MUSD Volunteer Program ‘lifting up children with love’

Margaret Jackson has a strong passion for the Maricopa Unified School District where she has devoted time as a teacher, board member and now as the Volunteer Coordinator.

When asked to take charge of the program, Jackson told the governing board that there were three things she would accomplish: getting clearance cards, getting everyone on the same page and getting procedures written.

After countless hours teaching and working over the summer, Jackson has streamlined the process of becoming a volunteer so that parents and community members can devote their time to the schools.

The process begins by visiting the district’s website http://www.maricopausd.org and clicking on the volunteer program under the departments heading. Once on the main volunteer page, you can scroll down to find the volunteer application.

Once the application has been submitted, the parent or community member will get a phone call to schedule an interview. At that time a confidentiality agreement can be printed off the web page and submitted to the Volunteer Coordinator. Volunteers can read the volunteer handbook on the website as well. Once these steps are completed, the volunteer has site status, allowing supervised work on the campuses.

When 15 hours have been contributed, volunteers become eligible for training to become a certified volunteer. This training includes an orientation to the district and tips on being an effective volunteer and student advocate. These volunteers also need fingerprinting (which the program is currently providing) and a copy of their driver’s license to ensure the safety of the students. Once the volunteer is cleared, they are able to assist and supervise students independently.

Jackson said the reason for having a site volunteer status is to allow volunteers to get into the classroom faster to assist teachers. She also explained that prior to someone becoming a certified volunteer, the district wants to be sure that “if we’re going to invest in them, we (also) want them to invest in us.”

Why should someone volunteer their time to the schools?

Jackson says, “Statistics prove that when volunteers are active in our schools, test scores go up.” Jackson reiterated the impact the community can have on their schools and their importance to students, adding, “People don’t realize that two to four hours can make such a huge difference in an educational setting.”

According to Jackson, there is a great need for reading with students, tutoring, safety monitors, art specialists and more. Volunteer opportunities are updated on the website weekly.

Jackson believes through community volunteerism and support, positive attitudes and the commitment of time, Maricopa students can be ‘lifted up with love.’

For more information or if you are interested in volunteering, visit the MUSD website or contact Margaret Jackson at [email protected].

Future certified volunteer training session dates (Saturday trainings begin at 9 a.m. and Thursday trainings begin at 7 p.m.):

Oct 2, 16, 25, 2008
Nov. 1, 6, 15, 20, 2008
Jan. 10, 15, 31, 2009
Feb. 5, 19, 2009
March 5, 14, 19, 2009
April 2, 2009

Photo by Carrie Vargas