requirements to volunteer coach at H.S

11 years ago

I am helping to coach the local High School softball team this year.
While childrens safety trumps everything...I am stunned at the amount of paperwork I have to do:

FBI background check $33
- now have to go get fingerprinted
Criminal history check ( different from FBI) $10
Child abuse history clearance $10
Arrest conviction report
Need to get a physical (district pays for this)
Health history record
Notice of right and duties
Workmans comp information
Homeland security employment eligibilty
W4's
local tax papers
cerificate of residence
direct deposit form

It has been 25 years since I was hired in my current job...I know a lot of this is school related, but man there is a bunch of paperwork!

Comments (7)

iowagirl2006
11 years ago
Our district require an official Coaching certification. It requires attending classes at an accredited school - usually a community college. It covers the background checks, finger prints, etc.

They study coaching methods, sports injury, etc. It is not a "one time" kind of class- it is quite extensive and expensive.

You have to re-certify every 5 years also.
jeaninwa
11 years ago
If you are volunteering, why the W4, tax papers and direct deposit form?
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Its's not the same circumstance, but I had similar thoughts recently hearing about someone going to their mom's doctor's office with an FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act, which permits family members of an ailing person to take unpaid leave and retain their jobs, which requires a "medical certification" form that doctors sign) medical certification form and being charged a $15 "form fee" for the honor of them signing something that is this woman's legal right under federal law. My first thought (besides that FMLA is a federal law) was that it sounded very grabby and in poor taste for doctors to charge fees to fill out forms, even if technically speaking it does take a certain amount of time, effort and ink to do so. I was like "ew! what ever happened to 'bedside manner' and sensitivity to the patient and his/her family?" I felt as though there are certain costs that doctors' offices should just "suck up" as a matter of genuine dedication to providing full and caring service to their pateints ans their families. (It's not like they don't make enough money.) But even if each FMLA form takes a full $15 dollars of extra work (which it may or may not) I felt like I would much rather be charged the extra $15 in the form of "general patient maintainance" or a "quality care assurance" fund than be so expressly nickel-and-dimed about a FORM. In other words, I have no objection to the fact that doctors' offices may have particular costs to recoup, but something about this particular itemization struck me as kind of offensive. So in the case of schools and parents having to pay for this "Livescan" business when they volunteer, I feel the same way. I have no objection as a taxpayer (and I'm not even a parent) to the idea of contributing to an improved education system overall (which would seem to include *reasonable* predator-prevention measures) , even if this raises my taxes some, because presumably every child, as well as society overall, benefits. But I sure as heck would feel gross having to be nickel-and-dimed over my own background check, even if in actual practice some of my money was going toward that end anyway.
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cynic
11 years ago
It's curious how you have to have more in background checks to volunteer than the teachers have to have for employment. Volunteers are usually with someone else anyway, where the teachers are with them individually a lot. Just another of the screwy things done in the schools.
Jodi_SoCal
11 years ago
My DH is a high school tennis coach earning a stipend. He too had to go through all that to teach. It was all paid for by the school district but it's still a lot of stuff to deal with.

Back in 2007 I did fingerprinting (ink and LiveScan) for our local police department for just such reasons.
Sally Brownlee
Original Author
11 years ago
jeaninwa...you are right. I do not have to fill out the wage-related things...the packet has the same info for paid or volunteer.

Cynic, I am almost always with a coach. However, having the opportunity to develop relationship with the students could be inviting to the wrong person.

I just was surprised at all the overlapping checks. I would think the child abuse and criminal history would show up on FBI report....my SS# should be sufficient to snag any and all mischief (one would think)

If the system requires all those double checks, it's no wonder people slip through.

Funny thing though...after school hours the school is pretty open. Kids, parents, coaches coming and going.

Monday night we were having trouble with the lights in the gym. The coach asked me to find a custodian to help. I wandered around quite a bit of the school before I found someone. I know i was undoubtedly on camera the whole time, but I could have easily been up to no good and not found out until they had a reason to check the cameras....
I dont have a good solution...lock down all hours would be a nightmare for everyone...I am just surprised how easy it is to walk the whole school 8:00 at night.
paula_pa
11 years ago
Salgal,

And I bet no one really thought much about how vulnerable the school is in the evening before a few months. We just changed security at our PTO meetings at the beginning of the year - instead of leaving the door open and everyone letting themselves in, we have to have someone at the door to let people in and meeting attendees sign in at the door, not once they reach the meeting in the library. It makes sense - a school isn't really secure unless it's secure 24/7.
Adella Bedella
11 years ago
Wow! I sometimes volunteer at the school. All I do is get my driver's license run through.

Our school has started stricter access this year. They rent out rooms to certain non-school groups and churches after school and on weekends. Just about anybody could be there.

requirements to volunteer coach at H.S

Comments (7)

iowagirl2006

jeaninwa

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requirements to volunteer coach at H.S

Comments (7)

iowagirl2006

jeaninwa

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cynic

Jodi_SoCal

Sally BrownleeOriginal Author

paula_pa

Adella Bedella

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Sally Brownlee
Original Author