I'm all for keeping this information as private as possible. While I certainly want to keep our children safe, I share many of the concerns EaglesPrez mentioned.
I think how much information is received also depends on the type of check.
All volunteers in our school are subject to background checks, paid for by the district. I'm not sure how much information comes back, but thankfully, our principal is a discreet person and handles it well.
When the PTO runs bingo each year, we pay a $25 fee with our bingo application for the temporary permit to run one game for charitable purposes. Among other things, the government agency runs the checks on all PTO Board members and any volunteers who will help run the game. (We have to list name, address, driver's license, in the application.)
It's always been fine, except one year we got a red flag that our license could not be approved unless Person X was removed from the worker list.
We got no details, and this was a person who I've known for several years. I did go to the principal, asking if it was anything he needed to pursue. He said he was already aware of what would have flagged the record, and it wasn't an issue of concern. So I don't know if he knew more from the volunteer check or if the person had confided in him.
I just discreetly re-assigned the person to another task and no one but the principal and I ever knew the difference.
In our county (and probably the state)background checks are STRICTLY confidential. The person gets notification and the school does also. The board may also, I am not sure.
When I first became pres I was working feverishly on a volunteer program when it hit me. How will I know? What if I get someone with a criminal record to handle money or what if someone is apt to get violent with a child or bring drugs in?! It was overwhelming. So I talked to the principal and she says it is "principal descretion." She has to decide if a background check is bad enough to keep a parent away and assured me she would handle any situation. I am not sure if she has had to turn anyone away but one person. I only know about that one person because my husband knew her husband and so forth (gotta love small towns). It was big relief to me not to have know anything. I am for background checks. I understand it makes some people uncomfortable. When I did have meetings I assured them if something came up I wouldn't be told and it would be handled privately. I also would not assume the person had a bad background check if they quit helping out. Things happen, sickness, jobs, etc. That seemed to make some people feel better too.
I have a personal issue with background checks and I know alot of people won't agree with me but I do not feel that the a parent should have to pay to volunteer in their childs school. That being said if a background check is performed there are a lot of questions to be answered.
1. Who sees the info and what do they do with it? I dont think its fair that anyone except the personnel director of the BOE has the info contained in a background check and that should only be discussed with the individual. The PTO or other school group should be told nothing unless the person wishes to disclose any info. (they can resign or decline to volunteer w/o giving the reason if need be.) The administrator can be told that the volunteer was not approved but again the reason is no one elses business.
2. If a conviction or something shows up on the individual the specifics should be taken into consideration. How long ago was the crime? What was the crime? Something that may have happened 10 years ago may not indicate the type of person you are today. (If course a crime involving a child would be a definite red flag.) If the crime has been "paid" is it right to punish a person a second time by not allowing them to volunteer?
3. What type of procedures are in place for volunteers at your school? Most schools require visitors to sign in at the office where they obtain a visitors pass before being directed to the place they are to volunteer. All volunteers should be supervised by either a staff member or other volunteers so there should not be a time that a volunteer is alone with a child/children.
4. Who pays for the background investigation? What info would disallow a volunteer? You need to know that not all info shows up on a federal basis and if its done on a state or county then only crimes convicted of in that particular state or county would show up. And if a person was charged with say several felonies they could have those reduced to misdemeanors which that info does not show on the report either.
I feel that if any inquiry is done it should be through a general application and interview with the administrator, with input from faculty/staff, who knows the parents and the students better then anyone else. Most schools do not have the money to do background checks and its not fair to ask a person to pay so they can work for free. And then consider too how often you would need to relook at these volunteers information. If each school is doing their best to ensure the safety of the students I dont think that our kids would be anymore at risk then they are with the faculty/staff. I say this because our BOE does not require background checks on service personnel (cooks, janitors, bus drivers, etc.)and there are more cases of paid employees committing acts against our children then there are from volunteers. (in research of the past 5 years there has been only 1 incident that I can find where a volunteer has been charged and this person was a softball coach who was with students after hours. I have found several incidents that involved paid employees.) You say that the issue of background checks came up at a meeting - is there a policy that requires this now? Why do you think the parents and staff were not happy this person was appointed to fill a term? I would think that if a background check is now required that only those who have completed this and been approved can be placed on your upcoming ballot. Not only to save your group the hassle if something goes wrong but to be fair to those wanting to run too.
In the mist of revamping our school board to be a parent run board, the issue of background checks came up.
The story is, a Mom was appointed a seat to fill in until elections in May. The staff and some parent were NOT happy. Word soon gotout that the Mom had volunteered in the lunch room a week before her FBI check came back, her background check was bad enough to call her in and revoke volunteering in the building. That said, the new School Board interum Prez talked to the mom and asked if this was true (yes) and the Mom resigned at the next meeting. SO now that we are coming up on elections for three board offices and PTO elections.....who should be looking into background checks and can we do that as parents or do we rely on the school?
Also is this information the school can share with us without getting in specifics?
