threat a teen's ability to earn money.

As far as religion, the organization can be religious as long as the activity isn't. So, my son can go with a church group to serve food at a soup kitchen and earn hours, but he can't earn hours for serving at the altar or for teaching Sunday school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:kids graduate without doing homework

ssl hours are faked by MCPS as in school time in schools where kids don't volunteer

ssl program is not evenly applied to all students

ssl not fun, boring, sit around, sweep floors

If that's what you choose.

One thing my kid learned fast was choose carefully so you're not bored. That's a pretty good life lesson. Some things he's done:

Handed out fliers at the Smithsonian (very very boring)

Helped at the polling place on election day (sounds boring, but he enjoyed it and wants to go back)

Walked dogs for a local rescue (dangerous from a parent's perspective, your kid will beg you to bring every dog home, but not boring)

Ran the moonbounce at a carnival (sort of boring)

Delivered mulch for a fundraiser (fun because the whole team was doing it)

Served as a judge at "teen court" (loved it! Will definitely go back)

Cleaned up a trail with his 6th grade biology class (boring)

Built sets and ran spotlights for a community theater (lots of fun)

Camera Operator for the school TV show (lots of fun)

Helped out at a teacher workday, setting up chairs etc. . . (boring)

I think that one of the big lessons has been that there are lots of things out there you can try. Some will be boring, and some will be fascinating, and some will be somewhere in between.

[Anonymous]

Im sorry this is servitude. Forcing children to perform a service or the get no diploma allowing them to proceed to college.... I thought blackmail was against the law?
It does not matter if you deem that service good or bad, the principle of this appalls me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Im sorry this is servitude. Forcing children to perform a service or the get no diploma allowing them to proceed to college.... I thought blackmail was against the law?
It does not matter if you deem that service good or bad, the principle of this appalls me.

I agree with you 100%! This should not be a requirement in order to graduate. It appalls me too.

[Anonymous]

This thread is funny. I had to do 75 service learning hours to graduate...in 1997. (Different state)

I am perfectly okay with my two kids doing the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Im sorry this is servitude. Forcing children to perform a service or the get no diploma allowing them to proceed to college.... I thought blackmail was against the law?
It does not matter if you deem that service good or bad, the principle of this appalls me.

Asking students to do something in order to graduate is blackmail? I guess I have been blackmailed by every school I ever attended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not mind a community service or service learning credit requirement but I actually with other posters that there are too many restrictions which make it less meaningful. Its a good point that lower income students need this time for work, or family childcare. We are not religious but many good charities have religious affiliations which knocks them off the list. The SSL requirement doesn't support creative endeavors like kids setting up their own charitable activity so this is lost too.

Not true! My daughter started her own foundation and got over 100 hrs in one school year that way.

I agree. At my school there is a student-run club called Difference Makers. We organize all sorts of activities, work for different organizations on weekends, and do in school cleaning as well. One or two meetings a week can produce 1 to 2 hours a week. For 20 weeks a year...that's already 20- 40 hours! It all depends on how you look at it. No one is required to participate in the club, but we are helping people in the community around us. Everyone in it enjoys the work they do because they get to be with friends. Community service hours aren't bad because they encourage people to reach out to the community and do things for others. No one on this thread seems to be a current student. I am. I can tell you that I find SSL hours as a good experience and very fun. You can say it's forced labor, but it really isn't. And at this point no one is in a state to argue against that because it doesn't seem like you're the one doing any work.

[Anonymous]

You can also get SSL hours by being a summer camp counselor which is not boring. SSL gives them a taste of working in the real world. Priceless!

If that's what you choose.

One thing my kid learned fast was choose carefully so you're not bored. That's a pretty good life lesson. Some things he's done:

Handed out fliers at the Smithsonian (very very boring)

Helped at the polling place on election day (sounds boring, but he enjoyed it and wants to go back)

Walked dogs for a local rescue (dangerous from a parent's perspective, your kid will beg you to bring every dog home, but not boring)

Ran the moonbounce at a carnival (sort of boring)

Delivered mulch for a fundraiser (fun because the whole team was doing it)

Served as a judge at "teen court" (loved it! Will definitely go back)

Cleaned up a trail with his 6th grade biology class (boring)

Built sets and ran spotlights for a community theater (lots of fun)

Camera Operator for the school TV show (lots of fun)

Helped out at a teacher workday, setting up chairs etc. . . (boring)

I think that one of the big lessons has been that there are lots of things out there you can try. Some will be boring, and some will be fascinating, and some will be somewhere in between.

[Anonymous]

What most of you don't realize, is that the concerned persons are worried about the PRINCIPLE of "SSL hours", and not about how "easy" they are to acquire.


Quite a few believe that such things are precedent to much greater, much worse requirements to receive something the tax payer has already paid for.

It should be enough these students will eventually compensate the system by providing additional tax income later on in their lives, and adding tacing on meaningless and trivial requirements to show that you have received a public education.

[Anonymous]

You sound like some of the asshats I went to law school with who were anti-pro bono.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What most of you don't realize, is that the concerned persons are worried about the PRINCIPLE of "SSL hours", and not about how "easy" they are to acquire.

Quite a few believe that such things are precedent to much greater, much worse requirements to receive something the tax payer has already paid for.

It should be enough these students will eventually compensate the system by providing additional tax income later on in their lives, and adding tacing on meaningless and trivial requirements to show that you have received a public education.

What's the PRINCIPLE, exactly?