https://www.txtrsforall.com/openletter daily 0.75 2021-01-06 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff3bfb27d47bb7ab01e6349/1609809847666/ Our Vision - Texas’ Retirement System Should Work for Every Teacher. Every day, Texas’ teachers are working hard to serve students and families. But at present, teachers’ voices are being left out of policy conversations that ultimately impact every educator—including decisions about teachers’ retirement benefits. Despite making commitments to provide retirement security to thousands of teachers, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas is failing a majority of them. The system has a $51 billion shortfall—money that could be going into teachers’ salaries or into funding for students and schools that is instead going toward paying what’s owed for future retirement benefits. Further, TRS is set up in a manner where only about 20 percent of Texas teachers will ever earn the full retirement benefit that has been promised and TRS knows this is true. In fact, the system counts on teachers who will never receive benefits paying into it. Close to half of new hires will leave within five years, meaning they won’t qualify for any future benefit. Many more who do qualify will either pay more into the pension fund than they receive in benefits, or see their pension eroded over time by inflation and a lack of cost-of-living adjustments. Texas Teachers for Retirement Solutions, a group of Texas teachers from across the state, has recognized the significant challenges confronting TRS and the risks they pose for teachers’ retirement security. We’ve also established a set of principles that should guide the benefit system, and outlined the existing problems of today’s TRS. Among other changes that would benefit teachers’ retirement security, Texas Teachers for Retirement Solutions supports the following policy recommendations: https://www.txtrsforall.com/home daily 1.0 2021-04-07 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff63a2f763af471c098b07d/1609972283367/Likelihood+that+a+25+Year-Old+Hired+This+Year++Will+Still+Be+Teaching+in+the+Future+.png Home https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff79a7f48de2d43d54c8874/1610062474895/UAL+Tx.png Home https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff3bd9d7d47bb7ab01e031d/1609809325523/ Home - Learn About Your Benefits Understanding your retirement benefits is essential for planning for your financial future. Depending on your length of service, age, salary, and other factors, your Texas TRS benefits may or may not be adequate income in retirement. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff3bddd0e4a9f4f5f98d321/1609809393390/ Home - Our Principles Current Texas TRS benefits fall short for many of our state’s educators. Our working group of teachers decided it was time to define new retirement principles to guide future solutions for a TRS that works for all. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff3be6167bf5b5cbc902185/1609809515548/ Home - Take Action Thousands of teachers and our allies will need to speak out to achieve a more equitable TRS. There’s many ways to make your voice heard. https://www.txtrsforall.com/take-action daily 0.75 2021-01-06 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff5fbe68459334208cb4ac2/1609956331849/image.jpg Take Action https://www.txtrsforall.com/about daily 0.75 2021-01-25 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff601de895faf5040684b94/1610068017223/miriamheadshot.jpg Who We Are - Miriam Rodgers Miriam teaches US Government, Economics, and Theory of Knowledge to 11th and 12th graders. By the end of this year, her fifth year teaching in Texas, Ms. Rodgers will qualify for a pension. But she would need to remain teaching in Texas until at least the year 2032 in order for her TRS benefit to provide minimally comfortable retirement benefits. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/600f4843b1f69a592f7d6a90/1611614287031/LE%25252Bedited.jpg Who We Are - N. Vanessa Morales Vanessa is a 2019-2020 Teach Plus fellow. She graduated from Rice University in 2012 and immediately joined Teach for America. Currently, she currently teaches middle school math at YES Prep Public Schools in Houston, TX. Vanessa is extremely passionate about closing the inequity gaps in her community and co-founded the college readiness program, Rice University’s Young Owls Leadership Program in 2012, which focuses on preparing Houston area first-generation college students to apply to competitive universities across the country. She also enjoys curriculum writing and facilitating professional development around culturally relevant pedagogy. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff6042bfbfc760d743e0afa/1610068017232/sandi.jacobs%5B137%5D.jpg Who We Are - Sandi Jacobs Principal, EducationCounsel Sandi is currently the principal of EducationCounsel, a mission-based education consulting firm that combines significant experience in policy, strategy, law and advocacy to drive improvements in the U.S. education system. Prior to joining EducationCounsel, Sandi was the Senior Vice President for State and District Policy at the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). Prior to that, Ms. Jacobs worked at the U.S. Department of Education as a Senior Education Program Specialist for the Reading First and Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration programs. She also taught 4th and 5th grade for nearly a decade at Public School 9 in Brooklyn, New York. Sandi was a Presidential Management Intern and a charter corps member of Teach For America. She holds a master’s degree from Columbia University's Teachers College and a BA from Columbia College. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ffcc85593749c6025f98e02/1610401891525/joanna_holland.jpg Who We Are - Joanna Holland Joanna is a 2019-20 Teach Plus Texas DFW Policy Fellow. She is currently an ESL teacher at Benjamin Franklin International Exploratory Academy of Dallas ISD. Previously, she taught at City Lab High School, an innovative choice school that specializes in urban architecture, modern design, engineering, and STEM classes. She serves as a Distinguished Teacher Ambassador in Dallas ISD and has been DISD’s Distinguished Teacher and a TEI (Teacher Excellence Initiative) Campus Expert from 2016 to 2019. Joanna has served as an LPAC Chairman (Language Proficiency Accommodations Committee), an ELA Lead Curriculum Coordinator in personalized learning, a Project Based Learning Chairman, and has established a writing ambassador student program. Joanna holds a BA from Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas with a major in English and a minor in Political Science. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff7bc32b2c4ae564e0c7fd6/1610071117629/shana.jpg Who We Are - Shana Gaines Shana Gaines is in her 16th year of teaching, and currently teaches elementary music. Even though she has 16 years under her belt, only 10 count as qualifying years of service under TRS. She will need to teach another 15-20 years to draw a reasonable retirement income. She will be ineligible to draw social security and will have hard decisions to make if she ever needs to move out of state to care for family. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff7b1004c6b8a3810ffaffa/1610068287095/Angela+Burke+headshot+option+1.jpg Who We Are - Angela Burke Angela is in her 9th year as an educator, and currently teaches physics and astronomy at Dallas Environmental Science Academy, a magnet middle school in Dallas ISD. Burke graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Secondary Education with an emphasis in science and earned an M.S. in Physics with an education emphasis from TAMUC. A Teach for America alumna, Angela has been a Teaching Trust Ed-Fellow, Texas Teach Plus Policy Fellow, and CAMP Fellow. Last year, Burke continued her work in advocating for educational equity through policy as a ULF Fellow. Burke is motivated by Nelson Mandela’s quote, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff6091613275d03e8f95875/1610068017236/Headshot_Anthony%2BRandazzo%2B%2528Large%2529.jpg Who We Are - Anthony Randazzo Executive Director, Equable Anthony Randazzo is executive director of Equable, a bipartisan non-profit that educates and informs employees, retirees, labor leaders, and taxpayers about how to create real retirement plan sustainability and accountability without sacrificing future income security. He has published extensively on the systemic and political behavioral factors that lead to underfunded retirement systems, and he has worked directly with numerous governments to improve funding policy and build new public sector retirement system designs. Prior to Equable, Randazzo was managing director of the Pension Integrity Project and director of economic research at Reason Foundation. He graduated from New York University with a multidisciplinary M.A. in behavioral political economy. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff60b6044bc0f5112a3c66d/1610068017238/TRU-logo-lockup_2.jpg Who We Are - Teacher Retirement U Teacher Retirement U is a collaborative curriculum developed by Equable Institute, EducationCounsel, and Hattaway Communications. It provides a robust overview of how retirement systems work in the public sector, specifically those designed for educators. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff603cf51c07f0a106431de/1610068017220/Profile%2B2020.jpg Who We Are - Yuridiana Lewis Yuri is a 2020-2021 Teach Plus Texas DFW Policy Senior Fellow. Yuri is the Instructional Lead Teacher for the 8th grade reading language arts team at Francisco "Pancho" Medrano Junior High School. A state of Texas Master teacher, Yuri is an Ambassador for Dallas ISD's Distinguished Teacher Review process, has served as a grade-level chairperson, a classroom host teacher for Urban Teachers, sponsor of Destination Imagination, and head volleyball and soccer coach. Yuri serves on the Educator Advisory Board for The Educator Collective and on an Advisory Committee for TEA HB 3906. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff602c2962aa2381c11d2e5/1610068017229/josue_tamarez_torres.jpg Who We Are - Josue Tamarez Josue is a 5th grade math teacher at Cesar Chavez Learning Center, where he serves as a teacher-leader. He was named 2017-2018 Teacher of the Year by Dallas ISD and by the Southeast Dallas Chamber of Commerce. Josue is a 2011 Teach for America alum, a 2015 Teaching Trust Ed Fellow and a 2018-19 Teach Plus DFW Teaching Policy Fellow. His students’ performance on the math STAAR test was highlighted by D-Magazine and the Dallas Morning News, and he testified before the Texas Senate Education Committee on school finance reform in the 86th Legislative Session. Josue graduated from Baruch College, New York, with a BBA in Finance and a Minor in mathematics. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff5ffc729433c07f167ce18/1610068017216/Headshot+for+Chad.jpg Who We Are - Celeste Graham Celeste teaches 10th grade world history. In her 5th year of teaching Ms. Graham will qualify for a pension at the end of the year. But she would need to keep working for two more decades to qualify for a pension worth enough to retire on, and even then the money paid out to her may be eroded by inflation over time. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff6022cf7aa0d67f4fd4899/1610068017226/Mark+Rogers+headshot+2019.jpg Who We Are - Mark Rogers Mark teaches 2nd grade. After 10 years of teaching, Mr. Rogers is already eligible to collect a pension when he retires. But he would need to work another 15 or 20 years in TRS for the pension to be worth enough to retire on, and even then it would be at risk of being eroded by inflation over time. https://www.txtrsforall.com/our-retirement-principles daily 0.75 2021-01-05 https://www.txtrsforall.com/trsbenefits daily 0.75 2021-01-07 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff63b21cb869f02e3a26c26/1609972522438/Likelihood+that+a+25+Year-Old+Hired+This+Year++Will+Still+Be+Teaching+in+the+Future+.png What You Need to Know About TRS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff63be5bfcf2212ec8ec209/1609972724316/Percentage+of+25+Year-Olds+Hired+This+Year++That+Will+Still+Be+Teaching+in+the+Future+.png What You Need to Know About TRS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff79ab648de2d43d54c9440/1610062529463/UAL+Tx.png What You Need to Know About TRS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff63c8be9532e385840c1a5/1609972887973/Funded+Ratio+Average.png What You Need to Know About TRS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fda69a921850a40c5364214/t/5ff63cec18861d00b19b15f7/1609972980974/Texas+TRS+Member+Contribution+Rate+as+a+Share+of+Annual+Salary+.png What You Need to Know About TRS https://www.txtrsforall.com/faqs daily 0.75 2021-01-05 https://www.txtrsforall.com/contact daily 0.75 2021-01-06 https://www.txtrsforall.com/resources daily 0.75 2021-01-07 https://www.txtrsforall.com/email-template daily 0.75 2021-01-06