FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2023
Contact: Christina Mazzanti
703-717-5333
christina@aaeteachers.org

AAE Releases Teacher Pensions Guide

Mission Viejo, CA – The Association of American Educators (AAE), a national nonunion, professional association serving educators in all fifty states, today releases a guide on the fundamentals of teacher pensions, how they work, and how they provide for retirement. This essential tool for all educators was developed in partnership with the bipartisan, nonprofit organization Equable.

 

As the first in a series of AAE publications aiming to give educators background knowledge on important issues affecting them, Teacher Pensions – How They Work and Provide for Retirement is a primer on the intricacies of pension plans and how they differ from other retirement plans. Approximately 89 percent of the nation’s educators have a pension plan for retirement savings.

 

“The first step to ensuring every educator has access to a retirement plan that provides financial security is ensuring every educator understands the current system, including how and where it falls short of our commitments,” said AAE executive director Colin Sharkey. “Knowing how pensions are set up and funded and how these decisions can affect their investment is of critical importance, and can impact educators throughout their careers, long before retirement.”

 

Topics included in Teacher Pensions – How They Work and Provide for Retirement:

 

  • Types of retirement savings plans, with a focus on educator pensions

  • How pension benefits are calculated and funded

  • Details on vesting periods

  • Consequences of underfunded pension plans

  • Opportunities to improve retirement savings for educators

 

“We know teachers are regularly so focused on serving their students that they don’t have a lot of time for themselves, much less to take the time to figure out how retirement benefits are supposed to work,” said Equable executive director Anthony Randazzo. “This primer is built on tested content through TeacherReirementU.org and is designed to help make the process of understanding pensions clear, engaging, and practical.”

The Association of American Educators (AAE) is the largest national, nonunion, professional educator organization, advancing the profession by offering a modern approach to educator empowerment and advocacy—promoting professionalism, collaboration, and excellence without a partisan agenda. AAE is committed to a teaching profession that is student oriented, well respected, and personally fulfilling. AAE serves members in all fifty states and welcomes professionals from all education entities. Membership includes $2 million professional liability insurance, employment rights coverage, professional resources, and many other benefits. Classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, student teachers, university professors, and supporters can learn more at joinaae.org.

 

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