Does your child's school fingerprint you?

[teacup princess]

I'm so angy right now. I just found out that my child's school is planning to fingerprint and run a criminal background check on any parent who wishes to volunteer in the classroom next year. Not only this, but they plan to charge you $20 and make you eat up what will probably end up being an enitire day proving your identity to them and standing in line at the police station so they can determine if I am safe to be with my own child. NO THANK YOU!!! Is this really what our world is coming to? Since when did we as parents become suspects of heinous acts involving our own children?

I currently volunteer 3 days a week of my own time for free to help out my kid's teachers. I guess next year I'll have alot more free time on my hands because I refuse to follow this stupid, asinine policy. I don't have a criminal record, but am I being unreasonable? Does your school do this?

I can't see how this is doing anything but hurting the children. I don't recall any newsworthy events of parents performing unmentionable acts to children when the teacher is standing right there. The district has already cut it's staff to the bone, now they want to get rid of their volunteers? I truly enjoy helping in my child's classroom, being there for class partys, field trips, ect. Nope. No more. Good luck stupid district ###. Have fun without me.

Thanks for the rant. This one just threw me over the edge.

 

[connorlevismom]

I'm so angy right now. I just found out that my child's school is planning to fingerprint and run a criminal background check on any parent who wishes to volunteer in the classroom next year. Not only this, but they plan to charge you $20 and make you eat up what will probably end up being an enitire day proving your identity to them and standing in line at the police station so they can determine if I am safe to be with my own child. NO THANK YOU!!! Is this really what our world is coming to? Since when did we as parents become suspects of heinous acts involving our own children?

I currently volunteer 3 days a week of my own time for free to help out my kid's teachers. I guess next year I'll have alot more free time on my hands because I refuse to follow this stupid, asinine policy. I don't have a criminal record, but am I being unreasonable? Does your school do this?

I can't see how this is doing anything but hurting the children. I don't recall any newsworthy events of parents performing unmentionable acts to children when the teacher is standing right there. The district has already cut it's staff to the bone, now they want to get rid of their volunteers? I truly enjoy helping in my child's classroom, being there for class partys, field trips, ect. Nope. No more. Good luck stupid district ###. Have fun without me.

Thanks for the rant. This one just threw me over the edge.

Our school does background checks on anyone who volunteers. But I would support the fingerprinting as well, if they did it. I am glad they take steps to find out about the people in the school. You just never know.

Kristine

 

[imthatgirl]

Yup thats nomal. It's called a cori check...and personally I wouldn't want anyone near my child who wasn't cori'd.

 

[thebeesknees]

Our church did this, as well. Anyone who works in the children's ministries or the nursery has to undergo a background check. It is for insurance reasons. I have nothing to hide, so I don't mind doing it. And I feel safer leaving my kids in the program, because even though I *think* I know everyone working there pretty well, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

 

[mjkacmom]

Consider yourself lucky! Our schools have never allowed parent volunteers, and security is one of the reasons. All of the schools are locked, and class moms can only come in for parties (younger grades only). Parents can't even volunteer in the office, and if your child forgets something at home (like lunch), you get buzzed in, and take it to the office, and leave.

 

[Mandychelle79]

Id have problem with it. I have to be fingerprinted to attend my clinical locations for nursing school. PA background check, child abuse check and an FBI background check.

 

[waltskids]

This is done in many school districts. The parents who choose not to participate simply do not volunteer in the school.

 

[Mandychelle79]

oh and it takes like 10 mins to get all the paper work done and the fingerprints take maybe 5-10 mins. Not really a big deal.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

I don't see what the problem is. It seems reasonable to me. Our school runs background checks, but I wouldn't mind being fingerprinted. I already have been for my job anyway. $20.00 is a small price to pay. You only have to have it done once. It also only takes a few minutes to get done. My kids love when I come to their school. I wouldn't let something so small stop me from volunteering at my child's school.

 

[grace&philipsmom]

I wouldn't have an issue with it. It might be a minor inconvenience to you, but if it might help provide a more secure environment to kids I don't see a problem.

 

[Magpie]

We have to pay for our own police background checks if we want to volunteer with any of the children and youth at our church. It's standard operating procedure.

One thing you may wish to consider - it may not have been your school administration's choice to do this. A lot of insurance companies are now refusing to cover schools and churches who allow adults to spend time with children, without background checks.

As for the unlikeliness of a parent volunteer molesting a child under the teacher's watch... Most molesters don't just jump right to the assault. They get to know the child first. They earn their trust and friendship. They build a relationship with the child and his family. And what better place to do that, than in a classroom?

 

[RF536]

My school does not do any kind of background check on parent volunteers. All you have to do is sign in at the office and go to the classroom. Most of the doors are locked during the day, except for the 1 by the main office and the one by the pre-school.

I leave in a small town, of about 2000, so I guess this practice hasn't reached us yet. I do know that a lot of the larger towns around us do background checks on parent volunteers. I don't have a problem with it, as I feel it is important to help keep our kids safe. I already have to have a background check down for the Boy Scouts.

 

[mjkacmom]

Oh, and I want to add that all coaches here have to take a mandatory class (which they pay for), and have background checks and be fingerprinted, for the chance to spend hours of their free time, coaching your children (which can be a thankless job sometimes, and a wonderful experience most of the time).

 

[nmmom95]

Our school has been doing that for at least 5 years. I volunteer, so I had to be fingerprinted and they did a background check. I totally support this.

 

[bumbershoot]

Since when did we as parents become suspects of heinous acts involving our own children?

Since the statistics show that people who harm children are far more likely to have already known those children, vs the "strangers" people tend to get so freaked out about.

 

[tabithakp]

our school does this as well. it really doesnt take long and i think its great! anything to keep our kids safe is worth doing!!!!

 

[teacup princess]

Wow. I must really be in the minority here. When can I expect to get my barcode?

If they wanted to run a background check on me, I'd probably be ok with it. The fingerprinting though, is just a little too big brother for me. What can they acclomplish with a fingerprinting that they can't with a background check?

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

Our district runs background checks on all volunteers. They don't fingerprint but I wouldn't have a problem with it if they did.

 

[kamik86]

a background check (CORI) I would see as normal. The fingerprinting does seem to be a bit much. I probably wouldn't refuse though. But that wouldn't take any more of your time then the 5 min it takes you to fill out the form (although you would have to go in to do it since it has to be signed in front of someone)

I would be upset about having to pay for it though. I don't think the volunteers should have to give money to help them out.

 

[Alesia]

You're being completely unreasonable.

Just because you can't think of a way a child could be victimized doesn't mean it can't happen. I've had pretty extensive child abuse prevention training, and I assure you - there are a lot of situations that a school volunteer can find a way to be alone with a child.