CONTACT: Andy Krauss   (202) 822-7823

June 29, 2006

Retired School Employees Meet to Set Policy

Members of NEA-Retired focus on the unique challenges facing retirees

ORLANDO—Retired public school employees conducted a three-day meeting in Orlando, Fla., to plan collective action on the issues facing retirees. Issues discussed in workshops and forums were as diverse as the status of Social Security, state pension funds and access to quality health care.

NEA-Retired represents more than 250,000 retired public school employees within the 2.8 million member National Education Association. The theme of this year's meeting was "NEA-Retired: Magical Moments in Retirement."

In addition to conducting workshops and forums, NEA-Retired presented its annual Distinguished Service Award to Johnny Davis of Brewton, Ala., for his 46 years of service to public education and the Association. When Davis began teaching, public schools in the South were still segregated by race. Davis was instrumental in organizing the all Black Brewton City Teachers Association and later helped lead the efforts to facilitate a merger with the local all-white teachers association.

NEA-Retired also presented two scholarships to college students training to become teachers. The Jack Kinnaman Memorial Scholarships were awarded to Eastern Kentucky University student Natalie Avant and University of Wyoming/Casper student Jolyn Hallgren.  Both received $1,000 to help defray their college expenses.

Jack Kinnaman was a longtime leader in NEA-Retired and was especially successful in his work to connect retired educators as mentors with teachers-in-training.

"There is no underestimating the value of making a connection between those just entering the profession and those with a lifetime of experience in the classroom," said Reg Weaver, NEA president. "NEA-Retired members continue to directly touch the lives of children in public schools today by their efforts to mentor and encourage young people ready to dedicate their professional lives to America's public school students."

One unique conference activity saw NEA-Retired members make that connection directly. Conference participants joined several hundred NEA student members to spend a day painting and refurbishing Eccleston Elementary School in Orlando. Eccleston is a school where students regularly exhibit academic success despite living in an economically challenged neighborhood.

The meeting concluded with the election of officers.  Gene Craig (Libertyville, Ill.) was elected as the NEA-Retired secretary. Arlene Pavey (Orange County, Calif.) and Martha Karlovetz (Lake Sherwood, Mo.) were elected to join the NEA-Retired Advisory Council, while Orlando native Ulysses Floyd was reelected to the Council. 

NEA-Retired members also elected two representatives to serve on the NEA Board of Directors. They were Jim Sproul (Flat Lick, Ky.) and Linda Somo (Mesa, Ariz.).

NEA-Retired exists to meet the needs of retired public education employees. The Council works with active NEA members to protect and improve retirement pensions and health benefits—including state pensions, Social Security and Medicare; improve public education through mentoring, literacy and intergenerational programs and activities; and achieve legislative and political action goals for education and education employees. To help support NEA's political action efforts, retired members raised over $15,000 for the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education.

"This was perhaps our most successful conference ever," said President Barbara Matteson, NEA-Retired president. "As the number of retiring public school employees continues to grow with the baby boomers coming to the end of their teaching careers, it's more important than ever that they have a voice in the issues that impact them most."

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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 2.8 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.