Community Standards

Guidelines for SpeakingChalk members

SpeakingChalk is an open community of learners (from age 3 and above), parents and teachers. We are connected by technology and united by a desire to help learners & teachers all over the world. All our classes are offered by independent teachers, who determine the content and format of their own classes.  

While our open community is our greatest source of strength, it also brings challenges.  It is important to us that SpeakingChalk is a safe space for our users.  Our members should treat each other without bias or prejudice across all pillars of diversity including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, and gender identity.  Here are some guidelines that we ask our members to observe. SpeakingChalk members who do not meet these guidelines will be removed from the site. 

Teacher Code of Conduct

· Offer classes only where you have appropriate background or expertise.

· Teach classes professionally: be prepared, begin on-time, and treat all learners with respect. Do not teach while impaired by alcohol or drugs, and do not model any behavior that a student aged 18 or younger is restricted from doing.

· Respond promptly to parent questions and requests.

· Communicate with parents and learners in a professional manner, both in messages and in-class.

· Treat all members of the SpeakingChalk community respectfully, including our staff.

· Adhere to our Policy for teachers by remaining thoughtful and professional online.

· Adhere to our Policy for class content by only offering secular, objective, age-appropriate classes.

· Create a safe and welcoming space for learners and families from all backgrounds, beliefs, and locations.

Parent Code of Conduct (In case of registering for and on behalf of children)

· Ask questions of teachers to clarify any missing details about classes.

· Show up for your class; many classes depend on group conversation, and the absence of a single student can have a big impact.

· Provide constructive feedback about your class experience, for the benefit of the teacher and other parents.

· Engage in civil conversation and speak and act with respect for different opinions.

· Help keep SpeakingChalk a safe space for learners, families, and teachers from all backgrounds, beliefs, and locations.  

Learner Code of Conduct

· Join class on time and be ready to learn.

· Dress in a manner appropriate for class to help create a safe and comfortable environment for all learners and the teacher. Always show up for class fully clothed.

· Treat the teacher and your classmates with respect.

· Take responsibility for making each class a great learning experience for yourself and your classmates: participate, stay on topic, and avoid distractions. 

· Contribute to a class environment in a way that is safe and welcoming for learners and teachers from all backgrounds, beliefs, and locations.

· Learners should only attend class under their own enrollment, as themselves. It violates SpeakingChalk policy for a learner to use their sibling's or another learner’s enrollment to attend class.

· Keep your personal information private and don't ask others to share personal information (e.g., email address, mailing address, phone number, gamer tags, etc.).

SpeakingChalk Code of Conduct

· We welcome members from all backgrounds, beliefs, and locations and are committed to creating a safe space for our users across all pillars of diversity.

· We will listen to feedback from parents, teachers, and learners, and make changes accordingly.

· We will create and enforce policies to create a high quality, trusted, and safe community for learning. This may include removing content or users from the platform.

· We will respond as promptly as possible to questions and issues that arise. We appreciate your patience

Finally, we ask that all members assume the best intentions in others.  When something goes wrong, whether it's a technical glitch, an email without a response, or something else, we ask that you share feedback in a constructive way.