School Districts Vary on Requiring Background Checks

Public school volunteers sometimes must undergo background checks prior to working in the school -- sometimes they don't. In a recent article entitled, "Rules for screening parent volunteers vary by district," Shelly Leachman writes, "Although every district tries to ensure parents with tuberculosis are blocked at the classroom door, some aren't as vigilant when it comes to sex offenders." Sadly, more attention is given to health concerns than to violent and heinous criminal histories.

Mark Kenneth Vasquez had been working in his child's classroom this year until parent's of his child's classmates recognized him from the Megan's Law Website. How is it that a sexual predator can walk up to a school, volunteer, and interact directly with vulnerable children in our society?

In El Segundo and Los Angeles Unified School Districts in California, a TB test is the only requirement for in-class volunteers. According to the CDC, there are approximately 14,093 known tuberculosis cases in the US as of 2005. This represents approximately 0.0048% of the population. In contrast, according to state Megan's laws sites, there are approximately 364,545 registered sex offenders, representing approximately 0.1275% of our population. Statistically the average citizen is nearly 27 times more likely to be a sexual predator than a tuberculosis sufferer.

It's time to face these frightening statistics. Contact your school district and find out their policy on background checks for teachers, non-teaching staff, and all volunteers. The only way we can ensure the safety of our children is if we try.