Why Congress Should Extend Social Security to All Teachers

Did you know that 40% of public school teachers and other education employees aren’t covered by Social Security? That is bad for the affected workers, who miss out on potential benefits. But it also complicates the program for the rest of us.

But instead of solving this problem, the House of Representatives may soon consider a bill that would repeal two provisions designed to preserve fairness in the Social Security formula. If passed, the measure would provide a financial windfall to retirees like former teachers and school superintendents who already have a healthy pension to fall back on. And it would cost taxpayers $196 billion over the next 10 years.

The rules are complicated, so an example might help. Imagine a hypothetical California teacher. Like most educators in states like Ohio, Texas and Massachusetts, and over two-thirds of police officers and firefighters, California teachers don’t participate in Social Security. Our hypothetical teacher doesn’t pay the 6.2% Social Security payroll tax on income, and her school district doesn’t pay the employer portion, either.

Please help put parents in charge of their child’s education by forwarding this article to other parents, family, friends and voters.
Capitol, Washington D.C. by Harold Mendoza is licensed under Unsplash unsplash.com

Other Articles

5 handy AI tools for school that students, teachers, and parents can use, too
These AI tools can summarize PDFs, tutor you, write essays, help solve math problems, and more.
Read More
Teacher housing programs could help educators afford homes
Affordable housing plans take years to complete, but could be a solution since teacher raises haven't kept up with housing costs, experts said.
Read More
Most California high school students aren’t college-ready, analysis shows. What it means for the Valley
Most California high school students aren’t eligible to attend the public universities – and students in the San Joaquin Valley are among the most impacted, according to a recent report by the news outlet Ed Source.
Read More
These States Pay Kindergarten Teachers the Most
As college becomes more expensive and teaching becomes more demanding, many educators are weighing whether the costs of being a teacher are worth the outcome.
Read More
"What Is a Floppy Disk?" — Teacher Gives Class '90s Trivia and Almost Everyone Fails
A teacher shared a video on TikTok where he gives his elementary school-aged class '90s trivia questions. Only one student gets one question correct.
Read More
This California school district will pay you to become a teacher. Here’s how it works
Natomas Unified School District is offering money to those willing to become teachers through its Diverse Future Teachers program.
Read More
Teachers Can Support Struggling Readers in Middle and High School. Here’s How
Today’s post is the second in an ongoing series offering strategies to support older students experiencing reading challenges.
Read More
California student test scores change little from last year’s low
Overall, 46.7% of students were at or above grade level for English language arts, and 34.6% met or exceeded the standard in math.
Read More

Get latest news delivered daily!

We will send you breaking news right to your inbox

© 2024 educationopportunity.org, Privacy Policy | FPPC #1460602