How to Write a Contract for Your PTA
A contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties -- nothing more and nothing less. They can contain hundreds of pages or they can be less than one page. School-related contracts can be complicated because you're often dealing with minors whose legal rights are limited and teachers who are often represented by public unions. Even so, there's no good reason why a parent-teacher organization can't write a simple, legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties.
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Instructions
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Determine the type of contract that your parent-teacher organization needs to draft. Possible legal categories might include employment, property or tax law.
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Find a website that allows you to download free contracts or buy forms allowing your organization to draft its own contract. The contracts should be closest to the area of law that the parent-teacher organization needs.
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Discuss exactly what the organization expects out of the contract and when it's expected. Make sure there's agreement about the requirements of the contract and that everyone in the parent-teacher organization is informed about its contents.
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Ask members of the parent-teacher organization if they know any parents who are attorneys and would be willing to review the draft contract. You can also check local law offices to see if they do pro bono, or free, work for non-profit organizations.
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Draft a contract and show it to the person or party who is signing the agreement. Make any revisions to the contract to ensure that both parties are aware of its contents before it's signed. It's often helpful to retain copies of the drafts with changes initialed, so you can determine who recommended particular changes.
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Sign the contract, preferably with the other party present. Be sure that the person signing the contract for the parent-teacher organization and the other party both have the authority to sign the agreement. It's best if you can have the agreement notarized and witnessed so there's no disagreement later about the contents of the contract.
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Make copies of the agreement; each person who signed the contract or their representative should be given a copy. Store your in a safe place.
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References
Resources
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