If $R$ contains an infinite field of characteristic zero, then $e=t$. This follows from the fact that if $V$ is a finite dimensional vector space over an infinite field of characteristic zero, the image of the map $V\to S^dV$, $v\mapsto v^d$ generates $S^dV$ as a vector space for any $d$. In your case, suffices to prove that $\mathfrak{m}^t=0$. If not, consider $V=\mathfrak{m}/\mathfrak{m}^2$ and $d=t$ composed with the surjective map $S^tV\to\mathfrak{m}^t/\mathfrak{m}^{t+1}$ to get the desired contradiction.

If $R$ contains a field of characteristic zero, then $e=t$. This follows from the fact that if $V$ is a finite dimensional vector space over a field of characteristic zero, the image of the map $V\to S^dV$, $v\mapsto v^d$ generates $S^dV$ as a vector space for any $d$. In your case, suffices to prove that $\mathfrak{m}^t=0$. If not, consider $V=\mathfrak{m}/\mathfrak{m}^2$ and $d=t$ composed with the surjective map $S^tV\to\mathfrak{m}^t/\mathfrak{m}^{t+1}$ to get the desired contradiction.