Letter: Teachers’ needs not being addressed

Friday, Aug. 3, 2007 | 7:28 a.m.

Regarding the Las Vegas Sun's July 29 editorial, "Forced Retirement," about Clark County teachers:

Thank you for your support of teachers. The public needs to know that teachers are getting the shaft again. Sadly, the state legislators we teachers helped to elect abandoned us.

It's true for only a few years teachers have been allowed to join the state's medical plan, and how promising that seemed. However, as of September 2008, those of us who retire at age 60 with 30 years of service to the community will be forced to pay exorbitant medical insurance fees.

School administrators, support staff, the teachers' health trust employees and even teachers' union employees are insured after retirement. But those of us working most directly with kids for 29 to 30 years will be shortchanged if we should retire early to benefit from the state medical plan because we can't collect our pensions until age 62.

On the other hand, if we veteran teachers want to finish our 30 years of service, we'll miss out on the much less expensive state medical program (and who knows how much health care costs will rise within the next few years?)

Retired teachers at the top of the salary scale are currently living on less than $48,000 a year. Having to pay for the mortgage, skyrocketing living expenses and medical coverage, which will cost upward of $500 per month, will be financially and emotionally draining.

When it comes to medical coverage, retiring veteran teachers deserve the same treatment as school administrators, police and firefighters.

I'd hate to think retired teachers will have to turn to bake sales to pay for their serious illnesses as we get older.

Any young people thinking of teaching in Nevada? Think again.

Denise Walker, Henderson