BURLINGAME – Dean E. Vogel, president of the 325,000-member California Teachers Association, released this statement regarding the pension reform agreement approved by the Legislature today:
“The Legislature has missed the opportunity to work with educators, firefighters and police officers to provide meaningful pension reform that will move our state forward. Instead, this plan will make it harder to keep quality teachers in our classrooms and public safety officers on our streets. We are also concerned by language in the plan that may impact local school districts and school funding under Prop. 98.
Sadly, the changes in the retirement system will disproportionately affect female educators, who comprise 70 percent of the teaching force. Teachers are already excluded from receiving Social Security and rely solely on the pensions earned through their teaching career. In addition, it is going to create divisiveness in schools as teachers who are working side-by-side will earn completely different retirement benefits. Although California educators have worked in good faith with the governor and Legislature, this plan fails to recognize the tremendous cuts to schools and the sacrifice teachers have made through pay cuts, layoffs and increases in health care costs. Ultimately, this plan is bad for students and California.”
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The 325,000-member CTA is affiliated with the 3.2 million-member National Education Association