Summer Advisor 2021

CEA RETIRED NEWS

12 CEA ADVISOR SUMMER 2021

CEA SCORES KEY VICTORIES FOR RETIRED TEACHERS T he past year has been one of the most challenging that active and retired educators will ever experience. Fortunately, CEA-Retired members are part of an association that works on issues of importance to Connecticut’s retired teachers, from pensions to health benefits.

COLA THRESHOLD LOWERED FOR RETIRED TEACHERS

This year, together with CEA and speaking with a unified voice, CEA- Retired made significant achievements, including major financial victories that will help every retiree’s income. • Ensured that the teacher pension income tax exemption increased to 50 percent after attempts to freeze it at 25 percent • Worked to lower the threshold for retired teachers to receive a cost of living adjustment (COLA) • Lobbied the legislature to include the full appropriation of funding to the pension and retired teachers’ health insurance funds CEA-Retired members continue to work together with CEA and NEA to • Protect and improve teachers’ retirement and health benefits

• Keep members informed about the Connecticut Teachers’ Retirement Board, responsible for administering teachers’ pensions • Provide retired educators with opportunities to use their expertise to improve student outcomes through volunteer mentoring, literacy building, and intergenerational programs and activities • Achieve legislative and political action goals that support students, teachers, and public education • Help retired educators stay connected with former colleagues • Host state, national, and regional conferences and seminars • Offer insurance, credit, loan, mortgage, and investment programs designed specifically for retirees

PENSION INCOME TAX EXEMPTION INCREASED

FULL APPROPRIATION OF FUNDING TO PENSION & HEALTH INSURANCE FUNDS

• Provide local discounts through CEA Member Benefits and NEA’s Discount Marketplace Programs Stay active Every year, CEA- Retired hosts two statewide meetings and regional luncheons in each county. The association also encourages member participation at the political level through direct legislator contact, hosting meetings

with legislators, and more. CEA- Retired also offers opportunities to join committees and working groups and stay connected through social events. We hope you will take advantage of all your membership has to offer. Follow the CEA-Retired Facebook page ( facebook.com/CEARetired ) and visit their website ( cea.org/cea- retired ) for the latest information.

CEA-RETIRED DELEGATES ATTEND NEA-RETIRED ANNUAL MEETING

RETIRED TEACHERS NEEDED TO PROCTOR ASSESSMENTS The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is seeking retired educators who would like to work with a team to proctor digitally based assessments on tablets with fourth- and eighth-grade students in schools. These are temporary, part-time positions. Interested applicants must be available for online and in-person training during the month of January 2022 and be able to proctor between January 24 and March 4, 2022, when work is available. NAEP offers paid training, hourly wages paid weekly, and mileage reimbursement for local driving. Visit workNAEP.com and provide your contact information. NAEP will send a link to their online application this summer. More information about NAEP is available at nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard . For questions about the job, email NAEPrecruit@westat.com .

The NEA-Retired Annual Meeting was held virtually June 23-24, 2021, with 295 delegates in attendance, among them CEA-Retired President Bill Murray, Vice President Gloria Brown, Secretary Karen DiMenna, Treasurer Mary-Beth Lang, Bob Brown, and Pat Jordan. Jordan was one of eight candidates for six positions on the NEA-Retired Resolutions Committee. The election was held, and she was the third highest vote-getter. Seven bylaws amendments and two new business items were also voted on, and all of them passed. In her address to delegates, NEA-Retired President Sarah Borgman challenged members to "expect the unexpected, believe the unbelievable, and achieve the unachievable." Membership and communications awards were presented at the NEA- Retired Annual Meeting. Having won the communications award for both newsletter and website coverage of CEA-Retired issues three times consecutively, Connecticut received the Spotlight Award. In addition, four aspiring educators were each presented with a check for $2,500 as recipients of the NEA-Retired Jack Kinnaman Memorial Scholarship. Kinnaman, a devoted teacher for nearly three decades, served at every level of NEA. Even after retiring from the classroom in 1986, he stayed engaged with NEA, becoming vice president of NEA-Retired. After he passed away, in 2002, Kinnaman’s family established a scholarship in his honor to provide assistance for aspiring educators. Donations to this scholarship fund can be made through a link on the NEA-Retired website. The NEA-Retired Silent Auction raised more than $18,000 for the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education. RETIREE HEALTH BENEFITS UPDATE The State Teachers’ Retirement Board has selected UnitedHealthcare to administer the Connecticut Teachers’ Retiree Health Plan for Medicare-eligible retirees and dependents. Effective January 1, 2022, coverage will be offered through the UnitedHealthcare Group Medicare Advantage plan, which will now include prescription coverage combined in one plan. The Group Medicare Supplement plan and Prescription Drug Plan will also be offered through UnitedHealthcare. Plan benefits remain the same, while the Group Medicare Advantage plan includes new programs and services. The TRB states that the move to an integrated Group Medical/Pharmacy plan will significantly reduce costs for retirees and the Teachers’ Retirement Board while preserving

RECENTLY RETIRED? Stay active in your union, connected to your colleagues, and committed to Connecticut’s strong public schools by joining CEA-Retired. Visit cea.org/cea- retired.

benefits for Medicare retirees and dependents. All plans become effective on January 1, 2022.