MCPS volunteer training online

[Anonymous]

I completed the webinar on mandated reporting. But I never got an email confirming my participation, and I am starting to think there was a glitch. How long did the email take to arrive for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I completed the webinar on mandated reporting. But I never got an email confirming my participation, and I am starting to think there was a glitch. How long did the email take to arrive for you?

Chances are high that there was a glitch, knowing MCPS and their technology. Teachers have learned to screenshot the screen where it confirms your completion of the course because online courses are notoriously glitchy and many of us have experienced having to repeat the course due to MCPS error. Is there a number to call and check? --teacher

[Anonymous]

Reality is that most llikely your school will not even check who completes the volunteer training and who doesn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reality is that most llikely your school will not even check who completes the volunteer training and who doesn't.[/quote

My school was pretty strict about this.]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reality is that most llikely your school will not even check who completes the volunteer training and who doesn't.[/quote

My school was pretty strict about this.]

My school and DD’s were both super strict. However, they were also swimming in volunteers. And have a highly litigious parent population. Might fly if your school is desperate for bodies and the parents feel disempowered to demand better. But would that really be something to be happy about? I’d consider it a big red flag if a school isn’t checking.

[Anonymous]

Our high school not only wasn't checking last year for volunteers to be certified, they did not tell parents the need to be certified. I was a chaperone without the necessary certification just because I did not know the necessity to get it. No one stoped me from chaperoning.

Hopefully, all schools will do a better job getting the word out and checking that volunteers are certified this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our high school not only wasn't checking last year for volunteers to be certified, they did not tell parents the need to be certified. I was a chaperone without the necessary certification just because I did not know the necessity to get it. No one stoped me from chaperoning.

Hopefully, all schools will do a better job getting the word out and checking that volunteers are certified this year.

We were told it wasn’t needed to chaperone field trips if not overnight.

[Anonymous]

Here is the online training. Takes around 30 minutes...I don't think it will change anything or be effective but it makes authorities feel good and MCPS gets to cover their asses.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/childabuseandneglect/reportingchildabuse/story_html5.html

If you plan to volunteer at the school or chaperone a trip - go ahead and complete this training. Send the confirmation email to the school. Different schools have different protocols - some care for this training and some don't/.

[Anonymous]

This is why kids are safer in Catholic schools. At least training is tracked, AND it is conducted in a classroom. That, plus background checks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why kids are safer in Catholic schools. At least training is tracked, AND it is conducted in a classroom. That, plus background checks.

+100 When my children attended preschool 10 years ago, we had to attend training session in person as well as fingerprint and background check. This was for any volunteer position. The school did keep records of the training and background check. If you didn't have the credentials, you could not volunteer.

Our local middle school and high school did not ask volunteers to take the online course except if you were chaperoning for the middle school outdoor ed program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I completed the webinar on mandated reporting. But I never got an email confirming my participation, and I am starting to think there was a glitch. How long did the email take to arrive for you?

I completed all 11 modules and did not receive a confirmation either. Since I am about 6000 miles away I thought mine was because of Geigraphic restrictions. Does every module have a ? by it?
The other online training is due by the end of the inservice week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our high school not only wasn't checking last year for volunteers to be certified, they did not tell parents the need to be certified. I was a chaperone without the necessary certification just because I did not know the necessity to get it. No one stoped me from chaperoning.

Hopefully, all schools will do a better job getting the word out and checking that volunteers are certified this year.

We were told it wasn’t needed to chaperone field trips if not overnight.

It’s been kind of confusing to figure out when it is and isn’t needed. I did it when they first implemented it and I think I will have to do it again before next school year. We have to do fingerprint background checks only for the 4th grade St Mary’s field trip and the 5th grade Philadelphia field trip because they extend outside the school day. Outdoor Ed chaperones should also be having to do fingerprints I think. Perhaps the ESs are implementing better than the MS/HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is the online training. Takes around 30 minutes...I don't think it will change anything or be effective but it makes authorities feel good and MCPS gets to cover their asses.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/childabuseandneglect/reportingchildabuse/story_html5.html

If you plan to volunteer at the school or chaperone a trip - go ahead and complete this training. Send the confirmation email to the school. Different schools have different protocols - some care for this training and some don't/.

Here in a nutshell is why MCPS has so many cases of abuse. "different schools have different protocols" while true in practice is NOT AT ALL what their policies, procedures, regulations and in many cases the law say. MCPS blathers on and on and on about what a robust system they have for preventing and responding to abuse but here, once again, we see it's all BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the online training. Takes around 30 minutes...I don't think it will change anything or be effective but it makes authorities feel good and MCPS gets to cover their asses.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/childabuseandneglect/reportingchildabuse/story_html5.html

If you plan to volunteer at the school or chaperone a trip - go ahead and complete this training. Send the confirmation email to the school. Different schools have different protocols - some care for this training and some don't/.

Here in a nutshell is why MCPS has so many cases of abuse. "different schools have different protocols" while true in practice is NOT AT ALL what their policies, procedures, regulations and in many cases the law say. MCPS blathers on and on and on about what a robust system they have for preventing and responding to abuse but here, once again, we see it's all BS.

If Compliance truly cared about whether or not ALL schools are compliant with the mandatory training for volunteers, there should be a paper trail of who the volunteers are and what dates and times they volunteered. Compare that with the list of adults who complete the training and for those chaperoning overnight - the background check and fingerprinting.

From listening to Donna Hollingshead in at the April 25, 2018 Montgomery County Council Ed Committee meeting (video is online on the County Council website), she cares more about protecting child predators than actually enforcing compliance of the Child Abuse and Neglect regulations. Hence, that is why some schools are not following the county wide regulations.

[Anonymous]

Dear LORD. Parents are not sexually abusing MCPS students. It is usually the teachers, coaches, bus drivers and other staff employed by MCPS.

When parent volunteers are volunteering, they have very little interaction with sexual predatory MCPS staff. Their focus is in keeping the students safe under their watch for a very short duration of time.

In the short amount of time that the parent volunteers are with students or MCPS staff - they are in no way and shape able to see, identify and report signs of sexual and physical abuse in students.

We need better screening of all MCPS staff. Those who are already employed and those who are being hired. Also, more CCTV all over the school, more cameras in the classrooms, more security person staffing, more LEOs assigned to schools and more use of parent volunteers in the lunch room etc.