School Security and IEPs

[PQN]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Illinois (but likely happening in all 50 states)

As many schools have done since Sandy Hook, our schools just added a new security system. Each and every time a parent comes to the school and needs/wants to enter, they must surrender their state id/license and a background check is run before they are issued a temporary photo id that allows them access to the building.

As an advocate for parents of students with special needs, I work with many families and I know that not all of them will want to submit to a background check (either because they believe in privacy or because there is something in their past that they do not want to be common knowledge). Clearly, they have a legal right to be an equal member of their child's IEP team.

Logically, it seems that forcing a parent to undergo a background check prior to being allowed to participate in the IEP meeting would violate several basic rights. If a parent refuses to submit to a background check in order to attend their child's IEP meeting, the obvious solution would be to either escort the parent directly to and from the meeting room, ensuring that they have no unsupevised access to the building or to place the security doors such that one meeting room is outside of security.

Is there a law or legal precedent that I could show the school? My goal is to have the school establish a procedure for allowing parents to participate in the IEP without the background check, while meeting the desire of the school to create the illusion of safety.

 

[I'mTheFather]

How about video conferencing?

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Should do wonders for bringing out the parents with outstanding warrants and the illegals. I like it.

 

[I'mTheFather]

Or conference calls?

 

[I'mTheFather]

Parents can also veto the school as the meeting location since it's inconvenient. I doubt the school team wants to meet at the local library or the parents' home, but maybe the thought of it would convince them to make a few exceptions.

 

[ecmst12]

I think the idea of a metal detector/security search at the door and an escort at all times on the property is BETTER than a background check.

 

[I'mTheFather]

Agreed! A background check wouldn't have stopped any of the school shootings that come to mind. And if they're expecting to stop pedophiles, well, that will only work for those who've been caught.

 

[tranquility]

Yes, a parent who wants to participate in his child's education should not have to go through a security check.

Call the ACLU. This will be expensive litigation because the security theater is FOR THE CHILDREN.

If they won't take it and you don't have a few tens of thousands under the couch cushions, well, that is the way government works. Vote to reduce government.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

I think we should arm the principals and secretaries who qualify for concealed carry. Aside from the obvious advantages, think of the school boy dreams a sexy principal or secretary with a gun would portray. All the boys would be in class.

 

[You Are Guilty]

Hang on one sec. Exactly what kind of "background check" are they running at the front desk of a school? (How do you even know what they're doing?)

If, for the sake of argument, they're just looking the name up on the sex offender registry, that's a long way away from running a comprehensive, criminal/employment/etc. type check.

 

[PQN]

Hang on one sec. Exactly what kind of "background check" are they running at the front desk of a school? (How do you even know what they're doing?)

If, for the sake of argument, they're just looking the name up on the sex offender registry, that's a long way away from running a comprehensive, criminal/employment/etc. type check.

The school made a big deal out of this at their last board meeting and it is all of the papers (including where the panic buttons are being installed -- that is just plain stupid). This is definitely more about the illusion of safety than actual safety.

The school said that the system checks over 40 databases including sex offender registry, county records for restraining orders, whether or not there is an open custody case, and all local, county, state and federal databases that are in electronic format. The system in our grade schools just checks the sex offender registry but the high school has gone far over that.

 

[You Are Guilty]

Wow, that is nuts. I'd certainly start with a call to the local ACLU.