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 jobs done by paid staff. Volunteers should not 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 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 neighbourhoods. Teachers will respect the provisions of any collective agreements between boards and non-teaching employees regarding the use of volunteers in the schools. Knowledge of this policy by volunteers in schools can prevent conflict. If you have questions or concerns about a particular situation, call your local teachers' union office or an office of the union representing support staff workers in your district.