It's sad to say, but many schools have had to go to stricter "visitor" policies for security reasons. From those horror stories of wild gunmen to the sadness of a non-custodial parent who thinks stealing his child from school is a good idea, our schools have been forced to take a hard line on admittance to the buildings. In our new constrcution a security system was installed with a camera and buzzer/intercom with the idea that the doors would all be locked and you would only be able to gain admission through the main doors after stating your identity and business and being buzzed through. The school has gone to leaving one side of the doors unlocked and when you enter through the doors you walk right by the office(you're supposed to stop and sign in). Some parents have a problem with the tight security. When they complain, I simply tell them that I too hate it. I hate that it has to exist because we live in a world where violence is so common, but I would rather have to take the time to be buzzed through the doors and sign in at the office, then get a phone call telling me some crazed person has entered the school and is holding children hostage. I have personally witnessed people entering the building and just heading down the hallway towards the classrooms. I have also personally run these people down or covered the office so staff could run them down. Most are understanding, some whine, some are angry.
The rules exist to keep our children and staff safe, to prevent constant classroom interruption(could you imagine having every parent stop by for a few minutes?!), and even for the purpose of knowing how many people are present in the building should a disaster strike.
It's sad that the school in the article had to go so far with their controls, but you're probably right-they are going to the extreme so they can "compromise" later. It's too bad all parents can't work to set a fine example for their children by following the rules like we expect our kids to do.

Not to hijack the topic. Written very excellently, I might add.

With a 20 hour volunteer requirement per family, we have lots of parents on campus each day.

Wouldn't it be great if the public schools could do that? [img]smile.gif[/img] Boy! would things go much smoother... or not In our case it would be heaven on earth.

Tim pointed out a story of a school in Florida that now requires parents to not only sign-in to volunteer at school, but they must be escorted while on campus. This definitely puts a damper in encouraging volunteers to participate at school.

In reading between the lines, I see a problem at that school with parents loitering in the halls and not following the existing sign in procedure. I think we all agree that it is not unreasonable to want to know who is on campus. Apparently, the escort policy was not added until the parents balked at enforcing the sign-in policy which had already been in effect.

I've known policy-makers to overreach their procedures in order to come back to the compromise position of what they wanted to do in the first place. The dissenters think they've won a small victory and the change is more readily accepted. My guess is the escort policy will fall by they way side once parents agree to sign in each time. Who wants to stop and escort parents all day?

Our school is a school of choice, which means our parents are involved and paying attention. The teachers love our parents but remarked that it is disruptiive to have discussions with parents so frequently in the hallways (impromptu parent conferences). With a 20 hour volunteer requirement per family, we have lots of parents on campus each day.

As one parent told me, she can not car pool with her child because she wants to make sure she has contact with his teacher each day. It is chaotic when teachers are responsible for supervising the coming and going of their students at dismissal when parents want to talk to them to "touch base."

Our school has asked that parents not meet their children at the classroom doors, but wait at the end of the corridor where the teacher will bring the entire class for bus lines or dismissal. This has helped tremendously with eliminating the loitering parents. Our parents feel very welcome and for the most part, follow the check in procedures. Because it is not a big problem, if someone thinks the rules do not apply to him/her, the Principal will speak to them individually. Enforcment is key.

I'm confident that parents "working" on campus are not the issue. It is the casual coming and going that they want to keep tabs on by a sign-in procedure. Requiring that extra step may also prevent so many "social" visits as opposed to legitimate tasks.