Tip...if what you are saying is true, then you need to express your concern to your child's teacher, and say that it is very important ot you to be involved with their class. And I am hoping that you aren't implying that these "over bearing" parents aren't "working" as you say you do. Yes, you may be at work outside the home, but let me ask you....have you ever been a FULL TIME parent who works at home as a HOMEMAKER? If you have or would, you would NEVER imply that these parents that stay at home and are able to trot on in to the school at their "leisure" don't work. At least you can take a day off....a homemaker never gets a day off. SO, I am certain I didn't need to explain this to you and you never meant that these "over bearing parents" don't work as you do.

I absolutely agree that their schould be background checks for ANYONE that goes into the schools. Beloit does background checks on chaperones for field trips - we need to do the same thing here - great idea!

againwiththis: Wisconsin CAP Circuit court only gives court records for Wisconsin, unfortunatly a molester could be from another state and his record would never show up.
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Not sure exactly what the solution is, but a simple background check for any long term school volunteer dosn't seem to be out of the question. It is the one time fieldtrip parent chaperone that it would be hard to get a background check on..and I don't think we want or need to background check every parent at the school.
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What do other schools do anyone know the details?

tipi16 : I am sorry that you may have been denied going on a fieldtrip because there were too many volunteers. But in my kids school we usualy don't have enough, in fact I was asked by a teacher to come along on a fieldtrip for another grade than what my child is in because they needed the help, as NO PARENTS VOLUNTEERED !
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As for being overbearing, I don't think you should critize a parent or grandparent for wanting to make sure that their children are getting a good education. Spending a hour once a week or month reading to a group of kindergartners or comming in once a month to help put up the bulletin board is not what I consider being overbearing. Now if they were sitting next to their child and watching them over their shoulders throughout the day, then that would be going to far.
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I thank all of the volunteers who help out at the schools, I am glad that they take the time to invest in our kids futures, if these
"over bearing parents" didn't volunteer then you would B***H that one takes the time to help kids anymore.
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It is obviously a no win situation either you don't help enough or you are accused of helping too much.

I can't believe anyone would object to volunteers having background checks done. Even if it's the school doing a quick a check on the internet court records (which is FREE and public knowledge). No one should be in contact with children w/o a check being done, even if another adult is present. A sexual predator would use that situation to get to know a child and earn their trust even if nothing happens within the classroom. This gives the predator a chance to prey on that child at a later date with the trust of the child already earned. Checks will not eliminate predators from being in schools but it certainly can help prevent it. If you are worried about YOUR rights and PRIVACY, then don't volunteer. I, for one, am more concerned of a child's RIGHT to not be molested and their PRIVACY when it comes to their bodies. I will put that above my own peronsal rights anyday.

Because of these "Overbearing Parents" us "Ignorant Parents" never get to go with our kids on field trips and etc. Mostly because they are always there and My "Ignorant" self is at work! And when I do get to sign up I get cancelled because they have enough of the "Helicoptor Parents" to chaparone.

Why would you waste money to pay someone to tell you what common sense is used for? What a waste of money that could be used elsewhere!!!

FYI:
The preditor that sits in the classroom at the school does not have any children of his own, whether they be in school or not. None of the children in the school are his, so essencially he should have no right to sit in a clasroom or go on field trips with these children. I understand that "overbearing parents" can be preditors too, but this is not a parent or even a relative of a child in this school. Plus since the school is aware of his lifetime ban of being involved in anything that has to deal with children, why is he still allowed to attend this functions and classroom activities? Mom22qtpies and I have talked with his PO, the state worker, the police, and also the teachers, yet he is still in our classrooms.
For the parents or commentors that say we are overreacting and that it is not as bad as it sounds, please send your child with this man. Let him be alone with them, let him chaperone them to the bathroom and help them with their things, and then let your child tell you that this man touched them, how would that make you feel? You could have prevented this, background checks are for the safety of everyone. For those of you who are against it, fine, but when something happens with a person that could have been prevented by a bakcground check, don't complain.
Also if he is so harmless why is one of his aliases a children's movie title?

Overbearing parents can be preditors too, and as far as the 'overbearing parents' that aren't a threat, you should thank them because it is because of them your children enjoy field trips, school functions and other things ignorant parents won't participate in.

Well DUH! Of course they should.

AMEN to that

Those aren't adult volunteers sitting in classrooms, they are over bearing parents!

I have teacher certifications so do not have anything to worry about in my background. However, if I have to give personal information to my child's school system to help out on a fieldtrip or serve as a extra person on the playground they can forget it. Schools are notorious for being very poor protectors of personal information. Schools are always complaining that parents are not involved, yet they want to throw up a brickwall to make sure that everyone outside knows they aren't really welcome. Next the teachers will be blaming the parents for not being involved in the school and asking for more money for aides in the classrooms.
As for the woman with the sex offender story. This is the way stupid policies and laws get passed. Some individual has a single incident happen, often which is already addressed by the present laws and as a knee jerk reaction they decide everyone has to have a background check.

Again, if I had kids, I'd feel much more comfortable knowing that they were in the safety of adults who know better.

I have volunteered numerous times in schools (Whitewater, Beloit Turner and one in south Georgia). This was in the late 90s and up to about 2003. Not once was I asked for any type of background check. I do remember when I was at Beloit Turner Middle School, I was asked why I wanted to work in tutoring kids. I believe that was Ms. Schulte. I was not offended by it at all. I actually loved that she asked me. If I can't help one child have a brighter day, then I haven't done my job in the concept of "it takes a community to raise a child."

mom22qtpies:
I totally agree and you and I have talked on length about this situation. It was not a one time occurance. I think that all volunteers should have to go through background checks just like anyone who subs/or volunteers for me when I have daycare continuing education classes.
Hell, even my daughter will have to have a background check on her next year when she is TEN!! Ten years old and my own child, but she will still have to go through a background check in order to be in my home when other people's children are in my house. Why should the same not be said for volunteers in schools? I think that some of hte people who are posting are not taking into consideration that this "visitor" when on a field trip with our children and was allowed to accompany them to the bathroom alone. How does that make you feel? He is a sex offender with the charge of 3rd degree sexual assult on a 8 & 10 year old and 1st degree sexual assalut on a minor, those charges mean that he is BANNED FOREVER from helping or being near a school, yet our school let him in. Would you like this guy to be alone with your children and then you get told to leave it alone, when you bring it up to the principal? Just my two cents, you can get mad or you can get educated, what one are you going to do?

Here are a few of the many things volunteers do at my childs school: reading to classes, helping the teacher by putting up bulletin boards, getting project materials ready, helping with those projects, and so much more for in the classroom. As for other volunteers there is working the school bookfairs, FRC (family resource centers), library help (putting books away), test proctors, lunch buddies, and any other PTA or school function you can think of.
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I agree it would be nice if all volunteers could be screened, but I don't think cost wise it is feasible. I am a 4H leader and I had to go through a background check and a training class so asking for regular volunteers to do the same is not all that bad..however playing devils advocate, as a parent who may wish to volunteer to chaparone a fieldtrip, I think it may be more of a hassle than what it is worth. Especially if it is a last minute decision to volunteer...I don't think background checks are instantly available...my guess would be for a good check at least 24 - 48 hours???
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Just some thing to think about

A lot of times, volunteers come in to read to children. I know that's the case at my son's school here in Janesville.

I am not from here so I have a question. Why are there adult volunteers sitting in classrooms? This was never the norm where I grew up.

It's very offensive to continually hear that only those with something to "hide" would object when it comes to invasion of privacy issues. Just when did U.S. society switch from fellow citizens being presumed innocent to always being considered guilty until proven innocent? There are a multitude of reasons for wanting personal information to remain private. I would suspect there are very few who avoid such intrusions who are "hiding" something.

I'm just wondering where the funding would come from to screen all volunteers? In our smaller district there are a LOT of volunteers at our small school (375 or so) there are about 100 volunteers on a normal basis. That could be a substantial amount of money.

Also, I think the main reason that the schools to not require it is because volunteers are not normally in a one on one situation. They are in the classroom, in the library etc...I guess field trips might be a concern but those are public places and hopefully more safe. I guess that's why I always go with.

I think the idea is great but just not financially feasible. Likewise, *most* volunteers are there for the best reasons and not on a predatory hunt.

School District of Beloit has been doing this for more than 3 years. This not only includes classroom volunteering but also includes checking parents to be able to come on a field trip, which I think is even more necessary than in the classroom (which is also necessary). Think about it...the class boards a school bus and grown-ups dispurse through the bus to help the bus driver by keeping the kids seated and the noise manageable. You have a convicted child molester or convicted child abuser on the bus. Is the teacher able to watch what is going on in every seat, with the adults??? No s/he is trying to make sure kids are staying safely seated in their seats in his/her area. She is trusting that each adult is doing the same in their area of the bus. What if a child "pushes the buttons" of the abuser and they smack a kid? What if that molester "touches" the kid next to them? Yes, I know that there could still be people like this who just haven't gotten caught yet and end up around the kids. I, however, would want to weed out the convicted ones at least. I agree with the other posters. I don't have anything to hide...go ahead and check my background. What do YOU have to hide?

No brainer....of course they should. I believe Evansville already does.

This is a no-brainer. ABSOLUTELY YES!!!! They should check. I thought they had started doing background checks years ago. In this day and age we have to be very careful. If people but up a fuss about it then don't let them volunteer, we need to protect the children.

Clarification for tjncj...Overall, schools are required to obey the law. That is, of course, unless they are on property owned by religious institutions. Then, under RLUIPA, they can choose which laws to obey - or not. Most do choose to be responsible. Yet, two separate and not equal levels of law (one for churches and one for everyone/every other institution) do not equal Constitutional and thousands of cases are on their way to the Supreme Court to prove just that.

"However, apprehension of what institutions can do when they act outside of the law (i.e. RLUIPA)"

When was RLUIPA reversed? Seems to me it is a valid law on the books.

I also volunteer after school and for other school events. Giving the school the same information I give Mercy when I go there doesn't bother me a bit.

camper61, As a responsible parent i did my research by contacting the city, county and state. All three agencies assured me that this man was a threat and had no buisness being in the school or around children. The woman from the state is the person who told me to petition the district and demand that this not be allowed. So you may send your child out in a thunderstorm but mine is safe at home being taught about the dangers in this world and being protected from the scum.

mom22qtpies,
If most parents were like you and took a personal responsibility to keeping their children safe we would have no reason to discuss safety in our schools or background checks.

As someone who has volunteered in the Janesville schools for decades and who also coordinated an after-school club, I was always led to believe it is already a standard policy for the schools to have paid staff - usually a teacher - in the room when adult volunteers are working directly with the students...?

As a parent who recently found that a registered sex offender was sitting in my childs classroom all day, I think ABSOLUTLEY all volunteers should be screened. I did make the school aware that their "visitor" was listed on the registered sex offenders website and I also started a petition to demand that the school district as a whole have some sort of policy put in place about having these people present in the schools. If you disagree than i ask, what are you afraid of?

"Those willing to sacrifice liberty for security deserve none" (Ben Franklin) "Its for the children" (Adolf Hitler) No person shall be subject to unreasonable searches and seizures (your identity) without probale cause. (US Constitution) Why would I be willing to dedicate my time to volunteering at a school if I have to sacrifice my privacy rights? Even if it may have a chance of saving the innocent. (Pablo Gannador)

Are you people serious? For those of you who say no to background checks, you must not have children... Are you seriously saying that you would not want to know if a CONVICTED child molester was taking care of your kid while you were at work? Give me a break people, what the heck are you so scared of to have your ID swiped? Do you honestly think that in your lifetime that the government or anyone who swipes your ID is going to follow you around and watch your every move? Come on people, we are talking about the safety of our children! SWIPE the card, if you don't have anything to be ashamed about, what is the big deal? And if you do have something to be ashamed about, then don't volunteer to take care of our children. Done! Big brother is watching me....give me a break.

Quite honestly, this is as much about protecting the schools from lawsuits as protecting the kids from the rare sex offender. The more sensible and cost-effective approach might simply to be a policy that doesn't allow volunteers to work with children unsupervised. I don't know if that common-sense approach is possible in this legal climate, though. Certainly in a day and age when churches implement "safe sanctuaries" programs then our schools are probably expected to do nothing less.

tjncj: ABSOLUTELY! We agree. No one should be unreasonably afraid of any of their fellow human beings. However, apprehension of what institutions can do when they act outside of the law (i.e. RLUIPA) everyone else has to obey is also a very valid concern for society as a whole and unConstitutional.

Proartist, does that include homeless people?

The continual and growing culture of "be afraid...be very afraid" and never trust anyone is far more damaging to society, our cohesiveness as a nation, and even our Constitution than anything any foreign terrorist could imagine.

Okay, I don't understand why this hasn't been happening all along, but oh well.

It is not about making the students feel like they're in a prison. It is about allowing our students to learn in a safe environment. If the parents cannot always protect them, if the neighbors cannot protect them, who is going to protect them so they can go to school to learn and be safe?

Schools do not have the sole duty to raise children. The purpose of the schools is to educate them in a safe place!

So, kudos to the school district in finally being able to have within grasp the ability to run background checks on anyone who has any contact with the students. If I were a parent, I would feel much better knowing that an adult is not a perpetrator of any kind.

sannio
"What a bunch of ignorant noobs we've become"

Speak for yourself. And anyone who feels children do not need a controlled environment would qualify in my opinion as an "ignorant noob". The only people afraid of backround checks are those with something to hide.

I agree with running background checks on people that work with kids. Many churches including the catholic churches now require this as a standard system. There needs to be systems set up to protect children.

Ya, let's keep going in the wrong direction, and see where it leads us. Schools are already prisons where the students learn how be to totally controlled, and watched. I'm also against using driver's licenses as ID. I'm also against ID cards as well. Everybody wants this country to become the countries their ancestors risked everything to leave. What a bunch of ignorant noobs we've become

Hilarious title... it reminds me of the Non Sequitur comic that was in your paper on Oct. 5th.

http://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2008...

"Use the cable news standard of jounalism by posing [a fear mongering statement] as a question."

To answer your question: Duh, absolutely. Why haven't they been doing this in the past?