Ethics law: No gift certificates, anything of value for teachers this Christmas
This Christmas, students won't be able to give their public school teachers gift certificates or anything deemed valuable without breaking Alabama's new ethics law.
They can still bake cookies, or bring in something consumable such as hand lotion or a candle, a potted plant or a coffee cup, said Jim Sumner, director of the Alabama Ethics Commission, which has been asked to clarify the law as it relates to holiday gifts.
But cash or anything that a teacher could turn around and resell is out of the question, Sumner said, as are holiday turkeys and ham.
The law is vague, stating that an item must be of "de minimis" value, which, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, means "lacking significance or importance; so minor as to merit disregard."
"The law does not define what de minimis is, and the Ethics Commission will not arbitrarily establish an amount," according to an ethics opinion filed in October.
Sweeping reforms to Alabama's ethics laws took effect in January, putting tougher restrictions on lobbyists and public officials. But Kristen Byrd, who has two children at Bay Minette Elementary and one at Bay Minette Middle, said that the effect on teachers is unfair.
She's not sure if the gift she has already bought for her son's kindergarten teacher - a monogrammed cheese tray - is allowed under the new law.
"This is very unfair for the teachers and the parents," Byrd said of the new restrictions. "The teachers, I'm sure, would absolutely tell you they don't expect gifts, but it's not fair that we can only give them the proverbial 'apple on the desk.'"
Byrd said that last year, Bay Minette's Parent Teacher Organization gave teachers $50 gift certificates to the Eastern Shore Centre to show appreciation for their hard work all year. That would likely no longer be allowed.
Mobile County schools Superintendent Roy Nichols said he thinks the new rule is fair. It isn't proper, he said, to give teachers cash or gift certificates. Making them something or picking out something inexpensive can actually be more thoughtful, he said.
Nichols said he plans to send out something to parents and teachers informing them of the new law.
Source - Note to mods, I realize the Press Register is sort of a blog source, but all other articles I'm seeing are quoting this link as their source and it's the most complete of them all.
Many teachers already use gift cards like this to pay for classroom supplies or decorations/posters. Just one more thing making it harder for them. If there really is a huge problem of teacher bribery in Alabama, surely they could've dealt with it in a better manner.
They can still bake cookies, or bring in something consumable such as hand lotion or a candle, a potted plant or a coffee cup, said Jim Sumner, director of the Alabama Ethics Commission, which has been asked to clarify the law as it relates to holiday gifts.
But cash or anything that a teacher could turn around and resell is out of the question, Sumner said, as are holiday turkeys and ham.
The law is vague, stating that an item must be of "de minimis" value, which, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, means "lacking significance or importance; so minor as to merit disregard."
"The law does not define what de minimis is, and the Ethics Commission will not arbitrarily establish an amount," according to an ethics opinion filed in October.
Sweeping reforms to Alabama's ethics laws took effect in January, putting tougher restrictions on lobbyists and public officials. But Kristen Byrd, who has two children at Bay Minette Elementary and one at Bay Minette Middle, said that the effect on teachers is unfair.
She's not sure if the gift she has already bought for her son's kindergarten teacher - a monogrammed cheese tray - is allowed under the new law.
"This is very unfair for the teachers and the parents," Byrd said of the new restrictions. "The teachers, I'm sure, would absolutely tell you they don't expect gifts, but it's not fair that we can only give them the proverbial 'apple on the desk.'"
Byrd said that last year, Bay Minette's Parent Teacher Organization gave teachers $50 gift certificates to the Eastern Shore Centre to show appreciation for their hard work all year. That would likely no longer be allowed.
Mobile County schools Superintendent Roy Nichols said he thinks the new rule is fair. It isn't proper, he said, to give teachers cash or gift certificates. Making them something or picking out something inexpensive can actually be more thoughtful, he said.
Nichols said he plans to send out something to parents and teachers informing them of the new law.
Source - Note to mods, I realize the Press Register is sort of a blog source, but all other articles I'm seeing are quoting this link as their source and it's the most complete of them all.
Many teachers already use gift cards like this to pay for classroom supplies or decorations/posters. Just one more thing making it harder for them. If there really is a huge problem of teacher bribery in Alabama, surely they could've dealt with it in a better manner.