Have you checked out the retirement calculators that are available on-line? They're either interesting or scary, depending on how close to the happy occasion you are, but they are a thoughtful guide to how you're doing and where you're going.
To look up your plan you'll need to go to the Department of Retirement Systems website, here. If you follow the "Defined Benefit Account Access" link at the top of the page you can get access to the information for your own account; you'll need to register, but it's worth the time. If you'd rather not bother with the on-line calculator you can download one of the "self-estimate worksheets" and follow the directions.
For those of us on TRS 3 with a defined contribution portion to their plan, you'll also need to make a visit to ICMA Retirement, the company that manages all of the plan 3 accounts for the state. Again, you'll need to register if you want to look up your personal information, but if you have a ballpark figure of how much is currently in your account you can use the calculator here to get an estimate of what your monthly payout would be, how much you'll have at retirement, and the other big numbers that are important for planning.
It's also worth noting that the DRS does a great job of presenting workshops around the state to teach us about retirement issues; you can find a list of upcoming workshops here.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
For TRS Members: Protecting your Retirement Benefits
One of the big issues that the WEA is working on in Olympia this year is the gainsharing provision of TRS 1 and 3. This is a benefit that was promised to us as a part of the retirement systems, but it's also something that the legislature has had their eye on as a way to fund other programs.
Another one of the issues related to retirement is the proposed Rule of 85, whereby members of TRS 2 and TRS 3 could retire with full benefits as soon as the sum of their age and years of experience was greater than 85. As is, the penalties for retiring before 65 are incredibly severe.
You can help by calling your elected official on the legislative hotline, 1-800-562-6000. If you don't know who your representatives are in the state house and senate you can look them up by using the handy Find Your District feature from the Washington State Legislature homepage.
For more information, you can visit the Under the Dome section of the WEA website here.
Another one of the issues related to retirement is the proposed Rule of 85, whereby members of TRS 2 and TRS 3 could retire with full benefits as soon as the sum of their age and years of experience was greater than 85. As is, the penalties for retiring before 65 are incredibly severe.
You can help by calling your elected official on the legislative hotline, 1-800-562-6000. If you don't know who your representatives are in the state house and senate you can look them up by using the handy Find Your District feature from the Washington State Legislature homepage.
For more information, you can visit the Under the Dome section of the WEA website here.
What We're Working On!
As we've reached the halfway point of the school year, I thought I'd share with you some of the upcoming events going on with the Association:
It's an exciting time in education here in Washington, with the legislature in session and the recommendations of Washington Learns beginning to become policy. We'll do our best to keep you informed!
- February 6th: Big 6 Local Meeting. When it comes to the number of members in the Association we here in the MLEA are the 6th largest in the council. We've been meeting with the other large councils to talk about issues we have in common, and it's lead to some great conversations that have the potential to help us make our district even better.
- February 14th: Exec Board Meeting with Dr. Veltri. We've been meeting on a monthly basis to talk about the state of the district, which has given us an excellent opportunity to talk about issues impacting teachers directly with the administration. If you have any concerns please share them with one of us or your building rep and we'll pass them along!
- February 15th: Central Cluster Meeting at the WEA-Eastern Office. This is in place of our usual monthly council meeting. It's a low-key affair, very conversational, where the locals from our immediate area get together to talk about the state of education and what's going on. If you're interested in attending, email Ryan or Wendy and they'll give you the details.
- February 21st: Take the Lead presentation at Windsor Elementary. Wendy Stewart is on the local outreach committee for the WEA's Take the Lead initiative, and she'll be doing a presentation with other speakers from the council at Windsor Elementary at 4:00. For more information on Take the Lead you can read here, or ask any member of the MLEA exec board.
It's an exciting time in education here in Washington, with the legislature in session and the recommendations of Washington Learns beginning to become policy. We'll do our best to keep you informed!
Notes from the January 23rd, 2007 School Board Meeting
What's Right:
This month's What's Rights all centered around the school board, since January is School Board Appreciation month. Don Johnson shared that he feels comfortable working with them in a way that other district financial officers don't; Ralph Headlee talked about how they're here for the kids; and Dr. Veltri praised them for being here for the kids. The Board gave themselves a collective pat on the back for the good rapport that they've had with each other, also thanking the administrative staff for helping them guide the district.
Athletic Director Chris Spring ended the time by talking about the upcoming spirit competition with West Valley. Kids from all over the school were working hard on making it a memorable night, and his hope was that 2,000 people would show for the games. A live video feed was going to be run to the auditorium in case of overflow attendance.
Communications:
Dr. Veltri read a proclamation from Governor Gregoire to go along with the School Board Appreciation theme. She estimates that the board has nearly 50 years of combined service to the district. Each board member was presented with a coat in the school colors to recognize them for their service.
Consent Agenda: The agenda was passed unanimously.
Individual Action Items:
The date of an upcoming Board work session was moved, because three members couldn't make it on the originally scheduled date. It will now be held on March 6th.
An older copier machine from Hallett was surplused. It now costs more to repair it than the actual machine is worth.
The Educational Support Services action plan was presented. They are working hard on how the principles in Response to Intervention can help us identify and respond to the kids' needs. They will make a report at the Board meeting next December to share the progress they've made.
Reports and Discussions:
Julie and Kelly agreed to pass out the diplomas during graduation. The alternative high school is still deciding what venue they'll use for their graduation ceremony (possibilities include the HS auditorium, or during a school board meeting), and they've selected black and silver as their school colors.
With regards to impact aid, the enrollment on base keeps declining though there is the possibility of a new tanker coming in by 2009. Nearly 50% of the students in the district are military kids, which is a number we shoot for.
Superintendent's Report:
The district is working at getting fuel tanks installed on district-owned land that could be used to fill up the busses, but the city is asking for an environmental impact report which could delay the process. More background information can be found at the Cheney Free Press.
There's a leak in the floor at MLMS that will require some jackhammer work over the spring break. There's also asbestos in the ceiling tiles at the district office which will need to be abated over the break.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 p.m.
This month's What's Rights all centered around the school board, since January is School Board Appreciation month. Don Johnson shared that he feels comfortable working with them in a way that other district financial officers don't; Ralph Headlee talked about how they're here for the kids; and Dr. Veltri praised them for being here for the kids. The Board gave themselves a collective pat on the back for the good rapport that they've had with each other, also thanking the administrative staff for helping them guide the district.
Athletic Director Chris Spring ended the time by talking about the upcoming spirit competition with West Valley. Kids from all over the school were working hard on making it a memorable night, and his hope was that 2,000 people would show for the games. A live video feed was going to be run to the auditorium in case of overflow attendance.
Communications:
Dr. Veltri read a proclamation from Governor Gregoire to go along with the School Board Appreciation theme. She estimates that the board has nearly 50 years of combined service to the district. Each board member was presented with a coat in the school colors to recognize them for their service.
Consent Agenda: The agenda was passed unanimously.
Individual Action Items:
The date of an upcoming Board work session was moved, because three members couldn't make it on the originally scheduled date. It will now be held on March 6th.
An older copier machine from Hallett was surplused. It now costs more to repair it than the actual machine is worth.
The Educational Support Services action plan was presented. They are working hard on how the principles in Response to Intervention can help us identify and respond to the kids' needs. They will make a report at the Board meeting next December to share the progress they've made.
Reports and Discussions:
Julie and Kelly agreed to pass out the diplomas during graduation. The alternative high school is still deciding what venue they'll use for their graduation ceremony (possibilities include the HS auditorium, or during a school board meeting), and they've selected black and silver as their school colors.
With regards to impact aid, the enrollment on base keeps declining though there is the possibility of a new tanker coming in by 2009. Nearly 50% of the students in the district are military kids, which is a number we shoot for.
Superintendent's Report:
The district is working at getting fuel tanks installed on district-owned land that could be used to fill up the busses, but the city is asking for an environmental impact report which could delay the process. More background information can be found at the Cheney Free Press.
There's a leak in the floor at MLMS that will require some jackhammer work over the spring break. There's also asbestos in the ceiling tiles at the district office which will need to be abated over the break.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 p.m.
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