Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private school teachers are notoriously underpaid. That's why some people do it

So it’s charity. The $500+ in gift cards they get will allow them to buy presents for their kids. I would be humiliated if I were a teacher and this is the reason parents give me gift cards.

The average public school teacher makes about $72,000 a year. Massachusetts, California, New York make averages over 90k a year. The cost of living is highest in these three states. New teachers do make less but their salaries go up with experience.

They don’t need gift cards to buy gifts for their children any more than people working most jobs. They are gifts of appreciation, no different than employees getting bonuses.

You so nice teacher🥰🥰

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So don't! I promise you, absolutely no one is keeping score. I taught for many many years, and the majority of families didn't give or the room parent would organize one class wide gift and I had no idea who did/didn't contribute. Please don't give out of a sense of obligation.

That is not why I am asking. I am not complaining. I only seek to understand the reasons behind this American tradition.

America has a really strong tipping culture. Businesses underpay their staff, and consumers feel compelled to give extra compensation for their services.

Plenty of staff at businesses are appropriately compensated (15+ per hour) and still want a tip for pouring some drip coffee into a paper cup for me. Tipping culture has gotten out of control.

Anonymous wrote:Because they spend more time with your kid than you do and they deserve it! It’s the least parents can do. And they don’t need any more
mugs or ornaments.

Actually they don’t. They spend 6-7 hrs per day for 180 days.

Because they spend more time with your kid than you do and they deserve it! It’s the least parents can do. And they don’t need any more
mugs or ornaments.

Teachers accepting money and gifts from students and individual families is unethical and should be banned. It also demeans the profession. It the teachers union has any credibility they would set this as policy as well..but they don’t so..

The only acceptable gifting would be a fund through PTA that does not distinguish individuals donors and gets equally distributed among school staff. But I’m positive people would give far far less if they didn’t receive personal recognition for it (problem)