tips the teachers

From whom, precisely, did the letter come? If it's public school, I believe the legal limit on gifts to teachers is $5. But your friend got this letter prior to the start of school? Outrageous.

And it wasn't just a solicitation to contribute to the PTA, or to a supplies fund? That would be different.

Did they enclose an empty tip envelope in which to present the tip?

Or should you just give the teacher a handshake and palm a twenty off to him/her?

You mean in addition to the apple?

You mean in addition to the Mac?

The verbal diarrhea begins.

alanhart is already diapered-up.

Well, it sounds like if you want your kid to get a "A", a shinny apple won't to the trick anymore.

Did they suggest how much for an A?
Or to avoid getting left back?

My son attends the 92Y Summer Camp and I received a letter that said "since many of you have asked....."
I don't belive anyone actually asked but this was a clever way to ask for a tip. It never would have occured to me to tip a counselor since I assume they do get paid a salary unlike a waitress for example. At close to $1000 per week to attend I would think their staff was paid competitively and they are not relying on tips.

of that $1k per week that you pay, how much do you think goes to the counselor?

I'm with columbiacounty on this one. Stop being a cheap jerk. Tips are expected. Your $1K per week goes to the Y's Executive Director's $500K salary.

Wow! Never thought I'd see the day.

sure you did.

and you've confirmed what i thought.

Likewise

it was private school and wasn't for the grade, just thought the school was out of place. It doesn't create healthy environment. The letter started the same way.. I guess it's standard

I have to say that I find it rather incredible how many people I am told I am supposed to tip in the US (mostly on SE). Its really bizarre. Basically, any person I interact with who works in any service industry I am apparently supposed to tip. Does anyone just work without expecting a tip and you know, the fee you pay for said service is what pays their salary? Reminds me a bit of Egypt where everyone expects some Baksheesh. I am amazed that a school would write a letter like this - incredibly inappropriate.

Great, a Canadian saying that Americans are like Egyptians.

@Ottawa - Totally agreed. The tipping culture is getting out of control. It's particularly odious when you're expected to tip someone who is already better-compensated than you are. Then it feels not like a generous gesture, but a kind of extortion.

You're dreaming if this is merely a U.S. phenomenon. Teachers get $ gifts in Canada as well (public and private).

SE is the wrong place to inquire about tiping etiquette.

Why is that Brooks?

simply not allowed at my kids' schools (both high-quality private and public), and for obvious, very good reasons....i would seriously question sending my child to a school which encouraged tipping, a clear indication that basic educational values are misunderstood

give the teachers a fuckling raise across the board if they are underpaid (which they are)

tipping has no proper place in school

NYC1023 you are so wrong. You are not allowed (parents specificallyy told you absolutely cannot) give teachers a small gift at christmas, as it sets parents apart. At most, when it was allowed parents would maybe give a $20 giftcard to Tim Hortons. But tipping - never.

So what's the going price to ensure an A, a $50?

we give a gift card to Staples to our kids teachers (public school). it is not for a "tip" but for the supplies that they end up buying out of pocket. it may incourage the teacher to buy something they thought was too much to spend.

give money to your pta supplies fund then. to benefit all at your child's school.

there are good reasons for the rule that individual parents/students are limited to 5$ per year in gifts. follow the rules. great teachiong moment for your kids.

A letter from a school directing parents to give money to teachers in the form of 'tips' seem highly unlikely. Schools will try to influence you to donate money over and over again but in the format of organized fund raising where the school controls the funds. Any private school that was asking for tip money would soon come under fire. In the public arena it would be a-blaze on the evening news. If you want to influence your child's teacher with $$$ there is always some parent with more money. I prefer obtaining photos of the teachers in compromising positions coupled with blackmail as a means of influence. If no photos are available I just aquire their college transcripts. It's cheaper, easier, and yields a more consistant result.

In the suburbs we gave holiday gifts, I'd have to find out what the limit was, maybe $20.

no merrit, no ethic, everything for money, the dooms day for USA

caonima, when did dementia start setting in? full scale yet? contribute to ongoing research for human genome. your only viable hope since lobotomy is so 1970's.

Connecticut Turnpike is another option.

hows life alan?

I'm ridin' high!

And you? Wife and kids?

http://archive.org/download/BennyGoodman_382/BennyGoodman-RidinHigh-live.mp3

hahahaha. liked your link - all good on my side. happy to see some of the OG posters back here again.

In NYC, what I've experienced:

1) Camps - very common for camps to send out a letter to parents one or two weeks before the end of camp with tipping amount suggestions. It's not a request to tip, but they imply that they do so because otherwise they would be bombarded by parents asking the camp. My children go to a camp, and I tip the suggested amounts.

2) Public schools - neither the PTA nor the administration EVER send out any tipping letters or emails or any correspondence about tipping or teacher gifts.

However, it is very common for a class to get together and pool $ anonymously twice annually for a gift to teacher, aide/s and teachers for art/science/gym/music/etc. This is not encouraged or endorsed by PTA, but it happens. It's anonymous, and if I were to get a whiff of any preferential treatment, not something I would participate in. I give what I want to give and I always give.

Private preschools - the administration & parent association ask for twice yearly donations from parents. I am ambiguous about this, and don't like giving. However, I recognize that private preschool teachers are paid very, very little and have little job security - so I give.

In southern Ontario:

1) Camps - I would suspect that camps like Arowhon, Taylor Stratten, etc. have tipping guidelines.

2) Public schools - don't know for sure, will email some friends. Think the concept of year end cash pools exist.

Class gifts for public school teachers are allowed, and I don't think there's any limit at all for total amount, or for per-person amounts. But there are very strict rules in places specifying that the gift must be presented from the entire class, and cannot indicate whether anybody did or did not contribute (let alone the amounts).

The whole thing is terribly vulgar and should be disallowed altogether, IMO.

Anyone suggest how much for an A?

hfscomm1

Brooks2 too?

hfscomm1

interesting

http://streeteasy.com/nyc/talk/discussion/18719-hfscomm1-jimhones09-rufus

StreetEasy: Talk - columbiacounty gave up eating shit years ago

streeteasy.com/.../23611-columbiacounty-gave-up-eating-shit-years-a...

columbiacounty about 2 hours ago ignore this person report abuse Hell no. We gave up eating that kind of shit years ago.

StreetEasy: Talk - Nice day in NYC ... columbiacounty is Angry

streeteasy.com/nyc/.../15155-nice-day-in-nyc-columbiacounty-is-ang...

Hey columbiacounty, how was the weather in Columbia County? Here in New York City it was a nice sunny day, cool morning, nice warmth mid-day in the ...

StreetEasy: Talk - columbiacounty on suicide watch as more peo

streeteasy.com/.../23260-columbiacounty-on-suicide-watch-as-more-...

ple engage Riversider in a discussion. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=beetlejuice The head must be spinning.

StreetEasy: Talk - good morning, columbiacounty

streeteasy.com/nyc/talk/.../25207-good-morning-columbiacounty

last night was great. was it good for you? you make the coffee, i'll make some eggs, how do you like yours?

Sorry, posted that without context:

This is a search for columbiacounty:
http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Astreeteasy.com+columbiacounty

Tip if your child behavior is beyond unacceptable!

agree with alan--and the "altruistic" class, team, or whatever gift organizers always end up featuring themselves as such--kind of a way to get credit for a big cash feed to the teacher, without having to ante up the cash

ill bet many of the tippers and organizers are anti-union righties who gripe about overpaid teachers, firemen, emt's--but when an opportunity to bribe to benefit their child arises, they are plenty generous

get teachers fing raises--and if we pay teachers a better wage, better people will be attracted to the profession---duh

>ill bet many of the tippers and organizers are anti-union righties who gripe about overpaid teachers, firemen, emt's--but when an opportunity to bribe to benefit their child arises, they are plenty generous

This is your bet, but with all your experience, you have no actual knowledge?

>duh

Something suspicious about your writing style like a teenager.

Yikes - you communist. But yes, I think a lot of the tipping is due to the knowledge of the gross discrepancies in salaries here.

I guess part of my confusion about tipping a teacher is that they do quite well where I'm from and it would be really awkward to tip someone who probably makes more than a lot of the parents.

"But yes, I think a lot of the tipping is due to the knowledge of the gross discrepancies in salaries here."

you're agreeing with me, but I can't make sense of what you are saying i said.

what i said/mean: the tipping I have seen here in NYC of teachers, coaches, etc is typically done by helicopter parents trying to curry favor for their children.

And I am anything but a communist, in case you weren't joking--i believe in well-regulated capitalism.

It seems wildly inappropriate. Maybe you should suggest they get some ethics training.

Do bus drivers need to be tipped, if they are losing their pick?
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/nyregion/culture-of-nyc-school-bus-drivers-is-facing-upheaval.html?hp

"Union drivers earn $14 to $29 an hour, and work on a 40-hour-weekly schedule with overtime kicking in if a day exceeds 10 hours. Ms. Wensmann, a single mother of an 11-year-old daughter who lives in North Babylon, on Long Island, earns $42,000 a year driving her bus; the most senior drivers earn around $51,000. Many have second jobs.

But many also qualify for unemployment during summertime, because they are technically laid off then; for Ms. Wensmann, that brings in an additional $362 a week for eight weeks."

Our private preschool organizes 2 collections per year - suggested give is about $100/family - to be divided among teachers and staff. Any other gifts are STRONGLY discouraged and the admin says that if you must gift, it should be something your kid made HIMSELF (or herself!) for the teacher.

According to friends who are public school teachers,it is against the law to accept money or gifts from their students or their student's families. According to friends who are independent school teachers, gifts are discouraged, especially since the staff is very well paid now. (These are the prep schools charging 20 - 35K per student.)

So no apples then?

independent school teachers are paid significantly less money than public school teachers.