“Dear PoPville,
The process for parents trying to volunteer in their children’s schools is terribly inaccessible.
I am a first time DCPS parent trying to sign up to volunteer with my PreK kid’s class.
I heard that the clearance process takes weeks and that I needed to complete it as soon as possible. My husband and I have both tried to submit the initial form for days, but it’s broken and gives an error that there’s no way to fix.
I’ve called DCPS, messaged them on their social channels, and created a ticket with them for a fix. The email address they gave me as a workaround for the online form is broken.
However, I’m more concerned about the inaccessibility of this complex process in general. While I’m all for protecting our kids by making sure only safe adults are allowed to volunteer in the schools, there needs to be an easier way for parents to get involved in their children’s education. The current process requires internet access, English fluency, tech know-how, a trip downtown for fingerprinting, and a TB test. And it’s not even working.
There needs to be a better way for parents to get involved in DCPS schools.”