Dcps teacher gift limit

[Anonymous]

ok I know that this will sound weird, but... I will say (as a charter school parent here) that as great as teachers are, it's felt a bit odd that the overwhelming majority - we're talking like 80-90% - of fundraising or group activity communication from the school administration or room parents this year has been related to teacher appreciation (birthday presents, cards, gifts; "teacher appreciation week" cash awards; holiday gifts; etc.)

Last week, the class parent at our (not-NW) public school was fundraising with a $250+ gift in mind for the teacher, AND asking us to instruct kids to wear her favorite color to school, AND asking for even more $$$ for us to buy her favorite snack for a class party, AND asking us to have the kids make her a card at home, and...you get the idea. This week, the school is sending messages asking us to contribute cash for a 5-figure target for a "teacher appreciation fund" to give them cash gifts - apparently the several thousand dollars already raised isn't enough for what they have in mind.

Look: I appreciate teachers! they're great! but...how is it that the majority of the public appreciation, energy and fundraising at this school seems to go to them, not the kids? is this normal, and I'm just weird for finding it...weird? the majority of students enrolled qualify for free lunches, and need scholarships (which are currently quite limited!) to afford after-school activities. The playground is falling apart. There are no class excursions more ambitious than "free/almost-free museum day trip once every three months or so." And we're aiming for $15K to give a teacher their [checks notes] third cash gift in four months?

I don't know. It just feels like, as great as teachers are, if we're making an extra effort to make sure someone feels special, I kind of want the majority of that energy to be directed at - the kids. Like we can and should save SOME for teachers ...but the main focus of school isn't to make sure teachers feel special and happy, is it? it's to make sure kids do. I mean, I'm not saying it's an either/or, just that the priority and emphasis here feels...off. But again - maybe it's just me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ok I know that this will sound weird, but... I will say (as a charter school parent here) that as great as teachers are, it's felt a bit odd that the overwhelming majority - we're talking like 80-90% - of fundraising or group activity communication from the school administration or room parents this year has been related to teacher appreciation (birthday presents, cards, gifts; "teacher appreciation week" cash awards; holiday gifts; etc.)

Last week, the class parent at our (not-NW) public school was fundraising with a $250+ gift in mind for the teacher, AND asking us to instruct kids to wear her favorite color to school, AND asking for even more $$$ for us to buy her favorite snack for a class party, AND asking us to have the kids make her a card at home, and...you get the idea. This week, the school is sending messages asking us to contribute cash for a 5-figure target for a "teacher appreciation fund" to give them cash gifts - apparently the several thousand dollars already raised isn't enough for what they have in mind.

Look: I appreciate teachers! they're great! but...how is it that the majority of the public appreciation, energy and fundraising at this school seems to go to them, not the kids? is this normal, and I'm just weird for finding it...weird? the majority of students enrolled qualify for free lunches, and need scholarships (which are currently quite limited!) to afford after-school activities. The playground is falling apart. There are no class excursions more ambitious than "free/almost-free museum day trip once every three months or so." And we're aiming for $15K to give a teacher their [checks notes] third cash gift in four months?

I don't know. It just feels like, as great as teachers are, if we're making an extra effort to make sure someone feels special, I kind of want the majority of that energy to be directed at - the kids. Like we can and should save SOME for teachers ...but the main focus of school isn't to make sure teachers feel special and happy, is it? it's to make sure kids do. I mean, I'm not saying it's an either/or, just that the priority and emphasis here feels...off. But again - maybe it's just me.

I think DCPS Central is a hard place to work - they are so lame at their jobs! So I feel like some teacher appreciation is required, if you want to have happy and high-functioning teachers,to undo the damage caused by DCPS itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ok I know that this will sound weird, but... I will say (as a charter school parent here) that as great as teachers are, it's felt a bit odd that the overwhelming majority - we're talking like 80-90% - of fundraising or group activity communication from the school administration or room parents this year has been related to teacher appreciation (birthday presents, cards, gifts; "teacher appreciation week" cash awards; holiday gifts; etc.)

Last week, the class parent at our (not-NW) public school was fundraising with a $250+ gift in mind for the teacher, AND asking us to instruct kids to wear her favorite color to school, AND asking for even more $$$ for us to buy her favorite snack for a class party, AND asking us to have the kids make her a card at home, and...you get the idea. This week, the school is sending messages asking us to contribute cash for a 5-figure target for a "teacher appreciation fund" to give them cash gifts - apparently the several thousand dollars already raised isn't enough for what they have in mind.

Look: I appreciate teachers! they're great! but...how is it that the majority of the public appreciation, energy and fundraising at this school seems to go to them, not the kids? is this normal, and I'm just weird for finding it...weird? the majority of students enrolled qualify for free lunches, and need scholarships (which are currently quite limited!) to afford after-school activities. The playground is falling apart. There are no class excursions more ambitious than "free/almost-free museum day trip once every three months or so." And we're aiming for $15K to give a teacher their [checks notes] third cash gift in four months?

I don't know. It just feels like, as great as teachers are, if we're making an extra effort to make sure someone feels special, I kind of want the majority of that energy to be directed at - the kids. Like we can and should save SOME for teachers ...but the main focus of school isn't to make sure teachers feel special and happy, is it? it's to make sure kids do. I mean, I'm not saying it's an either/or, just that the priority and emphasis here feels...off. But again - maybe it's just me.

I think DCPS Central is a hard place to work - they are so lame at their jobs! So I feel like some teacher appreciation is required, if you want to have happy and high-functioning teachers,to undo the damage caused by DCPS itself.

PP here. To make that clearer, I think DCPS is a hard place for teachers to work because DCPS Central is so lame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ok I know that this will sound weird, but... I will say (as a charter school parent here) that as great as teachers are, it's felt a bit odd that the overwhelming majority - we're talking like 80-90% - of fundraising or group activity communication from the school administration or room parents this year has been related to teacher appreciation (birthday presents, cards, gifts; "teacher appreciation week" cash awards; holiday gifts; etc.)

Last week, the class parent at our (not-NW) public school was fundraising with a $250+ gift in mind for the teacher, AND asking us to instruct kids to wear her favorite color to school, AND asking for even more $$$ for us to buy her favorite snack for a class party, AND asking us to have the kids make her a card at home, and...you get the idea. This week, the school is sending messages asking us to contribute cash for a 5-figure target for a "teacher appreciation fund" to give them cash gifts - apparently the several thousand dollars already raised isn't enough for what they have in mind.

Look: I appreciate teachers! they're great! but...how is it that the majority of the public appreciation, energy and fundraising at this school seems to go to them, not the kids? is this normal, and I'm just weird for finding it...weird? the majority of students enrolled qualify for free lunches, and need scholarships (which are currently quite limited!) to afford after-school activities. The playground is falling apart. There are no class excursions more ambitious than "free/almost-free museum day trip once every three months or so." And we're aiming for $15K to give a teacher their [checks notes] third cash gift in four months?

I don't know. It just feels like, as great as teachers are, if we're making an extra effort to make sure someone feels special, I kind of want the majority of that energy to be directed at - the kids. Like we can and should save SOME for teachers ...but the main focus of school isn't to make sure teachers feel special and happy, is it? it's to make sure kids do. I mean, I'm not saying it's an either/or, just that the priority and emphasis here feels...off. But again - maybe it's just me.

This sounds charter specific. We have one in a charter and one in DCPS, and the charter is similarly insane about the goal for teacher supper funds.

[Anonymous]

Fully agree with PP. It is too much fundraising for teachers - too much money. It would be so much better to fundraise for the kids. Our PTA (NW DC) keeps asking for $ that then go to the teachers including a bonus etc - it is yikes; it isn’t a private school, I don’t get that mentality and thus I contribute little. I would love if those $ could be spend on trips better than the Kennedy Center or local museum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you at a title 1 school?

Quite common for gifts for teachers at our charter.

my wife teaches at a title 1 school and gets lots of gifts. Not high dollar ones, but very, very thoughtful gifts every year.

[Anonymous]

Our kid’s school has room parents that collect “dues” at the beginning of the school year from each family. At first, I liked this idea as I was told it would cover class parties to teacher gifts. That’s until, I became friends with one of the room parents and found out that they were giving the teacher $100 gift card and a bottle of wine for their end-of-the-year gift and $75 for their Christmas gift. We had 23 students in the class this year. That’s $4.35 per a child for their end of the year gift or $3.26 per child for Christmas. How insulting to the teacher. I asked our kid if any of the other kids brought the teacher gifts the last day of school. Our kid said 1 kid gave a water bottle and another handed a teacher a gift card. Thankfully, we gave the teacher a massage certificate. You could tell the teacher was beyond grateful for this because we got a long handwritten card telling us how much she appreciated our gift.

Lesson Learned: If the room parents say that they “have it covered”, send your own gift.

[Anonymous]

One flag is that while DCPS teachers (nb - not necessarily charter teachers) are generally well compensated, para-professionals are not. So if your kid's classroom has an aide or para, group fundraising for things like giftcards can be very appreciated for those staff members, who still do a ton of work to support your kids.

Similar to others, our Title 1 DCPS does collective fundraising for staff appreciation once a year, for equity reasons (both so that teachers receive equal amounts and so that gifts are from all families). During Staff Appreciation Week, there is a whole-school effort led by the PTA asking families write thank you notes/kid drawings to teachers and staff, inc. maintenance, cafeteria, specials and SPED teachers, etc.

It's less organized at the charter school one of my other kids attends. Multiple asks throughout the year, gifts include both gift cards and tchotchkes, not all staff are included, etc.

[Anonymous]

Our charter fundraises for the entire staff (including teachers and like accountants?!) and divides it up. I welcome the idea of giving paraprofessionals and aides gifts for sure, but initially the executive director and other top admins would also get a gift? They made more money than I did! This did change eventually (once they ousted the exec director).