Football (Band/Cheerleader) Press Pass?

[peeker]

Well, the good news is that I have been on the field for the past few weeks for the games, temporarily... by being a game photographer for the cheerleader booster club.

According to the AD for Plano, there was a new bill passed by the Texas senate (SB 9), for the State Board of Education Certification. This bill enforces that all employees and contractors for education be background checked and fingerprinted.

Here is where the gray area is... some districts are taking it a step further to ensure that anyone that has access to the kids (or being on the field), be fingerprinted and background checked. When I spoke to the AD for Plano ISD, he realizes that most photographers are freelance and not contractors, although he is taking the step to be cautious and having all of us go through the same process.

Once approved, we get special badges and an easier way through security because they know we went through the extra effort to comply.

Most district AD's may not be enforcing SB 9 to that level, because photographers aren't necessarily "employed" by the school. At least I found a way in and also a way to get on the good side of the AD for years to come.

more information regarding SB 9 at: http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/SBECOnline/fp/opt.asp

[dminton]

Scott, I think that the Plano AD is blowing smoke up your butt. If that really is their policy and they're doing that, that's outrageous.

Any yahoo with any intentions can walk up to a group of high school age kids at the mall or on the street whenever they want, but they're wanting to fingerprint and background-check people who are going to be near high school age kids in a controlled environment? Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this picture?

SB 9 was created to make sure that the people who are around kids all day (teachers, school employees, etc.)are who they say they are and to make sure that bus drivers for private bus contractors are not felons or child molesters. http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/SBECOnline/fp/faq_SB9.asp

You are not an employee of Plano ISD and should NOT have to do this. Are they gonna make all the parents who get down on the field go through this as well?


I'd love to see them try and deny a newspaper photographer or reporter access because they didn't submit to a fingerprinting or background check.

[texkam]

So all the band parents who help roll equipment on and off the field, put plums in the hats, distribute water, take pictures, etc. all need to go through this process? So you have to pay a fee to volunteer? We volunteers already register online with the PISD and submit our SS#, and DL# for a BG check.

So some perv. can shoot pics/video to their hearts content as long as they don't set foot on the sidelines, or better yet, they can go to a public park and shoot cross country kids half naked. I just don't know how much PISD's rule protects kids from weirdo photographers. Even if you want to argue that an independent shooter that has no ties to the district needs to be checked out, that's one thing, but if you are a registered volunteer with the district you have already been checked out and if you also happen to be a Board Member in the Band Booster Organization the kids and the parents certainly know you. To treat a volunteer this way really seems silly.

[CaptainTom]

I don't live there, but it's obvious to me that the school is not trying to protect the kids as much as they are trying to protect the school.
CYA etc. all too common.

[peeker]

Mark and David,

Not wanting to start a debate, just passing along information on how I was able to gain access to the football games I was interested in... I am not going to answer for someone that is setting the guidelines. Yes, SB 9 was written for employees (teacher, counselors, etc), although some districts are taking it a bit further for many reasons...

To quote a few lines of the letter that PISD sent to the department of Public Safety:

"The Plano Independent School District Athletic Department does not contract with any photographer in regard to game sideline photography. However, we do work with independent photographers who provide a service to our players and their parents. In compliance with Senate Bill 9, the Plano ISD Athletic Department will document any sideline photographer at our games this fall. We will provide each photographer instructions on paper on how to comply with the fingerprinting process. We will work with any photographer who is trying to comply with the Plano ISD. However, if photographers do not follow through and contact the school district to register, we will not allow them back onto the field until they are cleared by the school district.

We feel that it is our duty to comply with Senate Bill 9. We also want to protect our students and staff, and we want to cut down on excessive sideline traffic."

So to answer Mark's question if you are already a registered volunteer with the district, you have already gone through a background check... my sense is you won't have to repeat it. If you haven't and are a freelance photographer, they are asking you to get checked, and in the meantime, they are working with us to "check in" and get a field pass to let them know we are there until the process is completed. So far, the working relationship has been a win-win.

Just passing on info in case people of other districts across the state are looking for a way to have an "in" with their AD's.

[texkam]

So to answer Mark's question if you are already a registered volunteer with the district, you have already gone through a background check... my sense is you won't have to repeat it.

That's not what I'm hearing from the Band Booster Historian at PSHS.

we want to cut down on excessive sideline traffic

I suspect this is the real reason. Can't tell you how many people that have no business down there that I dodge while trying to do my job. All the football dads hang out down there. Seen 'em, talked to 'em. 2 weeks ago I asked someone who they were shooting for. "Oh, I'm just hangin' out. My buddy got me a pass."

[soonerdg]

Originally Posted by texkam

So all the band parents who help roll equipment on and off the field, put plums in the hats, distribute water, take pictures, etc. all need to go through this process? So you have to pay a fee to volunteer? We volunteers already register online with the PISD and submit our SS#, and DL# for a BG check.

So some perv. can shoot pics/video to their hearts content as long as they don't set foot on the sidelines, or better yet, they can go to a public park and shoot cross country kids half naked. I just don't know how much PISD's rule protects kids from weirdo photographers. Even if you want to argue that an independent shooter that has no ties to the district needs to be checked out, that's one thing, but if you are a registered volunteer with the district you have already been checked out and if you also happen to be a Board Member in the Band Booster Organization the kids and the parents certainly know you. To treat a volunteer this way really seems silly.

I am a band booster member for one of the Mansfield ISD schools and to answer you first questions. Yes, we do a background check on all volunteers who will be in direct contact with the students. That includes the chaperones, pit crew (the folks rolling the equipment on the field), photographer, etc. We don't ask those folks to pay the fee, that's paid by the boosters but we do do a background check on them.

[texkam]

One of the Band Boosters from Plano HS forwarded info from their Band Director on this matter. It states: "Fingerprinting is not required for volunteers. John Pippard has been hired to assist the district with fingerprinting photographers that photo and sell to our
district organizations. Our booster volunteer photographers do not have to do this." It also states what to do if anyone inquires.

OK, this makes sense. A copy is printed and in my bag. Of course for other districts YMMV. :)

[GW2]

This is all about liability. It was the liability insurance companies that insure non-profit youth organizations that really got this rolling. This whole thing is not about protecting kids, but protecting the insurance companies from having to pay out if something happens. If at least some are registered in close proximity to kids, these slimeballs can say in court that their client did what was reasonable to protect the kids and limit damages. The world we live in.