Chris Ardis, Education Columnist: CALL TO ACTION STARTS FEBRUARY 20: Using Our Voices Outside of the Classroom to Say ENOUGH!

I ordered a shirt the other day that reads, “I’m not afraid to use my teacher voice outside of the classroom.” Tonight, on the eve of the Texas primary election, I call upon our school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, counselors, nurses, librarians, teachers, custodians, administrators, secretaries, social workers, classroom aides, maintenance workers, and substitute teachers. I call upon all of our former students, our family members and friends, and every person who can look back on even one school employee who made a difference in your life. I call upon you to vote and to use your voice—and your vote--to say, “ENOUGH!”
I recently wrote a blog post castigating Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and several members of the Texas House and Senate for robbing retired public school employees of affordable healthcare while maintaining far superior healthcare for all other retired state employees and for retired elected state officials, also known as “the elected class.” These two groups are covered under the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS). In that post, I addressed the fact that our governor, our lieutenant governor, and members of our House and Senate took from us a $400 healthcare deductible and pharmacy coverage--WITH a copay--and replaced it with a $1500 deductible, one that forces us to pay the entire amount out of pocket (except for a list of standard, generic drugs) before the state pays even one cent of our healthcare costs. One cent. Retired public school employees whose spouse is covered under TRS have a $3000 deductible. They must pay $3000 out of pocket—not $1500 per person—before one cent of their healthcare costs are covered. These state officials also took from us the ability to choose the level of healthcare that works best for our financial situation, instead forcing all of us into one, high-deductible plan with a $200-per-month premium this year, which will increase over the next four years until it reaches almost $400.

ERS retirees, including retired members of the “elected class” who at age 50 retired with just 12 years of service or at age 60 with eight years of service, pay a $0 premium each month. Yes, the state pays 100 percent of their premium and 50 percent of their spouse’s premium. And guess what their healthcare deductible is? That’s zero, too, just like their premium! They do have a pharmacy deductible. Guess what that is? While all of us who worked 25, 30, 40, and more years in the classroom have a $1500 deductible, their pharmacy deductible is $50. That’s a five with one zero.

The figure most often quoted as the average monthly Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) pension for retired teachers is $2000. That’s bad enough, when you look at our new deductible. But in TRS: A Great Value for All Texans, a TRS publication I picked up when the TRS board was in Edinburg last week, I found the rest of the story:

32 percent of retired TRS members (Remember, it isn’t just teachers who are covered under TRS. As mentioned above, it is our school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, counselors, nurses, librarians, teachers, custodians, administrators, secretaries, social workers, classroom aides, maintenance workers) have a monthly pension of $1 - $1000.
23 percent of retired TRS members have a monthly pension of $1,001 - $2000.
24 percent of retired TRS members have a monthly pension of $2,001 - $3000.
14 percent of retired TRS members have a monthly pension of $3,001 - $4000.
5 percent of retired TRS members have a monthly pension of $4,001 - $5000.
3 percent of retired TRS members have a monthly pension over $5,000.

Look at this again. The highest percentage of TRS retirees earns no more than $1,000 per month.

And it isn’t only us Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Patrick, and some members of the House and Senate have robbed. They have also robbed our public schools. You can read all about that in this fascinating, yet appalling, article, “A Punishing Decade for School Funding,” from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Tomorrow, the 2018 primary elections begin. They run until March 2. Election Day is March 6. If we do not vote, we join in the blame for what our governor, our lieutenant governor, and “unfriendly-to-public-education” and “unfriendly-to-public-school-employees” House and Senate members have done to those of us who dedicated our lives to the children of this state, who accepted the privilege of working in our public schools for the delayed benefit—and promise—of affordable healthcare. It is a promise that has been broken in an egregious way.
I will say it again. Shame on you, Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Patrick, and Texas Legislature. This election, we, our former students, our family members and friends, and all those who care about public education and public school employees will use our voices at the polls. We will block vote, a non-partisan effort to rid OUR capitol of the “elected class” that has forgotten about our students and those who serve them.

NOTE: Please look carefully at the ratings for each candidate for governor, lieutenant governor, House, or Senate at texansforpubliceducation.com. Scroll down to “Our Ratings” on the home page.

Chris Ardis retired in May of 2013 following a 29-year teaching career. She now helps companies with business communications and social media and works as a sales coordinator for Tony Roma's and Macaroni Grill. Chris can be reached at cardis1022@aol.com. (Photo by Sarina Manahan, Chris’ former student)

From TRS: A Great Value for All Texans, a TRS publication:

2018 TRS Benefits for Non-Medicare-Eligible Retirees
For retired public school bus drivers, secretaries, teachers, custodians, librarians, counselors, maintenance workers, administrators, cafeteria workers, classroom aides, nurses, and social workers