For Schools

Learn more about different volunteer types to select the best fit for your unique situation:  

1.  In-Person Classroom Assistants
   
   • Volunteers visit your classroom a minimum of one hour once a week to support as need, ex: working with a small group of students, monitoring while you work with a small group, helping with prep work, tutoring, organizational activities, and more.
2. Academic 1:1 Tutors
   • Community volunteers are screened and trained by our staff to work with individual students on assigned academic content. Students are nominated by you, their educator, and guardians will approve participation in the opportunity. We will partner with you to set positive expectations with volunteers and assign activities to complete with students. Educators assign all virtual activities between the volunteer and student.
3. Career Coach for High School Students
   • Community volunteers are screened and trained by our staff to support high school students as they set goals for their futures. Career Coaches specialize in amplify skill-sets around college and career readiness, including, resume-writing, interview tips, scholarship applications, capstone projects, and more.  

Looking for more ways that volunteers can help? This tool can help you plan (PDF)

Volunteer Clearance Options & Checklist HERE > 

Login to Salesforce to access volunteer clearance records for your school.

Read instructions for how to use the database here.

Volunteer Clearance Options & Checklist HERE > 

Visit our FAQ page for answers to commonly asked questions. Or contact our team at osv@oaklandedfund.org. 

Volunteer Clearance Options & Checklist HERE > 

In order for a student to get matched with a virtual 1:1 academic tutor over Zoom, their parent/guardian must sign a “Family Consent Waiver” beforehand as a part of the onboarding process. 

Educators who have nominated (a) student(s) for a virtual 1:1 tutor will be notified once this request has been approved by the parent/guardian and that the Oakland School Volunteers program is actively seeking a volunteer match via email: osv@oaklandedfund.org. If this message is not received, this means that the parent/guardian has not yet signed the “Family Consent Waiver”. This will prevent us from moving forward.

Notification of Issue

The educator will either notice that their request hasn’t been approved, or Oakland School Volunteers staff will send an email notification that the waiver has not been signed.

Suggested Solutions to Obtain Parent/Guardian Signatures

Listed in the order of which they need to be completed: 

1) TEXTING 

• • As a part of our typical program process, Oakland School Volunteers Staff will send a text message to the parent/guardian reminding them to please check their email and sign the waiver. 
  • The educator is welcome to do the same.

2) PHYSICAL COPY UPON REQUEST

• • MAILED – If requested, Oakland School Volunteers staff can mail a physical copy of the waiver to the families address for the family to sign and either mail or email back to the Oakland Public Education Fund.
  • AT SCHOOL – If requested, Oakland School Volunteers staff can email or mail a copy of the waiver for the educator to share in-person with the family at the school site. For example, this could take place during drop off, pick up, or back to school night.

3) TELEFONIC CONSENT AFTER DOCUMENTED STEPS #1 & #2

1. After multiple, documented attempts to obtain electronic signature AND attempts to obtain consent via steps #1 and #2 outlined above, the educator may call the family on the phone and complete telefonic consent to sign on their behalf. Read through detailed instructions and steps on pg 2.

OUSD POLICY FOR CONSENTING ON BEHALF OF PARENTS/GUARDIANS

The Oakland Unified School District solicits information from parents/guardians using a variety of forms. Many of these forms require a parent/guardian to verify the correctness of the form’s contents and/or agree to a consent/waiver, evidenced by their signature. Due to language, literacy, and technology barriers, some parents/guardians need assistance to complete such forms. District staff may fill out such a form for the parent/guardian, including signing on their behalf, so long as the all of following conditions are met:

• • The District staff member meets the parent/guardian in person or calls parent/guardian on the phone or via video call (ex: Zoom)
  • At the outset of the meeting/phone call, the District staff member states: 

• “My name is [name] and I am a [position] within the Oakland Unified School District. I am going to be assisting you in filling out a form related to [explain]. We will be going over the questions together, and I will be filling in your answers. In addition, this form has a line for your signature at the end. By proceeding with this meeting, you are consenting to share your answers with me and with the District, and you are allowing me to sign and submit this form on your behalf.

• Do you understand? [If no, please reiterate.]

• Do you wish to proceed?” [If no, please end the meeting/call.]

• • The District staff member reads all questions out loud to parent/guardian and records answers
  • The District staff member writes the parent/guardian’s name on the signature line, and the date on the date line
  • At the end of the document, and/or underneath parent/guardian signature line, either:
    • Preferred option: Form itself includes the following language (or similar):

• “Signed/submitted on parent/guardian’s behalf, with their permission, by __________ (District staff member name), __________ (position) on _____ (date),” and District staff member fills in the blanks.

• • • Back-up option: District staff member writes: 

• “Signed/submitted on behalf of parent/guardian [parent/guardian name], with their permission, by [District staff member name, position] on Sep 24, 2021.”

• If the District staff member cannot add this language (e.g., because form is locked), the District staff member should submit the form on the parent/guardian’s behalf, and immediately afterwards, write an email to their supervisor, stating:
  • “I am writing to memorialize the fact that today, Sep 24, 2021, at around [time], I submitted [title of form] on behalf of [parent/guardian name], with their permission, including signing on their behalf.”