Alabama Law About Teacher Christmas Gifts .... Is This a Good or Bad Thing?

Lots of school districts have that sort of policy. Dallas ISD only lets teachers accept $50 of goods/services/gifts or less from one individual/group per year. So if a student gives you a $25 gift card for Christmas and another $25 at end of year, and then some candles and cookies for Valentines Day, you are technically in violations of the Ethics policy.

I taught in a school with a few wealthy students and many poor students. I felt relieved when the policy was announced - some students would give $50-$100 gift cards for Christmas, and then other students would give you a $2 bottle of lotion (BOTH of which I appreciated - but I always wondered if they compared gifts and some students felt bad).

Also, after a parent has given you $100 in gifts, and then bought another $100 or more worth of supplies for you classroom - when they come to you at the end of the year asking for MORE extra credit assignments for their child who earned a poor grade (long after the grading deadline was over) it made it harder to say no. When they ask why their student couldnt participate in XYZ event (which they did not qualify for) as an alternate, it makes it harder to say no. In short, it makes it harder to not make exceptions.

So, I do agree with the intent but think its strange that the state is legislating it, and not individual school districts. I definitely agree that they should have much better things to spend their time legislating than this.

Overall: it's ridiculous. We need laws regulating how politicians get kick-backs from lobbyists and contributors, not laws restricting freely given gifts to the people who are instrumental in our children's lives.

(I'm a practical gift giver - I know my child's teacher doesn't want ten mugs or twelve dozen cookies. I'd rather give a small cash gift the teacher can really use. And now I can't do that.)

Interesting. When I was teaching in an upscale neighborhood school, I would get gift cards for $75-$100. Usually the card said, "Do with this what you choose" or "Please purchase something you need for your classroom." I would do just that. After I purchased the item(s) I would send a nice thank-you with a picture of their gift and an explanation of how it will be used. As a special ed teacher, you don't really get a budget of extra money to use for your classroom and I found that I was spending a lot of my own money on extra things that the kids needed to accomodate them in the regular classroom (large print textbook, wider pencils, desk speaker system for hard of hearing students, etc.) and this "gift" to me came in so handy was much appreciated.

I think it's silly to not be able to gift someone if you want to, it's just plain ridiculous.

Who knows what the teacher gets besides the person giving the gift. Children have no idea the cost of things and gift cards are put back in the cards. And food items? Seriously.
And who cares? THis is a little bit too "Big Brother" or me.

I think you meant hefty priced food item or gift card.

I don't know about a law, but I know there are some school districts in the wealthier suburbs of Chicago that do not allow teacher gifts. I'm sure there were plenty that were trying to influence grades with large gifts.

The feds themselves have gift-giving rules. I think that limiting the individual price limit per gift is a reasonable request, and not uncommon. I also wonder what abuses occurred to make this rule on a state level.

Hi, M.:
The graduate school I attended in Bethlehem, PA, had information
out that no teacher, counselor or staff member was to receive a gift from
students.
Gift giving does show favoritism to some teachers. Like some students are the teacher's pet.
Just a thought.
Interesting question.
D.

I don't give teachers gifts. I see no reason - they are just doing their jobs and most of them not all that well. Our clients don't give me xmas gifts for doing my job and I'll bet most of you also don't get gifts from clients/customers so why would teachers be any different. I buy for family and a few very close family friends only.

I think it's a bit silly for teachers, but they don't want to have any gray area - all government employees follow this law. My hubby can't accept gifts of any value from his happy clients.

I look at them, teachers, as public servants - like police officers, fire fighters etc. We know they get paid, they are available "free of charge" for services rendered and we often want to give nice gifts to those, but you are not allowed. That free coffee that the workers of a coffee shop gives that cop that comes by the parking lot at opening every morning just to make sure things are all ok is illegal, just as it should be to give a teacher a gift that is not a donation for the classroom or that is too large in sum. I am not sure about my school's policy but I hold off until Teacher Appreciation Week to give any gifts and they are typically the gifts the PTA (I am an officer) give to the teachers. Lunch, Home made snacks all week, Book and Supply Donations to each classroom.