PTO leaders at Central Elementary in Lebanon, Ind., offer teachers beginning-of-the-year “bonus” checks. Teachers get an opportunity to earn their bonuses by working a Market Day pickup one day a year or creating and working a game during the carnival fundraiser. Things aren’t too crummy later in the year, either; in December, parents participate in a cookie extravaganza and bake a variety of treats for teachers as a thank-you for their hard work.