Anonymous wrote:$100 per teacher. My kids are in preschool and elementary. Each kid has 1-2 teachers. No idea how I’ll handle middle and high school when we have dozens of teachers.

This. And a card where we thank them for everything they have done with specific examples.

The following is not a typical giving list for us, but we love all our kid's teachers this year and had a good year financially:

$50 to holiday class fund to split between main teacher and assistant
$100 worth of classroom items (books, learning games) for main teacher because she is wonderful and is a younger teacher who may not have built up a class collection
$20 gift card to music teacher (She did a lot of extras this year like a lunchtime music club!)
$15 gift card to aftercare
$15 gift card to bus driver
$20 gift card and chocolate to Saturday school teacher
Gift (worth about $30) and card to sport coach
$60 and card to private music teacher

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$10 to the main teacher, $5 to specials. It is a token appreciation, same as to therapists and extra curricular coaches and the like.

I don't understand the $50 and $100 answers. These are paid positions, not charity or volunteers. I am a teacher, and anything over $20 makes me really uncomfortable. Is it a bribe? Do you feel sorry for me? Write an email of appreciation to my principal or contribute to the staff luncheon the PTA puts on and call it a day.

How easily offended do you get that anything over $20 makes you feel uncomfortable!?

I’m a teacher and a parent myself, gift cards make me happy- not uncomfortable, I use the money to purchase things I wouldn’t otherwise get for myself

And as a parent I love to give to my kids’ teachers- If I have ever made you feel uncomfortable with a generous gift, please give it back to me.

There's no discomfort when friends or family give larger gifts. It is uncomfortable when a student whose college recommendations I am writing or whose grades are being finalized for the semester gives me a larger amount. If you want to give a large gift, please save it for the end of the year when there is no longer the potential for it to appear as a request for a favor or special treatment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our room parent is totally clueless. She's collecting money from parents in the amount of $200+ and is planning on giving the teacher 1 giftcard. I can't wait to see if the teacher accepts it (MCPS).

What’s the limit for group gifts? If you know something that would be helpful for the room parent to know, why not tell her?

There isn’t a max on group gifts. No individual family is allowed to contribute more than $100 for a particular teacher for the year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give what you are comfortable giving. The worst gifts I got were expensive cookies and expensive candles from different sets of overbearing parents. The best gifts I got over the years were heartfelt thanks, a book of puns related to a class I taught, and a $5 Starbucks gift card.

This year I got my kids teachers a gift boxe of Sugarfina candy (like a variety).. does this seem like a bad gift? I'm thinking maybe it is. : /

It’s an awesome gift—unique and fun! Someone gave Sugarfina candy to me as a thank you for a favor I did her, and I thought it was a delightful gift. Don’t overthink it.

I contribute to the group gift, our school is pretty diverse socioeconomically and this is encouraged.