Opinion: Retired teachers risk benefits as substitutes. Why should this be the rule?
Joseph H. Crowley is past president of the Rhode Island Association of School Principals and a retired Rhode Island educator.
The Journal headline reads "PPSD may be facing substitute teacher crisis" (News, Feb. 10). Providence is not alone. All Rhode Island’s districts are facing the same plight. The question is, “Why?” As noted in the article, teachers who have retired in the Rhode Island teacher retirement system who work more than 90 days lose their retirement benefits until the following August. Why?
Retirees are not only limited to working 90 days. Retirees cannot work at all for the state without losing their retirement benefits. This means highly qualified, experienced educators cannot work for the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) providing support services for school districts.
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While the education programs at Johnson & Wales University, Roger Williams University and Providence College can hire retired educators as full-time professors, retirees employed by Community College of Rhode Island, University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College are limited to earning no more than $18,000 per year. Why? And there is a combined limitation. If a retiree substitute teaches in a district for one day, they cannot work at CCRI, URI or RIC. And if they teach one course, they cannot substitute for one day. Why?
An educator who retires in Seekonk can walk across the border and work at RIDE, substitute teach all year, and teach courses at CCRI, URI and RIC while not losing any retirement benefits. A retiree from CVS, IBM or Hasbro can do the same. What benefit is derived from depriving our Rhode Island school districts, RIDE and our state colleges from the expertise and experience offered by educators in the Rhode Island retirement system?
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Heaven forbid we countenance any “double dippers” — those receiving retirement benefits while being employed as educators. Although, as noted, this is perfectly OK if someone has retired from a different system. The retirees have earned their retirements through contributions they made throughout their careers. They are only allowed to work in positions for public school districts that certify they have tried to fill the positions with a non-retiree; in other words, if there is no one else out there — as is the situation in Providence and around the state.
In terms of double dipping, the cost of living adjustments (COLA) for retirees were suspended 10 years ago. Retirees had a contract which the state decided to renege on because it did not have enough money to continue the COLAs. In the 1970s and 1980s, Rhode Island decided it would not make the contributions to the retirement fund it was supposed to and would, instead, pay when the bills came due. The bills came due and the state decided it did not have the money. Had the contributions been made when they should have, the retirement system would have had adequate funds to provide the COLAs.
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Over the last 10 years, retirees have been given a couple of limited COLAs. The total effect of inflation, uncompensated for by COLAs, has diminished the purchasing power of the retirees' benefits by approximately 20%. Yet all the restrictions on their ability to work in the system as educators continue to be in place.
If retirees are filling teaching positions because no one else is available, why should their retirement benefits be denied? Who benefits? On the other hand, who is hurt — students sitting in math classes with teachers not certified to teach math because the qualified retirees had to leave mid-year?
It defies logic to punish retirees for filling positions for which no one else is available. State Treasurer James Diossa has pointed out that retirees may earn more than other substitutes. So, the available retiree will earn more than the substitute that is not available. Districts need to put qualified educators in front of students.
The current teacher shortage is well known. Pulling retirees out of classrooms merely exacerbates the problem.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI must end limits on retirees as substitute teachers | Opinion Column
