Annoyed... - Richmond,TX

Talk to the PTA!! It is NOT the teachers who are organizing all this stuff. They appreciate it but they don't expect it! Quit griping about it and say something!

They are so grossly underpaid I feel so sorry for them... and given all the district cutbacks the 'good ones' will never let the kids go w/out so they dig into their pockets... which usually aren't too deep given the pay scale.

All that being said my kids are young so I don't get a ton of that yet. I did however read another poster ( also from TX... maybe it was you??) who said their district did monthly luncheons and the parents had to come in and watch the classes, they were constantly getting asked for $$ for things, etc., etc. I felt so sorry for her!!

So - I guess if I'm choosing to give a deserving teacher a nice Christmas bonus, etc. I'm OK with that BUT if it were being forced on me I would feel like you too.

I appreciate ANYONE that works. Teachers are not *extra* special & should be treated just like any other worker. The whole donating for this & that is way out of control. Just don't do it or do it once & be done. All jobs make the world go round, not just teaching. And this is NOT a response to bash anyone

I'm an educator and I'm completely with you on this one. The funny thing is... teachers really don't care about all this stuff. It's the PTO that find it so pressing.

The spring lunch/breakfast is really nice and we do appreciate that break. However... (gross generalization coming here)... we do not expect the school to acknowledge our birthdays in some public way and we certainly do not expect our parents to. We also don't expect large group gifts at the holidays and at the end-of-the-year. Many many years later... know what I still have? The scrapbook that one of my social skills groups made for me and a journal that my "Mean Girls" group wrote created over the course of two years and then gave to me before they went to middle school.

At the last elementary school I worked at (as the AP), we sent out a letter in November to all of the families saying simply that...
"It is our pleasure to teach your children and to work with you every day. While we appreciate your gratitude and your gifts, we would greatly appreciate help in continuing to provide your children with high quality enrichment activities. This year, in lieu of gifts, we are asking that parents donate their time or resources to the Arts in Education foundation." We were shocked by the donations. Some were quite large and some were $5 for the family, but EVERY family regardless of the size of the contribution was listed as a "benefactor" for the enrichment of the Arts.

Much more powerful than any gifts or gift cards. It's really out-of-control and needs to be reigned-in at your school too! Parents simply can't afford to donate constantly and the truth is that it's not usually the teachers driving this stuff. Become more active in your PTO and find out "who" is pushing this. It's usually some of the leaders of that organization who feel they need to do it.

I am a teacher, and as a parent I feel the same way sometimes. My elementary age son brings home requests for money all the time asking for support for the teacher. My junior high age son never brings home requests, and I teach high school, and I never send home requests with students. We get a beginning of the year breakfast, and an end of year luncheon, and that's it, and we are extremely grateful for that.

To set the record straight as far as pay, it varies greatly. Don't just assume we have it easy. I have been teaching for 15 years, and make $42,000, and it may sound great to have summers and holidays off, but I spend Thanksgiving grading junior themes and Christmas grading senior themes. I teach AP Language and British Literature, and I spend the evenings with my children, but after they go to bed I stay up late each night planning lessons and editing/grading essays. I go to conferences in the summer either attending or presenting so that I can be the best teacher possible, so summers are not free.

I'm done now. :)

As a teacher I would not be comfortable having monthy donated meals or birthday gifts. I'm very happy that our PTA did not ask parents for such donations. We did have a lovely luncheon once a year, but I can honestly say that some of us were even uncomfortable with that. I was very grateful for the PTA's donation of money towards the classroom supplies. Oh, and I taught for 35 years and never received $70,000, including pay for the pick-up summer work I did.

One thing I'd like to mention is that teachers' salaries vary according to where in the US they teach. Maybe California pays their teachers $70,000 a year, especially in the places where you can't rent 1000 square feet for less than an arm and a leg, but other places are so much less. Our society is big in the distorted view of "Those you can, do. Those who can't, teach." And THAT is why our teachers are not paid well. And to be honest, $70,000 is not a lot to someone who has to pay a fortune to live close enough to the school to do all the extra curricular work that is expected of them outside of regular school hours.

That said, I believe that the bulk of what is going on at your school, Momma L, is put together by the PTA. And you should not give any money toward anything you disagree with. I really believe that. And you should tell them why. Teachers don't really want a bunch of "stuff" given to them. What they want is parents who are involved with their children, helping make sure their homework is done, that they read with them everyday (the lower grades), that they are fed and well rested, and that the parents have taught them the value of an education.

And the ladies who remark about teachers having to pay out of pocket for funds of this and that are so correct about that! My sister was an assistant teacher for a year and was told that she had to donate to a fund (I forget what it was for) and she barely made enough to scrape by. When she said no, she was OSTRACIZED by the other employees for it, and she told me that she didn't think that she would be asked to come back the next year because of that. Maybe she was imagining it (she didn't stay because she found another job), but she felt that way.

So there can be pressure across the board. Pressure from the powers that be who work at the school, and pressure from the PTA moms who are pushy to the point of asking for the moon from parents. And it's even worse in a low income area to be doing this. At least it is easier for you as a parent to say no, than it is for the teachers to say no to the big brass.

Dawn

I am a teacher (I certianly don't make $70,000/year - sheesh... I've been teaching for 10 years and am NO WHERE near that amount). I contribute to the PTSA fund every year like the parents do because of what they do for the kids, not what they do for the teachers. We do have an Open House night where all parents are asked to give, but that is it. They will send out general newsletters only to PTSA parents asking people to contribute for snacks during testing week, etc, but that goes to the students as much as it goes to the teachers. I would check who is asking for the donations - my guess is that its not the teacher themselves.

Teachers work hard. Yes they do. But in all honestly sometimes all those extra things get more in the way. All those mandatory celebrations cut into planning time, which then must be done outside of paid hours, which cuts into family time. :) When I was teaching the only thing that we asked families for was $5 per family in the begining of the year to join PTA, a bag of candy for the school Halloween party, can goods and quarters for shelters in November. Our Principal and AP bought us breakfast the day before school started and then PTA did lunch during teacher appreciation. They also printed out notes to send home about teacher appreciation to tell the kids about it. I never ever sent those home, something about begging to be appreciated (not that I didn't want to be appreciated but I just didn't think I should ask to be). I worked in a low income area and didn't think they should be spending their food money on gifts for me.

someone mentioned 70,000 a year for teachers?!?! I can tell you I worked for 4 years and didn't make half that. My husband is still a teacher and makes slightly more than half that. No where near 70K. I WISH!! :)

Make your childs teacher a card when you feel they deserve it, don't feel presured to contribute.

On what PP said, when I taught we (teachers) also had to/were asked to contribute to our social fund. We paid for birthday cards, get well, lost a family member, retirement, any extras. Never once did PTA, families, kids celebrate my birthday.

The last school/district I was at *we* (the teachers) contributed to that fund. We all put in $20 at the beginning of the year to cover drinks and cake for each meeting (about once a month). This fund ALSO contributed to sympathy/congratulation gifts & cards (so if one of our teachers lost someone they would get a card and some flowers.)

OH, and I wish we could get up to $70,000 where I taught!! (The highest salary bracket for a teacher was about $54,000 and that's if you have your DOCTORATE after 26 years.)

It is up to you if you contribute or not. I did not contribute every time my daughters school asked. Some teachers I felt really deserved it, others not so much.
Teaching is a rewarding job but to do it right it is a hard job. When a teacher walks out of that school building their job is not over. Many teachers are doing plenty from home. Yes, some teachers are paid well but some are not. What you contribute is your choice so only give what you feel comfortable with.

Teachers are grossly underpaid for all they are required to do, IMO. But, at our school, we are not asked to contribute to ANY teacher appreciation gifts or events. Gift to teachers at holidays and such are completely optional. We do give gifts - usually gift cards - but we are not solicited to give.

Who is doing this solicitation? I would start asking some questions.

First of all to EVERYONE who is bashing the teachers as if they work like the next, they are second parents to our kids. You know how you feel when someone tells you that, "You don’t do anything extra...you work just like the rest. True, but teachers are helping raise YOUR children whether you want to admit it or not. Teachers spend about as much time as we do with our kids. How many times have you heard, "If it wasn’t for Mrs. Brown I would not have made it through the year"!? Whether the teacher is Nice, Tough, Anal, or Just plain crazy, teachers either can make or break our children. You'll be lucky to have a child that has said, "Mr. Beesworth said I couldn’t do it and I had to prove him wrong. Teachers pave the way for our youth and determine most of the time if our youth is speaking proper grammar, or learning how to add, or making should kids know how to distinguish between, there, their, and they're. No! Not all teachers are like this or have your child’s best interest in mind. Don’t forget that along with encouragement and support teachers challenge our children to be the best they can be and encourage our students to challenge themselves in life and the reward is success! Therefore, if it means contributing once in a while, it doesn’t mean you have to give every time, then by all means contribute. Never contribute what you can’t afford. Time is free! Offer your volunteering services. Because without parents and teachers you may or may not be where you are today. On the other hand,...Maybe you didn’t listen when your teacher said college is the key...Needless to say we all make our own choices. Please just be happy that someone is there for YOUR children whether they succeed or not!

I totally get what you are saying. It's the same way in our school.

Now, I do agree that teaching children is a sometimes thankless job, with low pay compared to a lot of careers with far less direct impact on quality of life of society.

Now, I also understand that *not* wanting to pitch in & rally around the teacher is "not cool" kind of like the unspoken premise of "support our troops" or "kicking puppies sucks" -- who could possibly disagree with that?

However, I think your fifth sentence speaks volumes....PTO. Many just can't ever "do enough", "give enough" or "be there enough" in many schools! Truthfully, a lot of that has to do with sucking up, making their name associated with a fail-safe cause and a big dose of too much time on their hands!
I have teachers in my family, and, frankly, they would "do away" with this type of nonsense in a heartbeat, given the chance!

There was a LOT of backlash last year from our parents over this and the PTA intervened.

We have a book fair, Innisbrook/Sally Foster and our Spring Fiesta.

Parents are asked at the beginning of the year to contribute what they can afford for teacher gifts. That's IT. The PTA then divides up the money for the room parents to purchase Teacher Appreciation gifts, end of year gifts - so no one parent is responsible for the cash.

I would talk to your PTA and tell them your concerns. Ask them to put out ONE request at the beginning of the year and then divide the money up to the room parents...if they don't want to divide, then at least they can keep the money for that teacher...then parents are not being bombarded each week or month with requests...

Just because you are frustrated does NOT mean you do NOT support the school or the teachers. I DO get that the weekly/monthly requests are just a pain in the rear.

I'd be fed up too if I was asked for donations on a weekly basis.

I am having a rough time w/my kid's teacher so I have no desire to do anything special for her weekly or monthly or at the end of the year BUT when its all said and done, she is the one spending all day w/my kid. Teachers have bad days too and I'd hate for my kid to be on the wrong end of that bad day, so I do what I can to offer her support and assistance.

Look at it this way...try spending all day w/a bunch of kids who don't know how to take care of themselves, how to figure things out, how to manage themselves or others. Every. Single. Day. Look how crazy we get when we have to spend all day with our own kids on a rainy day and no place to go. Yes, these teachers got their degrees knowing they will be spending each day in room full of kids, so they knew what they were getting into. But still, their joy of teaching, guiding and inspiring kids to learn can be quickly overshadowed by a bad day - headache, fight w/their own kids, fight w/their spouses, difficult co-workers or bosses - at the drop of a hat.

Give what you can in time or money. Say no to some things and give yourself boundries...and a break! Believe me there are plenty of parents who will "over" give and make sure teacher appreciation is covered no matter what.

Wow, that's a loaded question and I hope you don't get blasted on here for it, this site can be harsh. But..... I agree to some extent. There are tons of professions that exist every day that go underappreciated. Teaching is a choosen profession. We are not too far from you and our ISD isn't like that, I compare it to the fundraising, which we don't participate in either.
The teachers are the foundation of our childrens future, learning to read, function in society etc, I get all that. I'm with you in your reasoning.
Hopefully everyone responds kindly, but HONESTLY.

Wow, that seems more than a bit excessive. My son's school has 2 teacher appreciation collections: Christmas and the year-end. Really, birthday gifts?? Geez, I don't even expect birthday gifts from my own kids! I think a heartfelt card written by the kids or the parents is much more appreciated by teachers than anything else. Money goes away, but the notes that my students gave me are treasures I will keep forever.

ETA:
To Hannah J. -- I can see how an outsider might think that teachers don't work as much as "the rest of us," but until you have BEEN a teacher, you can't understand just how much of their lives outside of the school day is also dedicated to teaching. They don't have a 9-5 job. Their job is usually about 7:30-4, then they grade papers, prepare lesson plans, return emails and phone calls from parents, attend numerous required meetings & in-services, conduct after school detentions, coach teams, manage extracurricular clubs, take graduate courses. How do I know this? I am a licensed teacher, but because I know how much work it is, I am choosing not to do it right now until my kids are older.

After I finished my student teaching I took a job in the corporate world, and right off the bat was making as much as I would have been making after 5 years of teaching. I worked 8-5, had an hour paid lunch every day, and when 5:00 hit I could punch out and not give work another thought until 8 am the next day. That is NOT the life of a teacher--teaching is not just a job--it is a vocation and a way of life.

I looked into being a teacher. I substitute taught for a while to see if I would like it. I don't. The pay may be poor for a first year teacher, but I wouldn't call $70,000 per year for a job that gives you every school holiday off plus 2 months off during the summer, bad pay. I'd say $70,000+ per year is pretty good. If you go into administration, the pay can be $120,000+ per year.

And just because I wouldn't like to teach, doesn't mean it should be paid more. I wouldn't want to ride a trash truck and pick up garbage either, but I don't want to make that a high paying job either.

Some people in organizations have these fund raisers so they can say they accomplished something. Just like politicians. They feel they have to pass a new law or build a new bridge so they can say they did something. I'm one for smaller, less expensive government.

I was just elected to a director position as a director on a small water company. I'm going to spend my entire time in office looking for ways to reduce expenses and reduce rates. I don't see the need to build a new building or buy new equipment just so I can say we bought this and built that.

To me less is better, and if we build something to bring water to the consumer more efficiently, I don't want to build for the houses in the area now. I want to build for the water we will use over the next few years.

I'm sorry, I got on my soap box. I've seen the state tear up freeways so they can build one more lane of freeway. What they really need to do is build three more lanes of freeway so they won't have to build anymore freeways for the next decade.

Good luck to you and yours.

I would much rather spend the money on the classroom or the kids who need further assistance. Purchasing boooks for classroom, supplies. No we should teacher appreciate in May and let them focus on their job. Birthdays...well you said it PTO...I sometimes wonder how much they spend on the kids.

In all honesty I believe teachers are babied. They get all their holidays off. They only work 9=10 months out of the year adn still get paid a reasonable amount. And yet all they do is complain. There are many far less enjoyable jobs out there that pay far less. Just because teachers are teaching our children doesn't mean that they are special. But for some reason they think it is a barganing chip.

I admire the work of teachers, see the challenges, and value out of pocket time and money they contribute to their classes. I also have a lot of teacher friends and aquaintances, some who are great and professional and some who are jerks.. In every job there are good and bad people in the job roles. I also agree there are a lot of things about teaching (performance eval, for instance, that is pretty laughable compared to the corporate world) and I see a lot of things happen in schools that I would never get away with in my job. And it is annoying.

All said, however, I think the point of teacher appreciation events and gestures are to teach our kids to show appreciation in a demonstrative way. I see it as part of my kids learning to think about all the time and effort their teachers put in, whether it is required on their jobs or not. Kids see their teachers as fixtures at school, and not necessarily as people with their own lives. I think appreciation events could/should call that out a bit.

But, by all means, if your teacher has not earned your appreciation, I see no reason to reward him/her. Also at our schools, it certainly isn't a monthly request, but once per year. Then, I will often get an end-of-year gift from us personally.

I really think bosses' day and admin assistants day are stupid excues for cupcakes in the break room.

I understand what you are saying and maybe if my kids were attending public school I would feel just as irritated and probably would decline participating each time. But my kids' teachers are underpaid as they work for a parochial school and they do a lot. So, whether asked to participate or not, I always do, not only donate but get them more from my kids' only. If I could, I would do more.

No you're not alone. I'm right there with you. Where I live the average salary for a teacher is above the national average and the benefits they get are amazing...I know this because they went through contract negotiations recently. We do what we can and what we feel is ok. We contribute $5 at Christmas and at the end of the year...in a class of 25 kids that's atleast $125 but I do know for a fact some people give more and my son's teacher last year received a gift of $250 (in gifts) at Christmas and end of year. I have been known to bake and send in a little treat during those specific times but that's where it ends for us.

We do appreciate them and make sure they know it...all the 'extra' stuff is just too much...it's like getting hit in the head with a hammer all year long.

I can tell you that I felt the same way BUT here in Florida the teachers are Underpaid and because I do volunteer on days off or lunchtime-- and my children are in 1st and 2nd Grade-- its a LOT of responsibility.
our School is a Magnet school and since it is not a Title 1 School (Title 1 means that the Federal government gives the school extra funding due to the low income/poverty level of the families that go to the school)-- mostly everything is done from fundraising and PTO events. This year I am the Class Rep for my sons' 1st Grade class and joined the Student Advisory Council so I learned a bit more background about the funding. Some schools get minimal funding and although they may not be Title 1- they are far from 'rich'... For example, Fl has FCAT's for 3rd grade and up--- tutoring for the kids that didn't do as well per last yr's "School report card" grade given by the State, tutoring is needed which comes out of the school dollars.. the state pays I beleive $70 per student-- out of which comes money to each class for class supplies.. a possible bonus for teachers and any resources needed for the school.
Now if your school is asking for a donation every month-- that may be a bit much. Our school does Teacher appreciation with one grade per month and you can either donate or bring in a breakfast item for that particular grade. Most teachers are overworked and underpaid and I do what I can.... I prefer a happy teacher around my kids then the latter...
Most states have underpaid teachers with crappy benefits..many states have a salary freeze or a pay cut... not to mention the hundreds of teaching jobs that are cut yearly :(

I agree with you. I really appreciate our teachers, but our teachers make really good money, get plenty of time and yet are constantly whining at contract negotiation time! In addition to Christmas and end of year gifts, there's Teacher appreciation week. And, on top of that, each grade level hosts one monthly breakfast for the teachers. So that's 7 months of a free teacher appreciation breakfast. Geez.... it's a bit much!

I don't have this specific problem at my son's school. However, there always seems to be something coming home be it fundraiser, school spirit shirts, book sales, school pictures...you get the idea. Every time that a white folder comes home from the school, I know that I will probably have to write a check. It does get annoying. However, I really would not mind a few dollars here or there for the teachers.... Teachers work hard for sure... Of course I feel the same as you that a lot of professions work hard too. I would probably just give a few dollars....

Interesting. Our school doesn't do this. We have never been asked to provide anything you list. Our PTO asked us to provide our fave recipes for a cookbook they are doing for fundraising. Also we do fundraisers for items for the schools, but not the teachers. I guess if I were you, I would be a little annoyed also. But I do greatly appreciate our teachers and think they are grossly underpaid for what they do.