For those of you in Massachusetts:

The state legislature approved a new ethics law last year, prohibiting gifts of $50 or more; the school department required all volunteers in the school to read the policy and sign a form.

One part of it that made no sense was that even an end-of-year gift from a class is subject to the $50 limit. At our school, a parent would collect $5-10 from those who wanted to/could afford to, and purchase a class gift. Now, I think, parents want to give more than $2 (for a class of 25, that's the limit), and would give a gift directly to the teacher. So, now the teacher knows who it came from, and the parents feel they have to keep up with the others.

However, the State Ethics Commission is in the comment phase on some exceptions:
www.mass.gov/?pageID=ethterminal&L=4&L0=...march_2010&csid=Ieth

which would allow class gifts of up to $150 -- 5.08(p).

I would encourage any of you in MA to consider your position on this issue and send your comments to Deirdre Roney, General Counsel, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.