I have received some inquiries from parents about holiday gifts to teachers and staff. Over the years, Needham parents have proven to be extremely thoughtful and generous when it comes to thanking teachers and other staff for their work with their children. Unfortunately, gift giving has become more complicated each year, and now specific state ethics laws, policies, and regulations prohibit all staff (including teachers, aides, athletic coaches, crossing guards, bus drivers, administrators, etc.) from receiving even small tokens of appreciation without the staff member filing an official disclosure of the gift. The Massachusetts State Ethics Commission allows the following:

• A teacher may receive one class gift of up to $150 in value once per year from the class as long as it is clear that the gift is from the entire class and not just a few students in the classroom. Any gift in excess of $150 to the teacher is prohibited by law.

• A teacher or staff member may receive a gift of up to $50 in value from an individual student/family who did not contribute to the class gift in the example above as long as the staff member files a disclosure form with the school system. Any gift, including gift cards, jewelry, tickets, clothing, beverages, etc., over $50 in value is prohibited by law.

• Staff members may receive perishable items (e.g., food, flowers) up to $50 in value as long as the staff member shares the item(s) with members of the school community. These items do not need to be disclosed by the teacher.

• Parents may show their appreciation to individual teachers/staff members by making a donation to the school's PTC or even to the Needham Education Foundation (NEF). In turn the PTC may provide funds for an educational gift to the classroom, and the NEF provides funds for innovative educational programs. These organizations have well-established procedures for the distribution of funds to schools and individual classrooms, and such donations are not affected by either School Committee policy or the State Ethics Commission rules. If you make a donation to the PTC or NEF in a staff member's name, that staff member does not need to file a disclosure.

Rules and policy aside, it should be noted that the generosity of some individuals and groups has also raised questions as to the appropriateness of holiday and end-of-year gifts to staff. While saying thank you to a teacher or school employee who has had a profound influence on a child is commendable, I am concerned that there may be an expectation that staff gifts are required at certain times of the school year. That is certainly not the case, and I want to be very clear on this point. While I believe expressions of appreciation and letters or notes thanking people are highly treasured by the staff, no family or individual should feel obligated or pressured to do anything more for a school employee.

I am not attempting to discourage gift giving or saying thank you to a special employee. Rather, my purpose is to point out the state law and enlist voluntary compliance with these requirements. Parents with questions are encouraged to speak with the principal or call me directly.