Has teacher appreciation week gotten out of hand?

[Anonymous]

Our school has a food truck coming for the teachers tomorrow. They've had a luncheon. Every day is something but it is being paid for by pta. Although parents aren't needing to help, I have a real issue that so much pta money is spent on the teachers. I though that money was supposed to benefit the kids. 1 meal I would be on board for. But this is overboard.

[Anonymous]

As I sit here eating my free breakfast provided by my admin, I am enjoying reading these posts. The PTA plans these events. If you don't like them or think they are over the top, don't participate. Better yet, attend the PTA meetings prior to TAW and point out that you would like to tone it down. I work in a Title 1 school so other than this muffin and juice, we get nothing. We don't even have a PTA. You are complaining about something you actually have a lot of control over. My kid's school is a bit over the top too but I sign up to bring in ONE thing. Some years it is something for breakfast or lunch. This year, I sent in a gift card for a gift basket. It seems like a big deal at their school but if I didn't want to participate, someone else would send something in. If you think the teachers at your kids' school already get too much from the PTA, suggest adopting a Title 1 school. I spend hundreds of dollars of my own money each year on student supplies, etc for my classroom. So do my colleagues. We would greatly appreciate school supply donations, etc at any time of year. I just bought $25 worth of pencils back in March when I ran out.

[Anonymous]

I really like the teachers we have and had, so I'm ok with this. I sent in $10 for our teacher and $10 for the other teachers' fund. I do feel bad that we keep forgetting to bring a flower or flowers in for my daughter's teacher. Our mornings are so crazy that adding one more thing into the mix is just not happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school has a food truck coming for the teachers tomorrow. They've had a luncheon. Every day is something but it is being paid for by pta. Although parents aren't needing to help, I have a real issue that so much pta money is spent on the teachers. I though that money was supposed to benefit the kids. 1 meal I would be on board for. But this is overboard.

I'm not that against it. I love my child's teacher. And I love gifting her this week. But it makes you think.

To me it would feel a little like getting paid in peanuts. How much are they spending overall on this 'week?' Couldn't teachers just have that much higher of a salary? And I know it can't be that much. But that's the point right? If we stopped wasting money on little gifts for them, it actually might add up to say.... $100 of school supplies that they have help purchasing.

If I were asking my company for a raise, or compensation for travel/extra work (and the comp was being denied), and then they hosted a luncheon for the employees because they appreciate us......

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As I sit here eating my free breakfast provided by my admin, I am enjoying reading these posts. The PTA plans these events. If you don't like them or think they are over the top, don't participate. Better yet, attend the PTA meetings prior to TAW and point out that you would like to tone it down. I work in a Title 1 school so other than this muffin and juice, we get nothing. We don't even have a PTA. You are complaining about something you actually have a lot of control over. My kid's school is a bit over the top too but I sign up to bring in ONE thing. Some years it is something for breakfast or lunch. This year, I sent in a gift card for a gift basket. It seems like a big deal at their school but if I didn't want to participate, someone else would send something in. If you think the teachers at your kids' school already get too much from the PTA, suggest adopting a Title 1 school. I spend hundreds of dollars of my own money each year on student supplies, etc for my classroom. So do my colleagues. We would greatly appreciate school supply donations, etc at any time of year. I just bought $25 worth of pencils back in March when I ran out.

I am amazed at the energy of the PTA pulling this all together. And I have noticed that families are choosing which events to participate in, so that seems reasonable.

At our school our "specials" teachers are included, but I was sad to learn that our special ed teachers aren't. So I am going to attend the PTA meetings where this is all planned for next year to address that gap.

Thanks to ALL of the teachers for your hard work!

[Anonymous]

I forgot today was bring a flower day. Everyone else at the bus stop had not only a flower but a whole bouquet. That's overkill. I'll get a couple of school supplies for 'school supply day' later this week and that's it.
Our PTA did tone it down this year compared to last, but I still prefer it to be just one day where parents choose one thing to do (school supply, or flower, or candy/small gift).

[Anonymous]

My DS's daycare/preschool is celebrating the entire week with a different theme each day. DS is too young to make anything himself, so it's up to me. I absolutely appreciate the teachers, and may send gifts for former teachers too, but the timing couldn't be worse; I'm already stressed out about mother's day presents for the out of town grandmothers! If this were next week, or had been a week earlier, it would be much easier.

I also worry about not seeming 'cheap' in comparison to other parents. My plans to bring trader joes flowers for flower day seemed pretty lame when I saw a very $$$ florist delivering arrangements this morning. We don't really have room in this month's budget for that due to unexpected medical expenses (in fact I've asked DH not to buy me flowers for mother's day), so I just hope that my smaller gifts will be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

I hate the timing, too. I have kids in two separate schools. Each school is doing an activity each day of the week (bring flowers, chocolates, home made card, make a video of your appreciation, bring a gift, etc.) Both schools are having potluck with one school providing 5 snacks and 1 meal and another providing 2 big potluck meals. On top of that, we've got Mother's Day shopping to do for our moms and grandmas. By the time Mother's Day rolls around I am going to be far too exhausted to enjoy the day. I love my kids' teachers but a week is overkill.

[Anonymous]

Our elementary school is reasonable. I think our daycare is a little extreme as they ask for something each day (most requiring cooking). But I don't get the angst over it all. Just do what you want! I can only handle one day for all the teachers so that is what I did and I am certain no one will complain or think worse of my kids. I like that it is a whole week as it gives families flexibility.

[Anonymous]

To the person who says you should just bring it up at the PTA, that may have worked when we had a different president and different dynamics, but now, it's more trouble than it's worth. I volunteer in the school and what I found most troubling is a lot of people didn't want the luncheon anyway. One staff member said she got food poisoning last year which she suspects was from something spoiling so she avoids it. One TA has a deadly food allergy so even when they list ingredients, she isn't going to risk it. Two teachers have Celiac and once again not worth the risk. You can't please everyone, but 1 luncheon would be much more reasonable. Then why not give every teacher a giftcard to Staples or Target to put toward supplies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the person who says you should just bring it up at the PTA, that may have worked when we had a different president and different dynamics, but now, it's more trouble than it's worth. I volunteer in the school and what I found most troubling is a lot of people didn't want the luncheon anyway. One staff member said she got food poisoning last year which she suspects was from something spoiling so she avoids it. One TA has a deadly food allergy so even when they list ingredients, she isn't going to risk it. Two teachers have Celiac and once again not worth the risk. You can't please everyone, but 1 luncheon would be much more reasonable. Then why not give every teacher a giftcard to Staples or Target to put toward supplies.

Suggest that PP. Otherwise, by participating in the craziness, you are helping it to spiral out of control. When people don't sign up to bring in food, etc every single day, the PTA folks won't be able to host all of those events.

[Anonymous]

I chose not to participate this year because the teachers decided to "work to rule" in my county. While I appreciate their salary concerns, they left thousands of high school kids without college recommendations. Sorry teachers, in my county, you don't get recognized for being average or doing the bare minimum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But her patients don't need those things. Magazines, etc are nice to have. I buy supplies for my students because they actually need them. It's hard to work without pencils, paper/notebooks, glue sticks, scissors, etc.

She buys FOOD for patients who are hungry. I get that teachers do spend a lot of money on classroom supplies, but you really don't have to get into a who-has-it-worse competition. There are other professions where people give of their personal money and time.

Why are teachers spending money on supplies? I spent $50 on school supplies like crayons, pencils, paper, glue, folders, binders, etc in Sept bc the school supply list was epic. Don't tell me that wasn't enough to last the year that the teacher needs to buy more.
And what does the Pta do with that money from the Booster tho , school pictures, Fall festival, etc?
Use that money for the teachers!!

My students go through a pack of pecks a week. It's crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our elementary school is reasonable. I think our daycare is a little extreme as they ask for something each day (most requiring cooking). But I don't get the angst over it all. Just do what you want! I can only handle one day for all the teachers so that is what I did and I am certain no one will complain or think worse of my kids. I like that it is a whole week as it gives families flexibility.

Is this Wolftrap ? The pta is crazy.. Every day something obscure and difficult for working or non working parent. Last year one day was a Kcup one day.. Which supermarket sells ONE Kcup ? Stupid. This year only had three days versus each of the 5 days. For all the $$ this Pta has you would think they could centralize this...