Paul Boyer: Comments on others' comments re: double dipping

Paul Boyer to John Curry, January 6, 2007

Subject: Fw: Canton Rep. readers' comments re: educator retire/rehire

John, and others: I have read these letters a couple times and I would like to make a few comments and answer some of the questions that have been posed. I assume that all of these letters have been written either by current or retired teachers.

[View readers' comments here]

One asked for someone to please tell her how this is saving money for school boards. Most of these retiree/rehires (which I shall designate as R&R in the rest of my comments) go on the STRS Health Care program which saves the board a large amount of money each year. Also many school boards have adopted various rules whereby the R&R must also take a salary that is a few thousand dollars less than their last salary, again saving upwards of a few thousand dollars each year. Furthermore, many superintendents feel that they are so busy that if they can rehire a teacher or administrator who has been in the system long enough that he can rehire that teacher without reading resumes and interviewing strangers, he is going to do it. Shame, that is pure laziness.

I agree with others who feel this makes it very difficult for a new teacher to be hired because someone else already has the job. As time goes on, schools will lose the steady flow of teachers coming up through the ranks to hold the higher positions and they will run out of qualified administrators.

Shame on the one who asked if no one ever reads the facts before they make stupid comments. Maybe that R&R should read the facts. Yes, the R&R pays the same amount into STRS but most of it goes into a fund for that person to collect when he/she finally retires. Haven't you heard the outcry from those R&R's when STRS recently decided to hold another one or two percent of that money when the person retires the second time? I believe also that that money earns interest for them while they are teaching as an R&R.

Then there are those who feel it is not double dipping. Well, first of all, most take the STRS HC which makes them valuable to the hiring system. I say that no R&R, while teaching at their original pay or close to it, should be able to be eligible for the STRS HC. They are still earning a full or almost full salary plus their retirement benefit. The STRS Board realizes this also because hey have passed a motion that the HC will no longer be available to R&R's in a few years.

I do not agree with those who may feel that a R&R should forfeit their retirement pay while they continue to teach. They have earned that benefit which the state says every teacher is entitled to. HC is not mandated but is allowed, so the Board can make rules concerning it.

Finally, there is one who would like to know the breakdown of how many R&R's are former administrators or teachers. I would conjecture that it may be about even. I know of one teacher who retired a couple years ago and was rehired right back into his same job. As I was told, his combined salary and retiree benefit was around $90,000.00 plus HC. On the other hand, I know an excellent teacher who taught for 40 years and then retired. He could have taken retirement and continued to teach those extra years as a rehire but he was so dedicated that he waited until 40 years to retire.

That's it, John and friends. I hope this answers some of your questions and comments that were given in the previous letter.

Paul L. Boyer

Retired since 1985

Life member OEA/OEA-R,

NEA, ORTA, CORE

Proud to be named

"Core" of CORE by

Dr. Dennis Leone