Do teachers get kickbacks on school fundraisers?

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My daughter has been trying to sell stuff for a school fundraiser. Now the fundraiser is to help with the cost of a weekend long school camp/field trip so it does help lower the costs for us parents.

But my daughter was telling me the teacher has been yelling at the class as they have not been selling enough. Now granted we are talking about tweens so she may be stretching the yelling thing a bit. However the other day talking with another parent at the same school but different teacher - the parent was saying how their daughter was stressed out about not selling enough too. And then the other night, the kids did not have homework as it was the last day of sales so the teachers wanted them out selling and completing their tally sheets instead of homework.

Brought us to thinking -- are the teachers getting something out of how many sales they make per classroom? I know they have a "friendly"competition over each class selling the most - but some of the kids are worried about not meeting quota for the classroom.

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Type: Question • Score: 6 • Views: 1,682 • Replies: 28

[+3] - hawkeye10 - 03/10/2015[quote]The other thing is that with some fundraisers, the teachers don't get cash kickbacks but they do get credit toward supplies for their classrooms (which quite a few pay for themselves)....

@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

My daughter has been trying to sell stuff for a school fundraiser. Now the fundraiser is to help with the cost of a weekend long school camp/field trip so it does help lower the costs for us parents.

But my daughter was telling me the teacher has been yelling at the class as they have not been selling enough. Now granted we are talking about tweens so she may be stretching the yelling thing a bit. However the other day talking with another parent at the same school but different teacher - the parent was saying how their daughter was stressed out about not selling enough too. And then the other night, the kids did not have homework as it was the last day of sales so the teachers wanted them out selling and completing their tally sheets instead of homework.

Brought us to thinking -- are the teachers getting something out of how many sales they make per classroom? I know they have a "friendly"competition over each class selling the most - but some of the kids are worried about not meeting quota for the classroom.

If they are getting kick backs then so be it. They deserve it if they are.

An average teacher makes what 20 to 25k a year?

An average professional athlete makes what? 1 to 5 million a year?

I think a teacher getting a kick back from a fundraiser is the LEAST they could get away with. I see no issue here..

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@Linkat,

A couple of my local teacher friends told me they had to make up the difference when classes didn't make their quota on fund-raisers, so maybe not kickbacks but less money out of their own pockets.

The other thing is that with some fundraisers, the teachers don't get cash kickbacks but they do get credit toward supplies for their classrooms (which quite a few pay for themselves).

My understanding is that teachers in the US aren't paid as well as teachers in Canada so this could all be more of a concern on their lower wages.

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@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

Now the fundraiser is to help with the cost of a weekend long school camp/field trip

I think they should just cut that kind of crap out.

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@Linkat,

I am not against teachers getting something - I am against them stressing the students out about selling for their own personal gain.

I'd rather they call it out - say we get stuff for the classrooms--this fundraiser will not only help cover costs for the teacher/staff/students for this field trip, but will also help supply the classroom...the thing is though I highly doubt in our town that teachers have to supply things for the classroom. We do not live in an area that is low income --- we have a huge list of items to buy for school supplies for our child and for the classroom. I am not complaining about helping to supply the classroom - I am willing as I would not want the teachers to shell out their own money to supply their own rooms.

If a teacher or one of the schools needed something - all they would need to do is ask - I have never seen a parent in my town unwilling to volunteer money or time - as a matter of fact I have been turned down before when I have volunteered because there were too many volunteers.

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@Krumple,

Quote:

An average teacher makes what 20 to 25k a year?

Actually try $76k at least in my town - not that they are not worth it but you are highly underestimating their salary.

http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/teachersalaries.aspx

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@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

I'd rather they call it out - say we get stuff for the classrooms--this fundraiser will not only help cover costs for the teacher/staff/students for this field trip, but will also help supply the classroom..

depending on the politics of your system - that could get them in deep ****

a friend of mine is raising funds for another friend who is a teacher in a school board about half an hour from here (good area, lots of growth and $ in some families) - he's looking for $ for meal cards for a couple of low income kids in his class as well as new textbooks and some supplies. he was threatened by the principal for making it obvious the school needed help when he tried to do a local fundraiser. while that situation is being grieved by the union - others are working to raise the funds in the background

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@Linkat,

wow - that's a crazy range!

$33 k to $ 95 k as the average depending on the school

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@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

Quote:
An average teacher makes what 20 to 25k a year?

Actually try $76k at least in my town - not that they are not worth it but you are highly underestimating their salary.

http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/teachersalaries.aspx

You do realize they are averaging in private school teacher salaries to come up with those numbers? Private school teachers make far more than public school teachers.

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@ehBeth,

It seems odd though because their are several fundraisers in the school system and they typically say --- like for instance -- book fair - for every so many books sold, teachers/library gets x number of books for the classrooms.

This I guess is the first one where I have seen teachers pushing the kids to sell so much- I think that is where I raise a red flag. All the others have not been pushed - some of the kids are stressed about it.

One girl who isn't going on the trip felt so bad - she went out and sold anyway just to help her class.

Just seems so odd - it is the first time my daughter has really gone out and tried to sell so much. The others I usually just buy a token few things and then give them out to friends as I don't like to bug people.

This was an all and all out huge campaign - put it to you this way her goal was set to 250 items! I don't know how she thought she could sell 250 items as the lowest priced item was $6 and then went up over $15 an item.

To be honest - I'd rather have them just tell me to write a check for the cost of the camp with a little more to cover the teachers'expenses. I probably spent more on the damn candy -- now I just hope everyone comes through in the end as they were not supposed to collect money until they deliver the items -- I could have a hefty bill to pay.

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@ehBeth,

Isn't it - I think the lower amounts are the smaller schools that probably the teachers have much more flexibilty - at least that is my guess.

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@Krumple,

No this is the public schools.

And if they were to include private schools, then the averages would be lower. Typically most private school teachers actually make less than public. In part because of the public school teachers union which fights for their higher salaries and in part because of the higher qualifications/certifications required of public schools.

If you do a simple search you should be able to find alot of data supporting the fact that private schools typically pay less than public - sounds weird you would think it would be the opposite but it isn't.

1 Reply

@Linkat,

I found this website that gives averages depending on your zip code - in my town the average private school teacher makes over $10k less than the average public school teacher.

http://primaryschoolteachersalary.com/MA/1/salary/Private-School-Teacher-Salary

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Most likely there is a "prize" for the class that sells the most. That's probably why the teacher is pushing this. Maybe a pizza party or something like that.

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@PUNKEY,

I think they've just been conned into thinking it's part of the job. I used to know a couple of middle school teachers who happened to be discussing their "duties" in operating some sort of concession stand during recess. Never heard of such a thing while I was in school, but it seemed an expected part of the job. Need I add that there was no extra pay involved?

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@PUNKEY,

well there is always competition among the classrooms - my daughter may have been overreacting to saying the teacher was yelling at them. At least I thought so until I was speaking to another parent with a different teacher and similar sort of thing where her daughter felt pressure to sell more.

We were more joking about it -- thinking why the heck are these teachers pushing these sales so much --- what the heck are they getting something for it?

1 Reply

@Linkat,

I'm going ask my teacher friend - she isn't at our public schools - but I could see at least from her prespective.

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@Krumple,

Quote:

An average teacher makes what 20 to 25k a year?

You are clueless. Two years ago the average pay was over $56 k, plus they make about another $30K in bennies, for 9 months of work. That comes out to over $2 grand a week. Teachers pleading poverty started getting on my nerves 2 decades ago.

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d13/tables/dt13_211.60.asp

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@ehBeth,

Quote:

The other thing is that with some fundraisers, the teachers don't get cash kickbacks but they do get credit toward supplies for their classrooms (which quite a few pay for themselves).

This is my understanding. Also schools are very political, teachers who dont produce enough sales get accused of not being team players, and then workplace politics get to be a bitch.

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@Linkat,

Quote:

I am not against teachers getting something - I am against them stressing the students out about selling for their own personal gain.

But the little precious bundles always come first right? Isn't that what the schools always tell us parents?

I got educated on the truth one time when I complained about how gross the school lunches were. I got "we are within federal guidelines....click!"

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Do teachers get kickbacks on school fundraisers?

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