COPY AND PASTE THE FOLLOWING LETTER

Or design your own if you prefer

Dear Honorable ______________,

As a teacher in one of Pennsylvania's public schools, I was very pleased with the decision of our legislators to increase the percent from 2% to 2.5% per year, as one of the multipliers in the retirement formula. This increase will surely benefit many well-deserving, dedicated teachers and educational administrators. However, I also sincerely believe that teachers and administrators who spend 30 or more years of their lives helping children learn and grow deserve to be able to retire without a penalty as it is presently computed in the retirement formula.


Only a few years ago, the "30 years and out" retirement plan had been made available to Pennsylvania's public school teachers and administrators without such a penalty as previously alluded to. And many years ago, there was significant discussion about the possibility of offering a "25 years and out" retirement plan for Pennsylvania educators. Perhaps the plan that was discussed would have been similar to the "25 years and out" at age 55 retirement plan that is presently made available to educators and many other non-professional educational-support employees who are part of the New Jersey State Public School Retirement System.


Furthermore, allowing educators to retire with 30 or more years of service without a penalty would save taxpayers money over the long term. It would also open up teaching and administrative positions for college graduates majoring in education. And, quite possibly, this one very important option and benefit of being able to receive a good retirement package with 30 years of educational service to our youngsters and to our communities would increase the odds of more young people entering the teaching profession.


Thank you for your consideration of this important issue that weighs on the hearts, minds, and pocketbooks of many Pennsylvania educators. We love our country and our state--but more importantly, we love our children. We not only want our students to be happy, but for our educators to be content as well. For thousands of our Pennsylvania educators are not only disseminators of information, but also of caring and love.


Respectfully,

ADD YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS WHEN YOU EMAIL THIS TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE