I wouldn't be surprised of your district already has a code of conduct for visitors in the classroom and school. This is a district issue not so much a pto issues, I also wonder why the teacher has bit this in the bud...new or not! We also have a set of expectations and guidelines for volunteers but it does go with our districts guidelines...check your district, that may be a start.
You might find something if you do a little researching into some of the character building programs. Our district uses Character Counts. I don't know if they have contracts, but you might at least get a set of "rules" that everyone could follow to help make things a little better. Maybe you could even present your principal with some info on some of those programs.
It is nice to go into a meeting with someone with info to support your position and get them started. Maybe you could even find some parents and teachers who would be willing to work as a committee to come up with a plan?
To clarify, I am on the PTO Board, and asuch as I would like the school to take this over - I think they need a push in the right direction. I was looking for a sample code/contract that I could give to our princicpal so there would be no "We'll have to look into that" argument.
I'm with PresidentJim on this one: the school should be handling this situation. One thing I will say is at the elementary school where my children attended the PTO coordinated the parent classroom volunteers and had a brochure that was given to each volunteer outlining what was expected from them in their role. They were reminded of the requirement of confidentiality and that the teacher was in charge of the classroom and what occurs in that room. The information was put together with the assistance and approval of the principal. If there were any problems, the principal handled them.
Not sure if you are part of the PTO, or a staff member, but I personally feel that issues of this nature need to be handled by the school and not be taken on by the PTO. As a School Council member myself, I know that this would be an issue that would come up in one of our meetings, not the PTO. Luckily we've never had to deal with something like thiss, but I think, if the Principal wishes to go this route, that the code of conduct contract is great.
Do any of you use a code of conduct contract for your students/parents? We have had some parents interfering in classrooms with a brand new teacher, disruptive kids in the same class and in at least one case, parents enabling their disruptive child.
We would like to have a code of conduct contract for next year that is signed by the students and the parents and get accountability into the forefront.
I am hoping some of you have a sample contract, perhaps even including staff as well.
