Purpose: The position of class ombud exists to serve as liaison between classroom team, parents, teacher, students, and executive board; to facilitate communication between these parties, to solve conflicts and problems in a constructive manner preserving relationships, both working and personal. The ombud must maintain a high level of confidentiality and stay non-judgmental.
Areas of responsibility:
Teacher
* Communicate regularly with teacher to listen to concerns, requests, and comments. Help or delegate others to help with unscheduled tasks.
* Relay parents’ concerns to teacher.
* Attend teacher/ombuds meetings; attend or lead parent/teacher planning meetings as teacher wishes.
* Check with teacher to ascertain how much help is needed for classroom set-up and close-down; inform parents of these needs.
* In June, meet with teacher to determine what information he/she would like to send out with classroom assignments. Prepare introductory letters as directed by teacher and deliver them to office by the last day of school so that office staff can enclose them with classroom assignment notices.
Parents
* Coordinate classroom elections to be held during the first week of school, as needed.
* Keep parents informed of meetings, classroom, and schoolwide activities.
* Establish rapport with the parents in the class and be available to answer questions and discuss concerns.
* Assist parents, if needed, in determining ways to meet the suggested hours goal; monitor engagement of parents; and communicate with Parent Representative knowledge or concerns regarding reasons for parents not meeting suggested hours goal.
* Help teacher keep a record of attendance at planning meetings and remind parents to record their hours.
* Take minutes of planning meetings and distribute them to all families.
* Collect money for and facilitate purchase of teacher birthday gift and teacher end-of-the-year gift.
* Facilitate class participation in Staff Appreciation Week activities.
* Create, maintain class web-based share page (ie shutterfly or other) as directed by teacher.
Record Keeping
* Coordinate as needed with the school Record Keeper and teacher to ensure all class volunteers are current with their paperwork.
Middle school ombuds only: Facilitate, with the help of the 6th – 8th Parent Representatives, middle school fundraising activities, as well as 6th/7th grade ombuds gather volunteers for 8th grade graduation events, including but not limited to graduation appreciation events and hosting refreshments.
Executive Board
* Attend Teacher/Ombuds meetings as able.
* Attend one or two Executive Board meetings per year in an advisory capacity. Attendance Schedule to be determined at beginning of year.
* Communicate regularly with Parent Representatives to keep them informed of significant issues and to stay informed of Executive Board actions.
* Attend closed Executive Board meetings as needed to provide background information on families that are significantly low in hours.
* Take direction from Parent Representative or Vice President as to specific tasks regarding class, parents, or activities.
Financial Responsibility: none
Hours Recording Procedure: Hours are entered by the job holder on a digital hours-recording platform provided by the PTO.
Hours: Varies: base of 55 hours with 10 extra for kindergarten (ombud must facilitate for large number of brand new families), and 10 extra for classroom with new teacher.
Reports to: Parent Representative and Executive Board
Selection: Teacher Selection
Term: June 1 to June 30 of following year
Revised: 5/23