| There is a local radio station where I live that | | | | everything that happens during the course of the |
| made a stand this year against the premature | | | | school year. I would always write that the |
| playing of Christmas music. | | | | teachers are like family to me. This sense of |
| For the past few years, stations up here, and I | | | | personal commitment on your part should serve |
| assume elsewhere, have been starting their | | | | as a testimonial and resonate with parents. |
| holiday playlists earlier and earlier. No kidding, we | | | | Ultimately, your words should encourage the |
| were hearing Jingle Bells before the Monster Mash. | | | | parents to give. |
| Finally, one station had had enough. They claimed | | | | 6. Make sure to instruct parents that all gifts |
| that most people wanted to celebrate "one | | | | should be sent to the office so they can be |
| holiday at a time". And I heartily agree with them. | | | | distributed fairly and evenly among the entire |
| So, now that Thanksgiving is behind us, I can | | | | staff. |
| happily focus my attention on Christmas. | | | | I'm not a big fan of each teacher getting |
| It was right around this time each year when I | | | | whatever the parents of their particular students |
| was working at the private elementary school | | | | are able to give. That could be a real crap shoot |
| that I would write the annual letter to parents | | | | from year to year. I believe that we were all one |
| asking them to contribute to the teacher | | | | team, so I requested all donations come to the |
| Christmas bonus fund. | | | | office so I could collect and evenly distribute the |
| I always looked forward to crafting this particular | | | | results. I never commented to anyone how much |
| letter, because it was for a very personal cause. | | | | came in from any one class. The teachers should |
| Everyone at the school knew that we couldn't | | | | all get the same amount. (Note: the board at my |
| afford to pay the teachers what they were | | | | particular school did have a set structure that |
| actually worth. (I'm sure many readers will | | | | varied from position to position. For example, the |
| commiserate.) And, our budget for payroll was | | | | teachers all got one amount, the support staff |
| already maxed out, so the only way we could | | | | got another figure, and the administration also got |
| give our staff a little extra in their December | | | | a portion.) |
| paycheck was to ask for help from the parents. | | | | 7. Make sure to remind parents to make their |
| When thinking about writing this letter, there were | | | | checks out to the school, so that it is tax |
| a number of specific items that I made sure I | | | | deductible. |
| worked into the letter. Here are ten of them: | | | | The end of the calendar year is always a good |
| 1. Make sure to tell parents how much these | | | | time to remind parents that any gift to your |
| Christmas gifts mean to the teachers. | | | | school is tax deductible. By now, many parents |
| I was always amazed at how surprised and | | | | already know this, but it doesn't hurt to mention |
| happy the teachers were when they received | | | | it. |
| their Christmas bonuses. Even though they got | | | | 8. Make sure you encourage them that even |
| one every year, they were always blown away | | | | small gifts when combined with others add up to |
| by each new demonstration of generosity. While | | | | make the teachers very happy. |
| the actual cash was definitely important and | | | | Some parents I knew were embarrassed that |
| appreciated, it was the act of giving which | | | | they could only give a small amount to the |
| humbled the teachers most. | | | | teachers. They would hand me a check or some |
| 2. Make sure to point out how many hours the | | | | bills and apologize when they handed it to me. I |
| teachers spend with their children. | | | | would always thank them profusely and tell them |
| It's easy for parents to get caught up in a daily | | | | that all gifts are helpful and greatly appreciated. It |
| schedule and not really think about how much of | | | | all adds up and miracles do happen. Since I was at |
| an influence the teachers have on the students. | | | | a Christian school, I often mentioned the fishes |
| Roughly seven hours a day, five days per week, | | | | and loaves parable. |
| 180 school days per year. The teachers often | | | | 9. Make sure parents know that your school has |
| spend more quality time with the kids than their | | | | a tradition of taking care of its teachers every |
| parents do. Parents need to be reminded that | | | | year (if that is, indeed, true), but it is up to the |
| they should want to take care of these people | | | | parents each year to make sure the school lives |
| who have such a great impact on their precious | | | | up to this ongoing promise. |
| children's lives. | | | | There is a certain level of responsibility that |
| 3. Make sure to mention how the teachers are on | | | | parent have in taking care of their children's |
| the front line of your school's mission. | | | | teachers. Even though there is no formal obligation |
| Many times, the school administrator worries | | | | to give, I don't think you, as the person writing |
| about the "big" themes of the school. He or she | | | | this letter, should shy away from putting this |
| writes the grant proposal letters, the direct mail | | | | politely on the parents' shoulders. Of course, we |
| solicitations, the introductions in the auction guides, | | | | are always respectful, but don't apologize for |
| etc. However, it is the teachers who actually put | | | | asking. |
| a human face on the values the administrator | | | | 10. Make sure to be incredibly polite in your |
| writes and talks about so eloquently. I always | | | | request as parents are faced with many |
| wanted to remind the parents that if they value | | | | obligations during the month of December. |
| the character of the school, they first have to | | | | As I just mentioned, make sure you are almost |
| thank the teachers for living it on a daily basis. | | | | falling all over yourself with thankfulness in your |
| 4. Make sure to you illustrate how the teachers | | | | letter. December can be a tough month for many |
| sacrifice for their families so your family can have | | | | families, and you are asking them to take on an |
| the benefit of a private education. | | | | extra financial commitment. Don't have any hint |
| It's no secret that private schools, for the most | | | | of taking their gift for granted in your letter or it |
| part, don't pay their teachers an equal wage to | | | | will likely offend or alienate someone. |
| the public schools. Many times, the best private | | | | Conclusion |
| school teachers are there because they are | | | | During the course of my time at the school and in |
| passionate about and totally believe in the school's | | | | other non-profit ventures, I wrote many letters |
| mission. They are willing to sacrifice that higher | | | | requesting donations. However, the letters I |
| wage for the chance to teach in a parochial or | | | | always felt most passionate about were the one |
| charter school. I always asked parents to reward | | | | where I asked for the teachers. I really do believe |
| the teachers' sacrifice at Christmas time. It was | | | | these dedicated servants make tremendous |
| usually a pretty easy sell. | | | | sacrifices, and they live out the school's mission in |
| 5. Make sure to underscore how you, as the | | | | a very public fashion. I felt personally responsible |
| principal or administrator of the school, feel | | | | for their happiness and wanted them to know |
| personally committed to the teachers. | | | | everyday how special and appreciated they were. |
| If you are the principal or director of the school, | | | | This letter was a chance for me to put my |
| you need to share with parents how personally | | | | appreciation into a real act of giving. |
| connected you are with the staff. You work with | | | | I hope you find this same passion for your |
| them on a daily basis and you support them in | | | | teachers. I know they deserve it. |