As a legal custodial guardian and natural parent with three children attending the Garland Independent School District, I am now required to undergo an invasive background check to attend any in-school or extra-curricular activity. The district claims this is in the "best interest and safety" of the student body.
Let me make it very clear, I am capable of passing a background screening. My primary concern is that extreme flaws in the background process is subjecting my child to unnecessary dangers and is a clear violation of my parental rights and invasion of privacy. I feel that many parents and legal guardians involved in G.I.S.D. share this common concern, but little attention has been brought to the matter.
Did you know the background application does not require any proof of identification? You can complete the application using any name you want! Yes, most of us law-abiding citizens would not lie on a background form, but child predators will go to any lengths to surround themselves with un-suspecting victims. Did you also know that when I witnessed the "sign in" process at the school's front desk, that there is no identification required to prove that you are who you say you are. Yes, this means any person can walk into the school office, give any name they want, and as long as it appears on the list, you are granted full access to the school body! Imagine "DAD" being approved and "BAD UNCLE BOB" giving "DAD's" name when he walks in and nobody's checking him out to make sure that he's "DAD". BAMB...you have just submitted my child and all of the student body to extreme danger because of a flawed process.
Most informed citizens know that child predators are not caught until numerous crimes have occurred, or in some cases never caught. The background form simply asks what 5 counties have you previously lived in. Does GISD seriously think a convicted child predator will voluntarily provide this information if they are convicted in another state or county?
Either GISD is wearing blinders or they truly believe they are doing a good deed. I agree that protecting our children is every person's responsibility. It is also the responsibility as a parent and not just a right to be an active participant in my child's education and safety without the invasion of privacy used by the district for their "band-aide" fix in an attempt to gain a better image in this day of increased concern.
Imagine for a moment, you as a legal guardian are denied access to be with your child during school hours when he/she is required by law to be there, all the while the outsmarted district is allowing predators to literally walk in off the streets and gain access to all kids!
Is it not the courts that can take away my right to supervise my child at any given time? Since when did a local school or staff member obtain this power to deny me access to my child? Would I be a legal guardian if I had committed a grave crime against my child? Obviously, no! I would not be able to be anywhere near my child. This would be made sure by the court, not a school district.
I strongly encourage GISD to review, test and change this policy. Either fix it or abolish it. It is nothing but a waste of valuable tax-dollars and resources in the context of its existence today.
Since I am not willing to lie on a background form and because of fear of criminal prosecution if I tried to "test" this system and prove it is insufficient, I would dearly appreciate anyone who has the means to help change this policy.
I was taught growing up that it does no good just to complain. If you want to make a difference, then you need to offer a solution. If you are interested in this read and taking the time to review my offered solution, I greatly admire you as a caring individual.
The Background Check as it is today:
Fill out the form. Use any name you want. Yes, you will be held accountable to swearing the information is true! But does a convicted child predator really care?
Go to the school's front office - give them any name or use the bogus or real name from the background form you completed. If you were approved with the information you gave, you will be given a "official seal of approval" and granted access to the student body. NO identification will be checked to ensure you are who you say you are. You are free to roam about the building.
The Background Check I hope for:
You go straight to the front school's office. You are required to provide proper photo identification. You give your child's name or the child you are visiting (in case you're a grandparent). If you come up as the child's legal guardian - a right given by the courts and giving birth - then you are granted full access to your child without undergoing any invasive background screening. A screening won't be necessary because you will not be listed as the "legal guardian" if you are indeed a very bad person. The COURT not a GISD staff member would have taken this away.
If you are NOT a legal guardian, then you must complete a background form in front of a GISD staff member, sworn as an affidavit, and provide a copy of your photo identification. If you are approved, then you will be added to that child's "safe list."
Is this a fix all solution? No, obviously every staff member must maintain heightened supervision when "outsiders" are present. We all know that no background check is fool proof. But this will help deter the bad guys from outsmarting a blind district. If one is required to give their photo identification at the time of checking in, they may think twice about giving up their real identity in fear of being caught!
I hope this is not coming across as simply an opportunity to rant and rave. I truly fear my parental rights have been compromised, my invasion of privacy intruded upon, and a truly flawed system is creating an environment for the "bad people" to access an entire student body because of a poorly designed system.
I know this can be easily corrected. But you can't fix something that the District won't admit is broke. I truly hope that those involved with this matter will swallow their pride and take the action necessary to create a safe learning environment for all children while preserving every parent's right and privacy.
This is do-able!!
