Nearly 2,000 school employees retire tomorrow to avoid benefit loss
Interesting story about 1,700 school employees retiring tomorrow to take advantage of a base pay boost that is about to disappear.
In a typical year, fewer than 300 of the state’s educators retire Dec. 1, while the school year is in full swing.
But this year, 1,707 educators across the state have opted to retire now. This includes 123 employees — including 63 teachers, four counselors, seven paraprofessionals, two assistant principals and two principals — in Gwinnett County, the state’s largest school district.
They’re heading out the door just in time to claim a one-time 3 percent increase in their base for yearly pension benefits that’s been given to new retirees for more than 20 years and is being discontinued in January.
The bump in benefits — capped at 3 percent of $37,500, or an extra $1,125 — was established after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that Georgia could not exempt the pensions of state employees from state income tax while taxing the pensions of federal government workers.
In recent years, Georgia also has ratcheted up a state income tax exclusion for all retirees — government and nongovernment — so that $35,000 is now exempt for retirees between ages 62 and 65, $65,000 for those 65 and older, said Jeff Ezell, executive director of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia.
The TRS board decided months ago that the 3 percent adjustment was no longer necessary, Ezell said.
Allowing it to continue would mean state retirees would be “getting a double benefit,” he said.
The state is moving in a similar direction for other state employees.
In most metro school systems, officials said they’ll deal with the departures as smoothly as possible.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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110 comments Add your comment
Private Citizen
December 1st, 2012
12:30 pm
The entire tax code for Hong Kong is 200 pages. Oh, a photo! http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/128/cache/hong-kong-city_12846_600×450.jpg
Private Citizen
December 1st, 2012
12:30 pm
PS Photo includes 50 public hospitals, 12 private.
catlady
December 1st, 2012
12:45 pm
Private citizen–but the financial clock is NOT January-December. It is July 1-June 30 for the fiscal year. I think it is an attempt to get a “windfall” on the part of the state/TRS. Kinda like that “budgetary magic” they did when they switched the benefits year and then a few years switched it back.
10:10 I seriously hope you are joking.
bootney farnsworth
December 1st, 2012
1:30 pm
TRS and the system in general was counting on the professionalism of teachers to ride out the year.
what they forgot to calculate is after a decade of little to no wage increases combined with the abuse heaped on us by idiots like red meat Fran.
no one in their right mind would remain.
Dewey Cheatham & Howe
December 1st, 2012
1:53 pm
It’s a good thing that this is a one time financial event. Hopefully, that means that we will only have to read the bellyaching from you poor old put upon people only once.
This happens in the business world all the time. Employees are offered buyouts and early retirement incentives to reduce companies costs (and frankly, to run off older workers.Sucks, but its true). For the most part, the people that I have met have looked at it as an opportunity and taken the money and in a LOT OF CASES went to *a better job* .The ones that were unhappy were unhappy that they were losing the job that they enjoyed and found rewarding. they didn’t know what they were going to do with themselves. They were going to miss their comrades and the sense of community from work.
Not on this board.”Woe is me”, “Voters are idiots” “Boo Frickin Hoo” seems to be the consensus. BUT…In the next sentence, they are careful to tell all and sundry how they do it “for the children”.
I’ve just had an out of body experience here.
10:10 am
December 1st, 2012
2:03 pm
@Squid Punch!, et al.: I am a teacher.
@Private Citizen, 11:25 am: Er, because this is an education blog?
@Prof: In how many private sector jobs do you accrue lifetime retirement/subsidized health insurance benefits after only 10 years of service?
What's Best for Kids?
December 1st, 2012
2:25 pm
10:10: Nowhere.
Vested simply means that we get something upon retiring at age 60.
TRS 101, 10:10
10 Years: we are vested, and at age 60 or 61, we get some money that we invested in TRS. There are no benefits, just a small monthly sum of money.
20 Years: same.
25 Years: more money, but no health benefits
30 Years: This is the magic number where employeed who have paid into TRS for 30 years get retirement and health benefits. Not 29. 30.
After 30 Years: Get out, or they will begin to take money away from you and what you have put into the system.
A recap for you, as well:
We are paid for the days we work. That money is spread out over 12 months.
We pay into TRS. We have no choice. If it were up to me, I’d probably take that money and invest it myself, as the money that I am investing is doing pretty good despite our economic downturn.
No health benefits until we hit 30 years.
You must be a young teacher.
What's Best for Kids?
December 1st, 2012
2:28 pm
Oh, and I take it back, 10:10.
Our state and federal elected officials get that nifty perk even if they only serve their constituents for one term.
BugsMe
December 1st, 2012
2:53 pm
Saying your pay is only for 180 days spread over 12 months is a play on words. The bottom line is the annual salary.
I bet the pay you are getting for 180 days work is more than the firemen and police officers in your community are getting paid for working all year. Also, they don’t get annual step raises like you are getting or raises for every add on education certificate like you do either. Most of the ones I know also work at least one extra job just to make ends meet.
One more thing, you don’t put your life on the line every day like they do. So… quit whining or find another job.
catlady
December 1st, 2012
3:03 pm
AND they (state legislators) can count as a year’s service the few months they are in session!
Point/Counterpoint
December 1st, 2012
3:07 pm
Someone asked surely you will get something from social security….that would be a no because school systems were able to opt out of social security in the early 80’s. Systems that did this set up annuities for employees. My school board matched $50.00/month (only to employees who participated) when I started in 1990 and it was $100.00/month when they quit matching in 2008.
Not sure why TRS’s deadline was December 1 and State of Georgia’s deadline is June 1, 2013. These are legislative decisions. Also, current employees are not grandfathered in. You had to retire by December 1 or lose the offset forever. Don’t know why TRS couldn’t aslo have the June 1 deadline, that would have gotten everyone through the school year.
10:10 am
December 1st, 2012
3:16 pm
The facts: teachers with only 10 years teaching experience receive lifetime pensions, payable at age sixty, along with taxpayer subsidized (75% of the cost is covered) lifetime health insurance coverage—with the option to include their spouse in both, also for life!
Either of these benefits would be prohibitively expensive or impossible for someone in the private sector to duplicate. THAT’S why there will be thousands of qualified applicants applying for those vacated jobs.
So please do stop whining!
BugsMe
December 1st, 2012
3:27 pm
Stop whining about getting 180 days being spread over 12 months. I bet your annual salary is more than the police and fire in your community, and you aren’t putting your life on the line daily. And… you aren’t working extra jobs on your days off to make ends meet.
Old timer
December 1st, 2012
3:43 pm
Keep in mind teachers after a pension of $19,000 your social security is dropped. With your “windfall” retirement plan you don’t need it. And if you retire from a school system that withdrew from social security you don’t get it…..even if you paid in for 20 or more years from other and part time jobs….Many just do. Not know this till retirement.
10:10 am
December 1st, 2012
3:49 pm
As a retired Cobb County teacher I monthly a TRS pension check and a Social Security check. I believe very few Georgia school districts chose to opt out of the Social Security system. In those that did, employees were obviously spared having to pay the S.S. payroll tax.
a
December 1st, 2012
3:49 pm
I am not going to go into how terrible the profession of teaching has become. It has become impossible to do everything asked of you. What I do want to address is the amount of time teachers work. When people say we work 9 months, blah blah blah, they have no clue what they are talking about. Everyone seems to think they can weigh in on this profession. You do not see anyone else critiquing lawyers, nurses, and telling them how to do their job, when they have no clue what it truly entails. Everyone thinks they can be a teacher. This is not true, and indeed many people who WANT to be a teacher will realize that after a single year, because it is incredibly hard (not teaching..everything else that goes with it). In addition, I am so tired of people assuming there are tons of terrible teachers in the system. In fact, the way things have become, and with teacher evaluations, it would be nearly impossible for a teacher who was not trying and putting in a TON of effort to make it past a year or two at most schools. Now, I am married to a p.e teacher. He works 40 hours a week and has a bachelors. I am a classroom teacher, and work a minimum of 50 hours a week (sometimes 60), plus get to deal more with unsupportive parents and the eye of public who want to criticize test scores and what not. I do feel that classroom teachers should be paid more than specials teachers, because quite frankly, they do not do as much, and do not have to deal with as much. When you count the hours worked, m y p.e teacher bachelors degree husband makes more than THE CLASSROOM teacher with a masters, and that isn’t fair. Also, at my school, we do not get the legal amount of planning time required. I also rarely get a chance to eat lunch. Finally, let’s break down hours worked: I work AT LEAST 50 hours a week, for 38 weeks a year. That equals 1900 hours total. The average job with only two weeks vacations works 40 hours a week for 50 weeks, totaling 2000 hours. Congratulations, you work a whopping 100 hours more than me a year ( roughly two and a half days) and probably make tons more than me. Additionally, if you have 4 weeks paid vacation, then you work LESS than the average teacher per year. I did the math, and essentially I make about $18 an hour. Is it worth it? For me, and most teachers, hell no! When we find an out, we will most certainly be out the door, and new teachers will be gladly coming in, but most will not last more than 5 years. The end
Private Citizen
December 1st, 2012
3:49 pm
10:10 The taxpayer is subsidizing your health coverage right now. I think they should stop this because as a teacher when you buy insurance, you think are paying for it and are quoted a price as if for the policy but the insurance company is getting much more. Because of me, my former health “insurance” company got $50,000. for little old me and now I’m not covered so they keep the money. The whole health “insurance” set-up is a scam and they’re using teachers and state to fatten their exploit and are practically silent about it. As a teacher, I do not like the aspect of being among the insured whereas many of my students and families are not. Recently I’ve interacted with several independent business owners and tradespeople and none of them can afford to buy health insurance on their own. My buddy was quoted more than $1k/month for a policy. Even before I was a government schools teacher, seemed many males I knew that owned small businesses, if they have health insurance it was because their wife worked some anchor job as a bureaucrat and through this they got added on. Imma telling you, USA is the only place on earth with this fiasco. They got $50k of my money for their “insurance” as long as you keeping paying. Years ago a friend of mine called it “extortion” and he was correct. Someone should do a RICO suit against the health insurance companies. Truth is the USA is lacking the type health distribution of every other modern country. We’re at 25% efficiency, paying twice the GDP percentage of other countries and covering half the populace.
Old timer
December 1st, 2012
3:55 pm
I will add…teachers in GA have been paid higher than many of our neighbors and we receive much better benefits. I, a retired teacher, really appreciate the fact that I worked in GA…metro Atlanta. I had a much better salary than cousins in other states.in schools I worked in administrators and teachers worked together for the common good. For the most part parents supported educational goals. I had a great job. The last few years it became more contentious and I am glad to be retired. Many of those 10,000 in lines will not make it. I do wish them well as educating children is very important.
Private Citizen
December 1st, 2012
3:58 pm
10:10 That’s classic. You’ve got the good set-up from the previous era and your work conditions were probably do-able but instead of standing up for people today you tell them to “stop whining.” With patriots like you, no wonder things are tumbling down hill. Seems everyone I know that has it made sings the same song, acting all distant and stuff, saying There is nothing we can do. Meanwhile your retirement income is probably greater than many teacher’s salaries and for that you watch tv and tell other people to stop complaining. Let me guess about your college tuition, you worked a job and paid cash for living, food, tuition, and books. But if you do that today if will only cover your food. Average indenture for going to college: $25k debt per student. But you come from a prior time and tell people to stop whining. Immediately prior to the French Revolution they had a term for what you are doing, the opinion of the comfortable middle class who have no regard for workers.
10:10 am
December 1st, 2012
3:58 pm
Old Timer, stop talking rubbish!
No one’s Social Security benefit is “dropped” because of pension benefits received. There ARE limits on how much you can EARN in an outside job and still receive a full Social Security check ages 62-65 … but any money deducted due to excessive earnings is returned to you (plus interest) once you reach age 65, even if you’re then raking in millions!
10:10 am
December 1st, 2012
4:03 pm
@Private Citizen: I retired a mere 4 years ago. If you’re so-o-o unhappy as a teacher then get the h— out of the classroom and spare us your whining!
Others will be only too happy to have your job and benefits.
Private Citizen
December 1st, 2012
4:04 pm
Old timer – during your work time, the federal government and Gates Foundation were not in your classroom directing your every move and the state of Georgia was not signing these initiatives into policy and passing them down to be enforced by the school districts. You also probably had one annual test for your students and no one made a big deal out it. This allowed you to do your work during the year and accomplish some teaching and transferring content, building skills for students. You likely also had textbooks for your students.
Private Citizen
December 1st, 2012
4:12 pm
10:10 Why’re you such an arrogant jerk, pardon me? You really sound like county royalty. Allow me to return the favor and call you a parasite. For being a teacher, your vision seems quite low. You see everything as a trough for you and your buddies to feed and you voice teaching as a jobs program and then denigrate people according to your priority, which is personal income, and you project that onto other people as their interest and priority. I guess since you are now retired you do not plan to apply any of your ample time helping people out or tutoring students. Well played, 10:10, Well played. Now you can buy a $200k RV and tour the world.
Private Citizen
December 1st, 2012
4:15 pm
What benefits? See you think you’re special and I do not. I do not want any “benefit” that is not available to my students and families on equal terms. I don’t do “county royalty,” thank you.
Private Citizen
December 1st, 2012
4:22 pm
Sir, I carry my job with me and you don’t have rights to it. You’re an example of poor boundaries.
Old timer
December 1st, 2012
5:17 pm
Private citizen….too true…and as far as SS… I paid for 21 years total…..I get at 64. $210 a month.
10:10 am
December 1st, 2012
5:25 pm
… And, please, Private Citizen, when you go back to waiting tables don’t do so at any of my favorite restaurants!
10:10 am
December 1st, 2012
5:27 pm
Old Timer … call your local Social Security office Monday and have them explain to you just what I’ve pointed out above.
11:10 am
December 1st, 2012
6:06 pm
… And, please, Private Citizen, when you go back to waiting tables don’t do so at any of my favorite restaurants! Old Timer: call your local Social Security office Monday and have them again try to explain to you the concept of temporarily deferred benefits.
Ole Guy
December 1st, 2012
6:13 pm
Gimme a U…YEUUUU!
Gimme an N…ENNNN!
……………………………
You know where it’s going; you know the tired ole arguement.
Somebody had better step up to the plate…and damn fast. (it’s for the children…clearing of throat
BULLSHI_)
Dr. Craig Spinks/ Georgians for Educational Excellence
December 1st, 2012
7:11 pm
Catlady,
KUDOS to you for your decision to continue to work with your kids.
Dekalbite@10:10 am
December 1st, 2012
7:23 pm
“No one’s Social Security benefit is “dropped” because of pension benefits received. ”
You are incorrect. Please read the information on the Social Security website to see your error.
From the Social Security website – Windfall Elimination Provision:
“The Windfall Elimination Provision affects how the amount of your retirement or disability benefit is calculated if you receive a pension from work where Social Security taxes were not taken out of your pay. A modified formula is used to calculate your benefit amount, resulting in a lower Social Security benefit than you otherwise would receive.”
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10045.html#a0=0
By clicking on the link below you will have access to a calculator that tells how much your Social Security pension will be reduced if you retire from a system that does not pay into Social Security.
“The following chart shows the maximum monthly amount your benefit can be reduced because of WEP if you have fewer than 30 years of substantial earnings.”
http://www.ssa.gov/retire2/wep-chart.htm
quit wasting money
December 1st, 2012
9:27 pm
They may be retiring, but they are not necessarily leaving. In our area, they have figured out a loophole to leave now and come back in January to receive their retirement and salary. And yet, teachers continue to get cuts and lack of resources……
What's Best for Kids?
December 2nd, 2012
7:51 am
10:10
Once again, there are no benefits until one reaches 30 years. Go to the TRS website.
No benefits.
And are you retired? Your previous post said you were a teacher. So are you a teacher? Are you retired? Are you a retired teacher? Or are you a troll?
bob
December 2nd, 2012
7:57 am
Good for them, let them retire. The story here is how they can retire without the restraints of Social Security. While most are forced into it many public officials are not. The public officials are allowed to get return on their investment and can retire much earlier than the average Joe. For all you people that claim everyone would lose all ther money in situations like the mortgage meltdown please explain why those in stock market based PERS plans are stall able to retire so early. SS is a drain and generational theft. PERS plans have let millions retire earlier with greater monthly benefits yet we act like PERS plans do not exist.
Wilbur
December 2nd, 2012
8:12 am
So for the poor public school teachers… when we poor taxpayers lost hundreds of thousands of dollars of value in our home and the county is still assessing our homes above market value, you think that we should pay more on the diminished value of our property so that the effect of the recession will not fall on you?
Poor baby.
Clarity
December 2nd, 2012
8:44 am
1. TRS employees that work under the TRS retirement program for 30 years or more may retire with 60% to 66% of the average of their last two years annual TRS eleigible income with access to benefits. (That’s assuming that they have not accessed their fund accumulations for any reason.)
2. TRS employees that have less than 30 years may retire and receive 2% per year for service and participation in the TRS program for 10 or more years, but thay are not provided benefits (helath insurance) access. 10 year = 20%, 29 years = 58%, both without access to health insurance,
3. There are some anamolies regarding disability benefits (both compensation and benefits) prior to the 30 year mark which is covered if an employee has a documented and approved disability that is caused if the employee has sickness or illness and is approved by the TRS guidelines and, subsequently the TRS Board.
TRS Employees should not be criticized because they make good financial decisions. Per state law, after June 30th of 2013, TRS retirees may not work more than 49% and receive TRS income. This is a savings for local schools because there is no employee contribution (approximately 11.41% of the annual salary) that school systems pay for employees that have health coverage. So, the retiree that works 49% may actually save the system money for health insurance contributions.
It would be important for people to know that the school system pays 11.41% of the employee income and the employee pays 6% to the State Health benefit Plan. If you ad the two, that’s 17.41%. If you consider that the employees are subject to deductibles and co-pays, health care gets a huge percentage of the cost of having employees or being an employee.
Private Citizen
December 2nd, 2012
8:47 am
Someone needs to make a graphic diagram hand drawn book .pdf file explaining a few things being brought out here,
1. for teachers, which counties allow Social Security contribution, which prohibit it.
2. for teachers, for those with Social Security (from previous work, too?) upon retirement how do TRS and Social Security interact?
3. What is the retirement system for politicians (state level employees /edu-bureaucrats? and how does it differ from Teachers?
I’ve got a friend who knows all this stuff. He should be a financial planner. Regular teachers are not even informed of these things, just like at education college they don’t teach you what is a “board of education” or how the management structure of the bosses works. There is zero emphasis on teacher rights in education training, nothing.
10:10 am
December 2nd, 2012
9:40 am
@Clarity and others: Please contact your school district’s retirement clerk Monday to get educated … regarding pension & family health insurance benefits available for those retiring at age 60 with just 10 years of service.
He/she can also help you understand Social Security.
Point/Counterpoint
December 2nd, 2012
10:14 am
Only large systems have a retirement clerk. Go to http://www.trsga.com. They have information posted there and everyone manages their own account online.
bootney farnsworth
December 2nd, 2012
10:39 am
if any really wants to know why education in Georgia is failing, simply peruse this blog. no sane, qualified person would want to work in a system where they are abused and slandered simply for doing their job
by people whose primary interactions with their children’s teachers are to heap criticism and scorn on them via the internet.
bootney farnsworth
December 2nd, 2012
10:46 am
@ 10:10
assuming you are over 14 years old, you should seek some seriously and intensive help for your
anger and insecurity issues.
I’m sorry your mom didn’t hug you, you never got the puppy you wanted, or if you’re a yankee who just doesn’t understand how to deal with people, but please get the help you desperately need.
there may be somebody, somewhere who loves you
bootney farnsworth
December 2nd, 2012
10:51 am
@ wilbur
will it really make your life better if we get screwed along with you?
seems most of your issues is life isn’t going your way, and you want company on your journey into your own sad, private hell.
sad. truly sad
bootney farnsworth
December 2nd, 2012
10:55 am
it would be interesting to see what a mental health professional would make out of 10:10’s angry rants.
Prof
December 2nd, 2012
11:19 am
@ 10:10 am, December 1st, 2:03 pm: “Prof: In how many private sector jobs do you accrue lifetime retirement/subsidized health insurance benefits after only 10 years of service?”
I don’t know, but you don’t accrue them with TRS. As several have already pointed out, after 10 (or 25) years’ service, you only get monthly retirement benefits. There are possible health insurance benefits that don’t come from TRS, but from prior arrangements with various school and University systems. Some K-12 retirees had enrolled with the State Health Benefit Plan and can continue after retirement. Some universities have individual health insurance “perks” for their retirees, such as the Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage Plan. In all cases, the retiree has to make insurance payments before and after retirement to qualify.
@ Clarity, Dec. 2, 8:44 am. It isn’t really true that “per state law, after June 30th of 2013, TRS retirees may not work more than 49% and receive TRS income.” This is still allowed. But retirees as of June 30, 2013 may not return to FULL-TIME work and still receive TRS benefits. Important distinction! See the August 2012 TRS Newsletter for recent legislative actions.
Btw, the provision allowing retirement after 10 years at age 60–that seems stick in some craws here–really is mainly used for high-paid administrators brought in for 10 years, such as University Vice-Presidents, University Presidents… and District School Superintendents. If Erroll Davis can manage to hang onto his day-job until 2016, he will be vested and eligible for this, since he began as USG Chancellor in 2006.
Prof
December 2nd, 2012
11:36 am
@ Old Timer. I strongly urge you to call your local Social Security office to have them check your records and also to explain the way that Social Security payments may be combined with your pension payments. You say that you’re 64. and have 21 years of Soc. Sec. credit. So you had no other part-time or full-time jobs before those 21 years? No high-school summer jobs? Or after-school jobs? You would have had to pay Social Security on all of them, that would count.
And something else that folks should know is that once you reach your “Full Retirement” age with Social Security (which differs according to year of birth), then you can draw Social Security PLUS keep in working full time.
Prof
December 2nd, 2012
2:11 pm
@ Clarity. Sorry that I misread what you wrote about TRS retirees, for you were actually writing that they MAY work up to 49% and still receive benefits.
bootney farnsworth
December 2nd, 2012
2:48 pm
@ Prof
got this from the GPC HR dept as they were collecting my keys, ID, ect.
to get health care from the state, you either gotta be 25 years in the system or retire at 65 (level of service undefined)
of course, considering I don’t fully trust either the state or GPC at the moment I’m not taking any of it as gospel
Prof
December 2nd, 2012
4:21 pm
@ bootney.
As I said, the different USG schools have different arrangements for post-retirement health benefits for their retirees. GPC must have its own set-up. Mine provides Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage with Medicare for, I believe, all retirees, but the retiree still has to keep making health insurance payments.
In any case, TRS states in their “Members Guide” : “TRS does not administer any health care benefits for retirees. However, if you are eligible and wish to participate in the State Health Benefit Plan [separate from TRS and state-operated, note] after retirement, you will be automatically enrolled with the same coverage as when you were actively employed.” NOTE: You had to be actively enrolled before retirement before you can enroll after retirement. Also, the option of USG employees enrolling in SHBP was ended several years ago.
N. GA Teacher
December 2nd, 2012
7:19 pm
I can’t believe the negative comments about teachers getting retirement benefits. First, teachers start at lower salaries than almost all other degreed professions. How many CPAs, engineers, etc. would start at $30,000? Second, teachers are at a disadvantage in that they cannot receive raises or promotions, like most private workers can, no matter how hard or long they work. They sometimes get small built-in “step” raises of roughly $1000 every three years or so for 20 years, and can often increase salaries with graduate degrees (paid for by themselves- in the good old days the state would pick up the bill but not in this generation). Again, however, even with step raise and graduate degrees, they are
WAY behind lawyers, Master ’s-degreed engineers, MBAs, dentists and medical doctors. It is TRUE that these other professionals may not have defined benefits plans (they used to but not in this generation). However their earning are so much higher that (assuming they exercise discipline) in their 401Ks, matching plans, and other other earnings available for investing far outstrip the teacher’s 2% per year. Typical public school teachers can save and invest precious little because they have to spend almost everything to live in a decent neighborhood so they can send their kids to good public schools. A teacher with a master’s degree and 30 years service who now makes $50,000 a year will receive $30,000 a year in retirement. This money will be taxed at the prevailing federal rate , and that teacher will also have to pay a hefty chunk of health insurance, as well as keep paying social security and medicare. This probably leaves $15-20,000 per year to live on. Certainly less than virtually all those other degreed (and many undegreed) professionals.