Welcome to CMSD!

We invite you to click HERE for information regarding protocols and procedures to serve with CMSD.

Step 1: Individuals, not with a Community Partner Group (view below), must complete the electronic Volunteer Request Form (English – Español). The volunteer request form is a person’s request to serve with CMSD.

Step 2: For returning volunteers, contact information will need to be updated if changes have occurred (i.e., address, telephone numbers, email address, and emergency contact information). Please email judith.lozada@clevelandmetroschools.org with updates.

Step 3: Principals and/or a designee (Volunteer Lead); and/or CMSD Department Staff working with volunteers, will follow up with the request and confirm (or deny) with the Volunteer Office the volunteer request for service.

Step 4: Once the school administrator or designee confirms the request, volunteers will receive an email with registration and security check instructions.

 

If you have not received an email with registration and security instructions, this may be due to the following:

 

• The school administrator or school volunteer coordinator has not yet confirmed your request. If school has not contacted you, please call the school for information.

• Volunteer email was provided with a typo.

• Volunteer email may have gone to the volunteer's spam folder.

• If unsure, please contact Judith.Lozada@clevelandmetroschools.org for assistance.

Please click  HERE for information and instructions.

Who is a volunteer?

It is anyone willing to serve at your school and will not be paid for their service. Community Partners and their paid staff are not considered volunteers. However, many of our non-profit community partners may have volunteers serving with them. The Community Partner must register these volunteers with the district if they are serving in our schools.

Who confirms a volunteer?

Volunteers are “confirmed” by the Principal of the School or their designee (School Volunteer Lead), not by the Manager of Volunteers. The Manager of Volunteer’s role is to ensure that volunteers have completed documentation and we provide support for your school’s volunteer programming. Also, we screen all volunteers with criminal record checks except for volunteers who are minors. Once the security check is completed and cleared, the volunteer is approved to serve at a school.

Can minors volunteer?

If a volunteer is a minor (17 yrs. and younger), they must complete the Minor Volunteer Application packet, once completed, scan and send to: judith.lozada@clevelandmetroschools.org.

Please note if a minor is volunteering individually or with a community group for service hours and during schooltime hours, they must have the signature of the minor volunteer's school Principal or school staff representative. Minor volunteers are not required to complete a security check clearance. For registration confirmation, the minor volunteer will receive notification by email.

Minors are required to serve under staff supervision at all times and never left alone with scholars.

How does a volunteer register?

Volunteers must complete an electronic application form located on the CMSD website. This is the link to the website: https://www.clevelandmetroschools.org/Page/537. All volunteer applications are confirmed by the school Principal or their designated staff (School Volunteer Lead). Once confirmed, we proceed with registration following guidelines according to volunteer status: parent/family, community members, community groups, etc.

How are volunteers registered from our Community Partners?

For community groups wanting to volunteer at a school, you can direct group contact to the volunteer webpage on CMSD website: https://www.clevelandmetroschools.org/volunteer

Do volunteers who are with an approved school contractor register?

Yes. The contract will reflect this. All volunteers with a school contractor must register as a “group” and adhere to the same guidelines we have with all school contractors. In other words, volunteers must all be BCI/FBI checked. Please note that they only register unpaid staff (volunteers).

Who is responsible for the Volunteer Orientation?

All school principals are responsible for those working and serving in their schools. A plan must be outlined on how to communicate the expectations of the building volunteers. Your school FACE Coordinator and the Manager of Volunteers can support you and your staff as you outline these expectations. FACE staff can only provide general district guidelines for your volunteers. If you have specific guidelines for the building, the school’s designated volunteer lead needs to be present at the Volunteer Orientation.

How do school staff know if a volunteer has been approved?

CMSD has a Volunteer Database located in the Volunteer Portal of the RAPTOR Visitor System. Volunteer information and clearance level is available to select and trained CMSD staff. Commonly, this is accessible to every secretary. Principals have all been given access to all portals in RAPTOR.

What are the security clearances for volunteers?

For detailed information regarding volunteer security checks, please visit the volunteer webpage on the CMSD website: https://www.clevelandmetroschools.org/volunteer

Who pays for the volunteer BCI/FBI check?

Volunteers are responsible for the payment of the BCI/FBI check. The cost is $47.25, payable by money order or cashier’s check. For our community partners bringing in volunteers and needing to have a background check, we have extended a courtesy in accepting an organization check.

Security checks for volunteer parents/family members, college student groups and PACE partners will be covered by the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

What are the schedules for BCI/FBI checks?

Appointment is required to secure a date and time, to select an appointment go to: https://www.clevelandmetroschools.org/Page/3464

Days and Times for Safety and Security are as follows: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 am to 11 am and 2 pm to 4 pm. Address is: 1349 E. 79^th Street, Cleveland, OH 44103.

If a volunteer has a background check from their job and can provide proof of the results, can that be used to volunteer?

Yes, volunteers can provide us with a background check indicating the results. The check must be recent (within 6 months of volunteer registration).

Do volunteers get a badge?

All volunteers, upon arrival at school, must provide a legal form of identification at the school office: driver's license, state ID, passport, etc. to check-in with the front office staff of the school building.

To volunteer at a school building, school staff must be able to locate your name in the Volunteer Portal of RAPTOR Security System. If school cannot verify that you have completed your security check and been approved, you will not be allowed to volunteer.

If school staff are unable to locate your name in the RAPTOR Volunteer Portal, it may be due to the following: volunteer registration has not cleared; volunteer selected a different school location at registration; or the name used at registration is different from the legal ID name; for example: Pat and Patrick (legal name).

Please contact the district Volunteer Manager for assistance.

All volunteers must be identified while serving in the school:

• Volunteers are required to wear the printed RAPTOR temporary ID/Name badge throughout their service.
• It must indicate “VOLUNTEER” and not “VISITOR”.

What do we do regarding field trip chaperones?

Principals need to define: What is the role of the person (parent/community partner) who will be helping with the fieldtrip?

• If a parent is going to care for their own child, volunteer registration is not required.
• If a parent/community partner is serving as a chaperone, volunteer registration is required.
• If chaperone duties require volunteers not to be always under staff supervision, the volunteer will require a BCI/FBI check.
• All chaperones must be identified with their volunteer ID badge.

Can volunteers take pictures/videos of students/classroom activities with their cell phones?

No. Due to privacy laws, we ask volunteers not to take pictures of students/classroom activities. If the school has an event that is open to the public, we are unable to enforce this protocol.

• All virtual volunteers are required to follow the existing Volunteer Registration guidelines for individual or group volunteers.
• The District recommends, where feasible, having a second adult as a monitor during one on one sessions. Where this is not feasible, we recommend one on one sessions be recorded with parental consent.
• Volunteers cannot require students to share, display themselves, or be visible through video. Facilitators can encourage students to share, display themselves, or be visible through their video, but to protect students’ psychological and emotional safety, students can choose to turn their video on and off at will (as long as it is not a distraction to others).

 

To enter a request to be a parent/family member volunteer at your child's school, please click here. This form is offered in English and in Spanish.

This form is only for parents and families of CMSD students who wish to volunteer at their child's school and are over 18 yrs. Please complete all sections, the Volunteer Request form is your request to serve with CMSD.

Once the school administrator accepts your intent of service, you will receive a link via email to complete your Volunteer Registration and security clearance information. Please expect a response within 5 to 10 business days from the time of submission.

If you have a question or concern, please call 216.838.0337.

Parents and family members of students:

• All parents and family member volunteers are subject to a security check.
• Once parents have completed the electronic application and selected the volunteer function. Security check will be the last step in the registration process for parents and family members of students.
• There is no cost for a low-level security check for parents and family members.
• Low-level security checks require volunteers to serve under CMSD staff supervision at all times.

College students:

• All college students are subject to a low-level security check at no cost.
• Low-level security checks require volunteers to serve under CMSD staff supervision at all times.
• We ask the college/university representative contact judith.lozada@clevelandmetroschools.org for details.

Individual and Community Partner volunteers:

• If your volunteer service requires a state and federal clearance (BCI/FBI check), this check can be obtained through our Safety and Security Department. For scheduling details, please click here.
• Individual volunteers and Community Partner groups are responsible for following up with this office for results. Due to privacy laws, you must request results to be sent to the Volunteer Manager. Please be aware the cost is $47.25 (FBI $25.25/BCI $22.00) payable by money order.
• Community Partners can set-up invoicing with the Safety and Security Office. Please contact angela.barnett@clevelandmetroschools.org  and copy judith.lozada@clevelandmetroschools.org.
• The BCI/FBI checks can also be completed at outside locations of your choice. The Ohio Department of Education / CMSD "code" is: 3319.291.
• Please mail results indicating the volunteer location (school/department) and community group (if applicable) to: CMSD District Manager of Volunteers (view contact information below).

 

Sign-in / Sign-out

• All volunteers, upon arrival at school, must provide a legal form of identification at the school office: driver's license, state ID, passport, etc. to check-in with the front office staff of the school building.
• To volunteer at a school building, school staff must be able to locate your name in the Volunteer Portal of RAPTOR Security System. If school cannot verify that you have completed your security check and been approved, you will not be allowed to volunteer.
• If school staff are unable to locate your name in the RAPTOR Volunteer Portal, it may be due to the following:
  • Your registration has not cleared.
  • You selected a different school location on your registration; or
  • The name used at registration is different from your legal ID name; for example: Pat and Patrick (legal name).
  • Please contact the district Volunteer Manager for assistance.
• All volunteers must be identified while serving in the school:
  • • Volunteers are required to wear the printed RAPTOR temporary ID/Name badge throughout their service.
    • It must indicate “VOLUNTEER” and not “VISITOR”.
• If you are volunteering in more than one school building, make sure that you have indicated in your registration the schools where you will be volunteering. Volunteers are not automatically registered to serve in all schools.
• Once service is completed, volunteers must check out with the school office.

 

Additional Information

• Volunteers can begin serving at the school once cleared with their security checks and the Volunteer Office has uploaded contact information and documentation to the RAPTOR Security System's Volunteer Portal. They will receive a confirmation via email from the RAPTOR Visitor Security System.
• Volunteers should never sign-in on “binders” or “Sign-in sheets”. This does not confirm the approval status of a volunteer.
• A mask is available for all visitors who wish to wear one as they enter a CMSD building.
• We have phased out the Volunteer ID Card badge. This has been replaced by the RAPTOR Security System badge print-out, serving to identify volunteers once they have entered the school building.
• Volunteers should not report to a building if they are feeling unwell.
• Volunteers are expected to maintain a professional and respectful attitude at all times.

 

Volunteers must comply with the following:

• All student records are considered confidential.
• Directory information including the student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially-recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received and previous educational agencies or institutions attended, can only be shared with administrative approval.

• Volunteers may not discuss or repeat information overheard while in the staff lounge, classrooms, offices, school grounds, hallways, school or extra-curricular activities.

• Volunteers may not discuss information obtained while in a classroom, such as a student's grade or behavior, with anyone other than the student's teacher or the building principal.

• Concerns or questions regarding student records or issues of confidentiality should be brought to the attention of the staff member responsible for supervising your activities and/or the building principal.

• Volunteers may not take pictures, videos or feature students on any form of media, unless this is part of the volunteer's designated function at the school.

• Any knowledge of a violation of these provisions must be immediately reported to the staff member responsible for supervising volunteer activities and/or the building principal.

 

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If a volunteer is a minor (17 yrs. and younger) or 18 yrs. and still enrolled in a High School, they must complete the Minor Volunteer Registration form:

Minor Volunteer Registration

Please note if a minor is volunteering individually or with a community group for service hours and during school time hours, they must have the signature of the minor volunteer's school Principal or school staff representative.

Minor volunteers are not required to complete a security check clearance. For registration confirmation, the minor volunteer will receive notification by email.

Minors are required to serve under staff supervision at all times and never left alone with scholars.