Treat teachers fairly

I have been a teacher in Maine public schools for 20 years. When I retire I will be relying on the Maine State Retirement System (MSRS) for most of my income. My retirement pension will be approximately $19,000 a year. I do not have enough quarters to be eligible for Social Security, but I plan to work after my teaching career in order to reach that level.

A colleague of mine did some research and informed me of the following facts:

1. If I am able to reach the required 40 quarters, any Social Security benefits that I may receive will be reduced by 60 percent because I am covered by the MSRS. For every $200 that anyone else would collect from Social Security, I will only receive $80.

2. If my husband predeceases me, any survivor benefits I might receive will be reduced by an amount equal to two-thirds of my pension. Should that survivor benefit equal $14,000 or less, I will receive nothing.

3. As a retired teacher under the MSRS, I must pay all but 30 percent of the cost of my health insurance. All other workers who are covered by the MSRS receive fully paid health insurance as part of their retirement benefits package.

4. As a teacher, I am not eligible for Medicare.

5. People who collect Social Security receive a $10,000 annual state tax break; while those under the MSRS receive only a $6,000 annual tax break.

6. The earnings cap, which was recently removed for those under Social Security, is still in place for those who receive income from the MSRS. The most I am allowed to earn in retirement is the amount equal to the difference between my pension and the earnings amount on which the pension was calculated – the average of my three highest paid years – or about $38,000. In other words, if I get a “real” job or start a successful small business, my income from that source is limited to $19,000. My pension will be reduced by 50 cents for every dollar I earn which exceeds that amount.

I am very angry. These problems affect all teachers in Maine. Teachers with less than 10 years of service as of 1994 have additional financial burdens to bear. Partial fixes and false remedies are not acceptable.

This situation requires total reform of current policies and regulations. If education is to be a priority in our state, teachers in Maine must be treated fairly.

Ann M. Durgin is a family and consumer science teacher at Ellsworth High School.