Often volunteers do not even know that the work they have been asked to do is part of regular duties of absent employees. Sweeping the hallway, providing regular assistance for a student with special needs, providing withdrawal remedial programs, and driving school buses are all work done by paid staff. Volunteers should neither be asked to evaluate students' work nor should they assume any ongoing implementation with groups of students. That is the job of a teacher. Parents, some of whom are school volunteers, deserve to feel confident that their child is being taught, assessed, and evaluated by a qualified teacher.
Volunteers bring special talents to our schools.
In the best scenarios, volunteers and the public schools benefit equally from the relationship. Volunteers continue to enrich the lives of the children in their communities and their volunteering brings them closer to their neighbours and their neighbourhood. BCTF Policy on Volunteers in Schools Volunteer participation in schools should be encouraged and should be related to educational programs where volunteers can bring their special talents to schools. Teachers will respect the provisions of any collective agreements between boards and non-teaching employees regarding the use of volunteers in the schools. If you have questions or concerns about a particular situation in B.C., call your local teachers' union office or an office of the union representing support staff workers in your district.