The Vintage ROP Contract

Other than the disciplinary policy that underpins the student/parent/teacher contract, the most important work we can do ahead of next year is the contract itself.

Here are the important points to consider:

The name of the contract

The "mission statement"

The definition of "work ethic"

The essential obligations of a good worker/student, a helpful parent, and an effective teacher

An agreement implicit in the contract to honor the disciplinary policy as a necessary component of practicing a good and true work ethic

An explicit expression that the consequences of a good work ethic is success in school as in life, and the consequences of a poor work ethic is failure in school as in life, or somewhere in between, according to our efforts and our strength of character

"We show up, every day, on time, with our developing skills, to do our work, in a way that helps the entire team succeed"

We want the contract to be no longer than two sides of one piece of paper. We want the contract to say just what we mean to say, in a way that is clear. We want the contract to be a positive statement of how we will work in our workspaces, but we have to talk about - or at least refer to - the consequences as laid out in our disciplinary policies.

I will be working on writing a coherent and effective contract. I hope others might do the same if possible, or at least weigh in with advice and concerns. I will place a working draft of the contract in the links section when one is ready.

The best way to organize our input is to add a comment on this particular post when you want to share or add ideas.

I believe the contract is the key to setting up compliance - and success - with our disciplinary policy.