hat do retired teachers mean to San Luis Obispo County? More than one might think! For many years or even decades in the classroom, teachers make a difference by being there for their students. When those teachers retire, they continue to give to local communities through their pocketbook and their passion for volunteerism. The week of November 6 through the 12, 2022, was California’s 24th annual Retired Teachers Week.
According to figures from the California Retired Teachers Association, retired teachers statewide donated nearly 2 million hours of volunteer service in the past year, valued at almost $69 million. In addition to their donated time, retired teachers are part of the swell of economic benefits California receives from public pensioners as they spend their pension benefit checks. Division 23 CalRTA members volunteer at local schools, libraries, polling stations, the Clark Center, The Dana Adobe and Cultural Center, Elephant Seal Rookery at Piedra Blancas, museums, hospitals, homeless shelters, and food banks.
In California, expenditures stemming from state and local pensions supported 395,520 jobs and $15.1 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues. In fact, each dollar paid out in pension benefits supported $6.40 in total economic activity in California!
Retired teachers will continue to give back — both economically and through our volunteer service. We cared about our students and our communities while we worked as educators, and that caring doesn’t stop at retirement. Please join us.
Bruce Badrigian
President, Division 23, California Retired
