Lynnsview's Blog

Paying a $100 fine is actually cheeper than trying to comply with this insane prospect...I'm not entirely certain that this campaign is proposed to truly gain more volunteers, but to actually allow the state to perform universal background checks on the people and charge them for it...You must submit to a Bureau of Criminal Investigations check to be eligible to volunteer, and in many schools you must also apply for a Pupil Activities Certification. If you are required to do both it could very easily cost you more than $100 to comply.

Yeah, I'm not sure I would be able to budget the time in either, I am not currently working, but my spouse is generally away at work for easily 15-hours per day and I have 2 school aged children (one of them special needs) and a 3 1/2 year old at home. I guess if you factor in what it would cost to get 2 days worth of day care to cover myself so I could spend the day "volunteering" it would escalate the price it would cost even more. Again, I think it is a rediculous ploy to let the state stick their hand into your pocketbook.

Gamer- I think volunteerism is fabulous and I commend your daughter for her involvement. The schools can really benefit from using student volunteers because they do not need to seek additional clearance on a registered student. Any adult who is going to be working with students however, must have at least a Bureau of Criminal Investigations check to do so. Also, not all of us have paid vacation days available to us to maintain our wages in order to do this...especially if you are already a teacher- Perhaps they will accept some of the countless days that I already spend substitute teaching, coaching, class sponsoring as my commitment, but my personal credentials are really an exception to the average citizen. Volunteer because you choose to, but don't let somebody else tell you you have to, because you may not realize what it can actually cost you in the end.