10 signatures reached
To: Governor Gavin Newsom
Stop penalizing teachers
Becoming a teacher will cost you a chunk of the Social Security you have already earned as well as a portion, and possibly all, of your spouse's social security benefits. These are the consequences of legislation enacted in 1977 and in 1983, known as GPO/WEP for short. Stop this inequity. We need teachers from the marketplace, teachers with experience in science, in math, in computer sciences. We need to lure teachers, not to penalize their previous earnings.
Why is this important?
Did you know that when teachers retire they are penalized for having worked elsewhere? Did you know that their social security check is docked because of their contributions to the teacher pension system? They call this double-dipping. I call it punishment. How can we expect to attract scientists, computer engineers, mathematicians when teachers -- in addition to earning a pitiful salary -- will lose part of the social security benefits they had previously earned?