Will volunteer background checks still be needed? Background checks will have to be done each year with notary forms at each school where you actively volunteer. Basically, no change in volunteer process.
- Will office volunteers be trained about the system? If volunteers will be using the new system, which is a campus by campus decision, they will need a generic PISD username, and would be trained by their school’s secretary or office manager.
- Will office volunteers be trained about safety procedures? Yes
- What if the visitor doesn't have a driver's license? The current system (signing the affidavit affirming that he/she is not a sex offender) would be utilized. A valid Texas ID is also acceptable and can be purchased from the DMV. *See Mark Hinshaw's e-mail regarding this issue below.
- Will a visitor/volunteer need to swipe their license every time? Once a person has had his/her license swiped, they are "in the system" for that particular campus. The license must be swiped at each campus where you visit or volunteer. However, the best practice would be to have your license with you at all times.
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How does the system work? After your license is swiped, the data base is searched for any sex offender violations. Your picture (as it appears on your license) pops up on the screen so that the office secretary may compare the picture with the person standing in front of her. If you are cleared (meaning not on the sex offender list), the secretary would print a badge, which contains your picture) with either visitor or volunteer listed. If you are there just to pick up your child, no name badge would be printed. If a person is found in the system, the screen goes red and both PISD security and a monitoring company in Houston are immediately alerted.
- When is the database updated? Continuously
- Can we get "user friendly" information about what to expect to be distributed to all families via Thursday packet, newsletter and e-news? Letters have been sent out and you should see them in school correspondence. The information is available in Spanish.
- Will the system be able to log volunteer hours? Yes! But it is important to stress to your volunteers that they sign in and sign out on a consistent basis.
- Can we keep track of "approved volunteers"? Yes. Although the approved volunteer database does not connect to the Raptor software, there is a section on each volunteer's file for notes. The "PISD Approved and Date" may be entered manually in this field. This option would be up to the discretion of your campus and school secretary/office manager, so ask your secretary.
- What about the process during volunteer intensive events? You may want to ask your volunteers who have not had their licenses scanned to get that done before the event to speed up the process. The system may work with two computers (perhaps a laptop at the front desk) but the volunteer will need the generic PISD username AND a second printer to print those badges.
- How can we help save paper and money? You need to talk with your principal, but one idea would be to get your PTA board cleared during the summer, print the name badges (with pictures) and white-out the date and have those laminated. This will eliminate the need for a badge to be printed every time but will not eliminate the need for your board and volunteers to check-in at the office and have their license available for scanning as the system tracks who is in the building at any given time.
- Will volunteers be able to check themselves in once the system is in full operation? The District will be testing kiosks for self check in, but the secretary will always be in view of the kiosk and will hand the printed badges to the volunteer.
- Will PTA volunteers be able to access information or print reports from the database? Each campus administration will have the ability to grant certain access to specific volunteers. This will be helpful when checking volunteer background approval for an upcoming event.
- Will a volunteer be able to manually input "at home" volunteer hours? The Security Department manager is checking on this request. We will get back to you with an answer.
- Do parents need to be volunteers to visit the school? A visitor/parent does not need to be a volunteer to enter the school.
A follow-up question has arisen in reference to visitors who do not possess a picture identification. We do not have written policy in regard to how this should be handled, however, I highly recommend the following action:
Should a visitor not have picture identification at the time the visitor comes to your building, ask if the visitor has another form of identification such as a social security card or birth certificate. If they have this, enter that information into the Raptor system. It will scan them for registered sex offender status, but it will not create a photo of the visitor in the database or on their visitor id badge.
Should a visitor have no form of identification whatsoever, work with them to accommodate their need on that visit and advise them that they will need identification for future visits to the campus. We would prefer a state-issued picture identification, but we will work with them if all they have is a birth certificate.
Should the visitor not produce a picture identification on the second or subsequent visit, you may prohibit them from accessing your campus. You may, should you so desire, give a visitor two chances to obtain/produce a picture identification, before barring them from access to the building. You may suggest to persons without photo identification that they go to the nearest DPS office to obtain a State of Texas driver’s license or identification card.
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Attendees were blown away by the resources and ideas that received from the fair.
"I was so impressed and had no idea how many great resources there were for us." -- incoming president at a elementary school PTA.]]>