Our animated video provides a starting point for understanding the overall school pension issue in California.

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  1. Ed Gerber 5 years ago5 years ago

    The pension problem is common to all units of local government except those with a flexible revenue base such as those that provide a utility service- water, sewer, power. Pre Prop 13, all units of local government had such flexibility. I can remember recommending a tax rate as part of the budget process. The proposed split roll is a half-solution but what we really need to do is give schools and all units of local … Read More

    The pension problem is common to all units of local government except those with a flexible revenue base such as those that provide a utility service- water, sewer, power. Pre Prop 13, all units of local government had such flexibility. I can remember recommending a tax rate as part of the budget process. The proposed split roll is a half-solution but what we really need to do is give schools and all units of local government the ability to make local decisions about the revenue base needed to fund necessary services. As a political matter, this may need to require local elections but that would delegate power to local governments to define service and revenue needs. Utopian yes, but a real long-term solution. Actually we have such a model in our Federal government.

  2. Pamela Wagner 5 years ago5 years ago

    I think this video is very informative. I would have preferred the video to include what the pension actually earned during the recession years. It is my understanding that while there were losses on the investment side, retirees’ pension still reflected an increase. Would like to see a more in-depth video to explain what had occurred during the Great Recession and what effect it still creates today.

  3. Navigio 5 years ago5 years ago

    Disallow pensions and 401ks of any kind for everyone. That would be another way of treating everyone equally.

  4. Amir Whitaker 5 years ago5 years ago

    Great video! Very informative! Difficult issue indeed.

  5. Linda Delgado 5 years ago5 years ago

    I am concerned that the source of fiscal woes is laid at the feet of teacher pensions. Absent from this discussion is the costs of charter schools on diminishing enrollment, leaving the more expensive students to the District (special education, newcomer students and those who are learning English). Further, the effects of Proposition 13 continue to pose fiscal challenges to education, placing funding for schools approximately commensurate with performance. In all things, we expect to … Read More

    I am concerned that the source of fiscal woes is laid at the feet of teacher pensions. Absent from this discussion is the costs of charter schools on diminishing enrollment, leaving the more expensive students to the District (special education, newcomer students and those who are learning English). Further, the effects of Proposition 13 continue to pose fiscal challenges to education, placing funding for schools approximately commensurate with performance. In all things, we expect to pay for what we get. Why not education?

    Replies

    • Steve Farmer 5 years ago5 years ago

      Teachers in California are paid very well, Linda, and their pensions are far too generous. More pay does never equal more performance, unless only those teachers that truly perform are given raises and not others that do not. As for Prop 13, it’s the only reason most of your residents can still live in California. The unions salivate when they dream of eliminating it.

  6. Evelynn-Joy Kight-Moore 5 years ago5 years ago

    There are several problems with trying to change the current pension plan to a 401K system. First, very few people know how to manage these accounts which of course means that many contributors will have high fees and minimal compensation when they retire after forty or more years of working. Second, this has been a guaranteed benefit to educators who chose to enter this field - knowing that they are opting out of … Read More

    There are several problems with trying to change the current pension plan to a 401K system. First, very few people know how to manage these accounts which of course means that many contributors will have high fees and minimal compensation when they retire after forty or more years of working. Second, this has been a guaranteed benefit to educators who chose to enter this field – knowing that they are opting out of higher wages in the private sector and consciously making the decision to commit their lives to one particular community and district for thirty or more years. Third, the majority of CalSTRs individuals do not receive social security or receive reduced benefits if any social security credits have been previously earned for life – and their family members are denied any compensation due to current federal legislation. Fourthly, California is experiencing a decrease in highly, qualified teachers entering the field which has resulted in higher class sizes, more burnout, and less qualified individuals entering the teaching field if pay and benefits are cut. (If previous striking throughout the US is any example of poorly compensated workers being disrespected, attempts to eliminate California Rule would do much to increase a dissatisfaction with entering the teaching field.) Public Schools are not for Profit and the services provided stay in the community. For Profit Organizations are set up to make money for the individuals at the top and to drain money from the local economy, not to benefit the community. To meet their botttomline, the corporation pays less in taxes and pays their workers less to make a profit. They can hire less highly educated or inexperienced individuals and pay them their workers less pay and less compensations and eliminate many of the employment protections guaranteed to state/county workers. 401K plans are just another example of limited benefits since the employers do not always match the employees benefits or only matches a small portion of the contributions provided by the employees and since the corporation is their for the sole purpose of making a profit for themselves they cab close up shop when their company gets into trouble and do not need to make sure that their workers were left with a viable retirement plan when they are gone.
    The California Rule provides stability and continuity to all government workers since it guarantees that each group is provided benefits based upon a system that each member of the contract receives benefits based upon no benefits are removed arbitrarily and that if one party wants something then the other has to provide a fair exchange for the benefit that is being removed or modified. Private sector workers are at the mercy of their employers who are mainly concerned with their bottom line and not their workers. That is why Unionism is so important since in the late 1880’s when companies decided to not only cut salaries but “owned” their workers through their company stores and housing projects that never allowed their workers to ever really have a choice once they entered their employment. Couple other facts remain, public employers pay taxes which helps pay their salaries, they spend thousands of dollars a year out of their paychecks a year supplementing their classrooms, and numerous extra hours providing “free” tutoring, attending extra curricular activities that benefit the community instead of their own families, and frequently contribute to the needs of the community out of their own time and money to give back to society. How many private sector workers – including private school workers provide these services when only paid through a 401K or can retire at a healthy, functioning age if they are forced to continue working after burned out or forced to work two or more jobs just to be able to retire?

  7. CaliG 5 years ago5 years ago

    Everybody should be treated equally. Few private school workers get pensions, instead they get 401ks. Public school employees should be treated the same and get 401ks instead of pensions. There is no California Rule for private school employees so there should be no California Rule for public school employees. Treat everybody equally.