Page 2 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025
Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Page 3 Table of Contents 4: Attendance Matters; CEL mentoring program addresses attendance barriers with positive reinforcement 8: Pop Tab Tradition at Chester-East Lincoln teaches more than math 12: Washington-Monroe Fifth Graders host fourth annual Poetry Slam 16: Zion Lutheran School Announces Updates to the School 18: Logan County Fifth Graders Embark on an Annual Journey to the Museum of Science and Industry 22: Lincoln Junior High Prepares for Another Inspiring Central Illinois STEM Fair 26: Heartland Community College Lincoln offering new Ag and Health Sciences opportunities 30: Tier 2 - The Second Class Teacher Tier; Undo Tier 2
Page 4 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 If a student misses two days per month of school, they miss nearly three weeks of school per year. If a student continues to miss two days per month for their whole school career, they miss the equivalent of an entire year of instruction by the time they enter the ninth grade. What is chronic absenteeism? Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of school in an academic year which is 18 days of an average 180-day school year which is more sick days than a teacher gets per year. CEL mentoring program addresses attendance barriers with positive reinforcement Attendance Matters Why is school attendance so important? School attendance is a predictor of future success and academic achievement. Chronically absent students have lower grades, exhibit gaps in their learning and their social skills, and are at a higher risk of dropping out of high school. When students miss school, they not only miss the lesson the teacher has prepared, but they also miss authentic conversations and discussions that cannot be replicated. Oftentimes, these are moments when concepts “click” for students. Therefore, students that are chronically absent run a greater risk of Continued --
Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Page 5 falling behind academically and often struggle with social skills like making and keeping friends, conflict resolution, confidence, and responsibility. Over the years, Chester-East Lincoln has tried to increase student attendance by educating parents and students on the importance of attending school. This all changed in 2020 with COVID and all of the restrictions that came with the pandemic. Students were required to quarantine for long periods of time which made it impossible to monitor and/or improve or encourage attendance. Since the pandemic, attendance has not improved and the number of chronically absent students has increased, so administration and staff felt like it was time to try something new and develop a more concrete plan to encourage students and families to attend school regularly. Through research and attending various workshops, the administrators decided to implement a mentoring program to support students with poor attendance. All staff were invited to participate in the mentor program, but participation was voluntary. The response was no surprise to the administration, and more than enough teachers signed up to mentor students. Together, the administrators met with staff to present the program and the list of students who would benefit from mentorship. Although some pairings were thought of ahead of time, most were made by staff taking the lead and requesting students they had connections with or felt led to mentor. The mentors and students meet once a month to set goals, discuss incentives, and address attendance barriers. Simple strategies have been implemented to address barriers. For example, some students have added the school phone number to their phones in case they miss the bus (and parents are already at work), while others have set up recurring alarms on their phones to wake them up. This allows the older students to take responsibility and learn lifelong skills that will promote future success. Between the monthly meetings, mentors encourage students by leaving them notes or checking in to let students know they care about them, miss them when they are gone, and are continuing to cheer them on! Since the start of the mentoring program, student attendance has increased for a number of the students participating in the program, and students are proud of themselves! They Continued --
Page 6 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 are seeing an improvement in their grades, and teachers are seeing an improvement in their attitude and willingness to participate and engage. The process has not only benefited the students, but the staff has also enjoyed working with students they don’t necessarily have in class or see daily and watching them succeed in school. Attendance matters, and it takes a village, but parents play the most important role in their child’s attendance and can support schools in these ways: 1. Setting a good routine at home for bedtime as well as in the mornings. 2. Monitoring their children’s attendance and making sure that they are not missing more than necessary (ex: scheduling appointments outside of the school day). 3. Honestly and openly communicating with their child’s school about any attendance barriers.. 4. Sharing a positive attitude about school and attendance. Children listen to their parents and mimic their parents’ attitudes. 5. Setting goals as a family and making school a priority. Chester-East Lincoln School is committed to providing a safe environment where all students, staff, and parents feel safe, welcome, and loved. The district’s goal is to develop high-functioning citizens who make a positive difference in the community in which they live. [Ashley Aper, Chester-East Lincoln School]
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Page 8 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 “What does a million look like?” This is the question that started a 20-year tradition for Chester- East Lincoln fourth graders. In 2004, Linda Splain was looking for ways to help her fourth and fifth grade students grasp understanding of what a million really is. She decided that pop tabs would be the perfect item due to their small size and easy storage. By the end of the first year, her students were a fourth of the way there; they had collected 252,906 pop tabs. The second year they made it halfway to a million with 500,155 pop tabs. Now, Mrs. Splain was running out of room to store them. The classes loaded all 400 pounds of their pop tabs and took them to Ronald McDonald House in Springfield. Ronald McDonald House is a national organization that supports families when they have a child receiving medical care in the hospital. They provide meals, lodging, and other support services at no cost to the families. The pop tabs that are collected for the Ronald McDonald House are recycled to help raise money to support the families that stay there. CEL’s 2005 donation provided lodging for one family for up to 12 days. Pop Tab Tradition at Chester-East Lincoln teaches more than math Mrs. Splain didn’t stop there. Her and her class encouraged everyone they knew to keep collecting pop tabs. In 2007-08, they reached the one million mark with 1,118,987 total! Again, Mrs. Splain and her students kept going! In 2011, Mrs. Splain and her fourth grade class were recognized by Ronald McDonald House for collecting the most pop tabs in a contest against 26 area schools. That year CEL collected 482,700 pop tabs (the most in one year ever)! By her retirement in the spring of 2019, Mrs. Splain’s students had collected a total of 3,669,795 pop tabs. Throughout the years, she enriched her math class using the pop tabs to help her students understand place value, estimation, measurement, mass, and skip counting and built a concrete understanding of a million. More importantly, she instilled a sense of community and generosity by helping others. Continued --
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Page 10 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 In the fall of 2019, Mrs. Lessen took over teaching fourth grade and continued Mrs. Splain’s pop tab tradition. She, like Mrs. Splain, uses the pop tabs to enrich her math class and create hands-on opportunities. Students use the tabs for activities involving skip counting, multiplication, and weighing. Students also use the pop tabs to create their own EstiMysteries and Estimation Clipboards modeled after Steve Wyboney. The pop tab collection tradition at ChesterEast Lincoln School has not only helped students grasp important mathematical concepts but also instilled a deep sense of community and giving. Through collecting, counting, and donating pop tabs, Chester- East Lincoln’s students have learned valuable lessons in generosity, teamwork, and the impact that they can have on others in their community. Over the years, this project has grown into a powerful example of how small actions can lead to big changes. Two students worked together to create this Esti-Mystery modeled after Steve Wyboney. They counted the tabs, arranged them in the cup then came up with the clues. Did you figure out the answer? It’s 23. [Tiffany Lessen, Chester-East Lincoln School]
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Page 12 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Washington-Monroe Fifth Graders host fourth annual Poetry Slam On November 15, 2024, Guest House Coffee & Pastries in Lincoln hosted fifth graders from Washington-Monroe School for the fourth annual Poetry Slam. Students in Mrs. Snow’s and Mrs. Weaver’s classes presented original works following a threeweek poetry unit. During this time, students read, analyzed, and wrote various styles of poetry in class each day. Near the end of the unit, students chose their favorite poem to refine through the writing process. They revised, edited, and published their works. They practiced reading their poems aloud in preparation for presentation to parents and community members. This event would not have been possible without the generosity of Guest House and the creativity, hard work, and excitement of the students! Continued --
Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Page 13 Mrs. Snow and Mrs. Weaver’s 5th grade students who participated in the Poetry Slam. Students and Parents waiting for the Poetry Slam to start. Students listening intently to presenters. Continued --
Page 14 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Mrs. Snow and Mrs. Weaver beaming with pride! [Teachers Courtney Snow and Kyrsten Weaver, Washington-Monroe School, District 27]
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Page 16 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Zion Lutheran School in Lincoln has had several building improvement projects over the past six months. These projects are helping to update not only the function, but the look of the school as well. They are also just in time for Zion's 50th Anniversary celebration. First, the school had the roof replaced during the summer. The new roof uses state of the art materials to help keep the building well protected and dry as well as insulated. The replacement was sorely needed as the roof was the original roof put on the building 47 years ago. The new roof should last at least Zion Lutheran School Announces Updates to the School another 25-30 years and keep the building well protected from the elements. In addition to the new roof, the school is also installing a new digital sign. The sign is in the final stages of installation and may even be done by the time you read this. This sign will allow the school to showcase upcoming activities and special messages in addition to providing a Scripture verse for those who drive by the school on Woodlawn Road. This sign replaces the older sign that was hard to read and no longer lit up at night. The new digital sign promises to help show how the Continued --
Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Page 17 members of Zion Lutheran Church support and update the school. The final update for the school is an interior paint job, started during the summer. This resulted in all the hallways and most of the classrooms getting a fresh coat of a neutral paint color, with special highlights in school colors. In addition to the paint, a large school logo was completed by a local printer and placed on the main hallway wall, along with the school motto. These touches again leave the school looking more modern and inviting; a great place to send your children for a Christian education. While these outward signs of updates are great, it is the Christian education provided at Zion that is most important and beneficial to families. Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year (and Zion's 50th Anniversary) begins on February 1st for Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten classes, and March 1st for Kindergarten through 8th grade. Come see our updated building and enroll your child for a Christ-centered education! [Dr. Steve Parry, Principal]
Page 18 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 In an annual tradition, all fifth-grade students in Logan County take an exciting field trip to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Scheduled for the first or second Thursday of October each year, this exceptional Student Enrichment Trip has become a cornerstone of the fifth-grade experience in Logan County. Made possible by the generosity of the Woods Foundation, through the kindness of Robert J. and Joan J. Woods, the trip ensures that every student can participate in this memorable journey at no cost. Since its inception in 2017, this program has provided over 2,000 Logan County students with the opportunity to experience one of the nation’s most prestigious science museums. The museum's interactive exhibits and aweinspiring displays provide an immersive learning environment that ignites curiosity and fosters a passion for discovery. A highlight Logan County Fifth Graders Embark on an Annual Journey to the Museum of Science and Industry of the day is a 3D Omnimax presentation— this year’s feature, Oceans: Our Blue Planet, captivated students with its stunning visuals and gripping narrative about ocean exploration. Carefully planned logistics ensure a smooth experience for all participants. Students travel to Chicago on charter buses, allowing them to arrive ready to explore and learn. In addition to touring the museum’s exhibits, students enjoy a delicious lunch provided at the museum, compliments of the Woods Foundation. The seamless coordination of transportation, meals, and activities ensures that the focus remains on creating a memorable educational experience. Since its inception, this field trip has served as a unifying and enriching opportunity for Logan County’s fifth graders. By experiencing the wonders of science, technology, and Continued --
Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Page 19 innovation together, students develop a shared appreciation for learning beyond the classroom. The annual tradition underscores the importance of community partnerships, demonstrating how collaboration between schools and organizations can open doors to life-changing educational experiences. For the young learners of Logan County, this trip to the Museum of Science and Industry is more than just a field trip—it’s an adventure that broadens their horizons, nurtures their curiosity, and inspires them to dream big. As they embark on this journey each October, they carry with them not only the excitement of discovery but also the knowledge that their community is invested in their growth and success. [Chris Allen, Assistant Superintendent District 27 Elementary Schools] Continued --
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Page 22 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Lincoln Junior High Prepares for Another Inspiring Central Illinois STEM Fair Lincoln Junior High School’s Robotics Team and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) students are eagerly preparing for the upcoming 8th Annual Central Illinois STEM Fair, scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at the Rochester High School Athletic Complex. This free event showcases a wide array of STEM fields, including robotics, drones, esports, aviation, chemistry, meteorology, and more, with hands-on activities for all ages. Last year, under the guidance of STEM teacher and Robotics Club sponsor Mrs. Kuethe, a select group of LJHS STEM students and the competition Robotics Team attended the fair to share their knowledge and skills. The Robotics Team taught attendees how to code robots to complete tasks on a playfield, earning accolades for their efforts, including 8th place out of 15 teams and the prestigious Breakthrough Team Award for continuous improvement in the LEGO First Robotics Challenge. Mrs. Kuethe’s STEM students also impressed visitors with their innovative projects, including LEGO coding demonstrations, a homemade laptop mouse, and popsicle bridge designs. Students not only showcased their work but also engaged with interactive exhibits, such as learning how to stitch wounds at a medical booth, an experience shared by Dr. Jordan, who accompanied the team. This year, Mrs. Kuethe plans to continue the tradition, bringing a new group of students to inspire and be inspired at the STEM fair. The event provides a platform for students to explore STEM disciplines, interact with professionals, and consider future educational and career opportunities. For more details and registration updates, visit the official Central Illinois STEM Fair website. [Chris Allen, Assistant Superintendent District 27 Elementary Schools] Continued --
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Page 26 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Heartland Community College Lincoln offering new Ag and Health Sciences opportunities Heartland Community College continues to offer affordable, accessible, and innovative learning opportunities for students looking to gain a degree, certificate, or simply enrich their lives through education. Logan County students looking to earn an associate degree or certification have multiple options including attending classes in Lincoln at the 2201 Woodlawn Drive campus, attending courses at the Main Campus in Normal, taking classes online, or a combination of any of the above. For those looking to stick closer to home, HCC Lincoln has the “Hometown Hawks” program, which provides free student support and engagement opportunities including tutoring and counseling services, wellness events, and extracurricular activities for students in our service area. A new look at HCCL Students at Heartland Community College Lincoln have a new space to enjoy the out-ofclassroom college experience. The College cut the ribbon on a newly remodeled “Hawk Hangout” student lounge at HCCL in March, 2024. The Hawk Hangout lounge includes a dining area that includes a refrigerator, microwave, and coffee pod machine. Students are also able to unwind with a Nintendo Switch, puzzles and activities, and two lounging Super Sacs. The Hawk Hangout also hosts a Food Share program, supported by the College’s Student Counseling Services, to assist students in situations of food insecurity. Ag Programs Lincoln area agriculture students found some new opportunities via Heartland’s growing ag programs in 2024. In October, students from Lincoln Community High School (LCHS) Future Farmers of America (FFA) traveled to Heartland’s Main Campus in Normal to be recognized for efforts to restore a 1927 McCormick-Deering tractor on permanent display at the HCC Ag Complex. The tractor, donated by Heartland faculty member Dave Bishop, underwent a three-year restoration process by LCHS FFA students. The historic piece of equipment was completely disassembled, cleaned, painted, and reassembled before transport to the HCC campus. The LCHS group was welcomed to a full tour of the Ag Complex, which opened in January 2024. The goal of the complex is to expand ag education in the region and offer more programs for Heartland students. To further the focus on ag education the year, Heartland participated in the Logan County 4-H Kickoff. Continued --
Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Page 27 Health Sciences Programs Healthcare remains one of the most in-demand industries in Central Illinois. To help maintain the healthcare job pipeline, Heartland has several Health Sciences programs of study including Nursing, Radiography, Emergency Medical Services, Physical Therapist Assistant, and a general Health major. In the 2023-2024 academic year the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program returned to HCC Lincoln. CNAs play a very important role in nursing by assisting patients and performing many basic medical procedures. CNA remains a high-demand field for Logan County, and courses offered in Lincoln reached capacity in the last two semesters. Hands-On Learning Since 2019, to complement two-year transfer programs, Heartland Community College has added over 40 new degrees and certificates that are designed to lead directly into the workforce. Many of these programs, such as Welding, provide fast-track pathways to a career. Many of these programs are offered on the Main Campus in the new Advanced Manufacturing Center. Last year HCCL added eight-week Welding courses based in Lincoln. Students start with an eight-week 100-level course, then after completion can advance to a 200-level advanced course. Upon the completion of both courses, students earn the Gas metal Arc Welding Basics microcertificate. Continued --
Page 28 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Dual Credit Opportunity Participation in dual credit courses in Logan County high schools continues to grow. Heartland College Now courses offer an early college opportunity for students in high schools or career centers. Credits earned in College Now programs transfer to Heartland and many other colleges. These courses are low-cost or offered free of charge. Over 220 Logan County high school students enrolled in Heartland Community College dual credit classes in the 2023-204 academic year. Schools offering Hartland College Now courses include Lincoln Community High School (LCHS), Hartsburg-Emden High School (HEHS), Lincolnland Technical Education Center, and Olympia High School (OHS). Community Resources Educational opportunities at Heartland Community College expand beyond credit or degree-seeking programs. Heartland Community College Lincoln offers free High School Diploma Equivalency (also known as GED) preparation courses in-person with weekday morning or evening sessions. Online prep courses are also available. HCCL serves as a proctoring center for the High School Diploma certification exam. For students of all ages looking to enrich their lives with education, the Continuing Education department offers non-credit courses at HCCL and other Logan County locations. Some of the most popular Continuing Education classes recently include Meditative Yoga, DIY Soap Making, and Retirement 101. Professional development is also part of the Continuing Education picture. In 2024 Heartland partnered with Lincoln Economic Advancement and Development to provide professional development Business Solutions training. [Jennifer Kirby, Heartland College Lincoln]
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Page 30 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Tier 2 – The Second Class Teacher Tier Undo Tier 2 Preface Earlier this school year, my wife, Abigail, and I were asked by the District 27 union, Lincoln Elementary Education Organization (LEEO), to go to a lobby day being held in Springfield. The goal of this lobby day was to get Tier 2 undone. If you are unaware of what Tier 2 is, keep reading past this introduction and all shall be explained. I was aware of Tier 2 at the time, as well as the fact that it is unfair (for teachers, as well as others), but not the specific details. I decided if I was going to this event to represent the union of an entire school district, I should probably know what I am talking about. So I took to Google and began my research. To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. I knew Tier 2 was unfair, but not to the extent that it truly is. I had so many thoughts on the matter that I needed to write them down. What started off as a brief letter to the legislators that I would be talking to quickly spiraled into something over 2,000 words in length. Also, while this is written from the perspective of an educator on the Teachers’ Retirement System, it can also be applied to anyone in the State Universities Retirement System and the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, albeit with some tweaks, so long as they were hired on or after January 1st, 2011. After it was finished, I printed off some copies and brought it with me to the lobby day. On that day, I attempted to sit down with both Representative William Hauter and Senator Sally Turner. I was only successful in meeting with Representative Hauter, but it was a productive conversation. To follow is the document I delivered to Representative Hauter, and attempted to deliver to Senator Turner. Undo Tier 2 ‘Give me a break.’ ‘All work and no play makes Matthew a dull boy.’ ‘Thank God it’s Friday!’ These are all phrases that we as Americans use to convey the need for time away from work and responsibilities. Nestlé took the first phrase and made a nationally recognizable jingle for their candy Kit-Kat. An entire restaurant chain has been made off the latter phrase. Loverboy even made a song about wanting time off, the 1981 hit ‘Working for the Weekend.’ Retirement is the ultimate weekend, the endall and be-all of breaks. We work during our younger years to get the chance to spend our twilight years doing the things we want to do. Access to pension plans is significant in an employee’s plan to retire, as having access to one could make retirement much easier than it would be otherwise. Continued --
Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Page 31 The Teacher Retirement System (TRS) is such a pension system for teachers in Illinois. If you are reading this, you likely know this already, so let’s skip to the nitty-gritty, the ugly truth, the need to make retirement more equitable for Tier 2 educators. A Tier 2 educator is anyone who was hired as a teacher for the first time on January 1st, 2011 or after. If you are a young teacher, you likely have heard about this, but may not be as well informed as you could be. I know that’s where I was just a year ago, and this is my seventh year teaching. To say that Tier 1 and Tier 2 educators are not equal in the eyes of TRS would be an understatement. Tier 2 is an extremely flawed plan for a large number of reasons. First, and certainly not least, is the age at which these two groups are allowed to retire without incurring financial punishments. For those teachers in Tier 1, they can retire at the age of 55 with 35 years of teaching service, 60 with only 10 years, and 62 with only 5 years. Even in the oldest category, Tier 1 educators get an extra half a decade of retirement, time to enjoy with their families, taking trips, and doing the things they were not able to do while working as an educator. Educators in Tier 2 are not allowed to retire until the age of 67, regardless of how many years of service they have provided the state. To add insult to injury, TRS does allow Tier 2 educators to retire as early as 62, but not without a significant cost. For each year a Tier 2 educator is under the age of 67 when they begin claiming retirement benefits from TRS, these educators must forfeit 6% of their retirement benefits per year. This means a Tier 2 educator could forfeit up to 30% of their retirement benefits for daring to retire five years earlier than the state of Illinois dictates they can. Using myself as an example, if I work until the age of 67 as an educator, that would mean I would have provided the state of Illinois with 44 years of service. Another large issue, and one that is particularly insulting considering some of us will have to spend a few years shy of half a century teaching, is the way retirement benefits are calculated for Tier 1 and Tier 2 educators. ‘Wait, they aren’t calculated the same way?’ I hear you asking. No, not at all! For those in Tier 1, the amount they receive each month from TRS is the average of the educator’s “four highest consecutive years” in their last ten years teaching. For Tier 2 educators, this is “the final average salary of the 96 highest consecutive months of service out of the last 10 years.” To someone not Continued --
Page 32 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 paying full attention while reading a long legal document, they may not think anything of this. It should be noted, however, that 96 months equates to 8 years, not four. This is significant for the way that the word “average” works in these two clauses. We should all know that the average of something is calculated by adding up the amounts for which one is calculating the average for, then dividing the sum by the number of amounts that were added. A smaller pool of larger numbers will always have a higher average than a larger pool of slightly smaller numbers. For example, the average of 5, 6, 7, and 8 is 6.5. The average of the numbers 1 through 8, however, is lower, with that average being 4.5. By sneakily changing the wording of how monthly retirement benefits are calculated for these two groups, they have guaranteed that, even though many Tier 2 educators will work more years over their career than Tier 1, they will receive less retirement benefits for doing so. Let’s take a look at some of these numbers in practice. Many teachers receive a 6% raise in their last four years teaching once they have put in for retirement, the percentage limit put in place by TRS before the school district must pay penalties. Since it has been established that Tier 2 educators’ retirement benefits are calculated out of their last 8 highest years, let’s assume the educator starts at $60,000 and gets three percent raises for three more years. This teacher then puts in for retirement, getting 6% raises for their last four years. First, let’s see what that would look like for the educator. Starting at $60,000, after their first 3% raise, their salary would be $61,800. After their next 3% raise, it would be $63,654, and then $65,563.62 with the raise after. At this point, the educator puts in for retirement. They then receive a 6% raise, bumping their salary up to $69,497.44. After the next year, they get $73,667.29, then $78,087.33, and finally $82,772.57 in their final year. All numbers were rounded up to the next highest penny. For a Tier 1 employee, only the last four highest amounts would be considered for their average. This means we must add $82,772.57, $78,087.33, $73,667.29, and $69,497.44, then divide by four. Adding the numbers gives us $304,024.63. After dividing by four, this would mean that, as a Tier 1 employee, this individual would receive $76,006.16 per year, or $6,333.85 per month, for the rest of their lives. For a Tier 2 employee, all 8 of these years would have to be considered, month by month. The math works out the same whether we calculate the monthly payment, add all 96 numbers up, then divide by 96 or if we just add all 8 salaries up and divide by 8. Adding all of the salaries up gives us $555,042.25. This is a larger number, but we are also dividing by a larger number. This would mean that, as a Tier 2 employee, this same exact individual would receive $69,380.29 per year, or $5,781.70 per month for the rest of their lives. This is the difference of $552.15 per month, and $6,625.87 per year. Continued --
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Page 34 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 According to the CDC, the average life expectancy for a man in the United States is 74.8 years. If this individual were a man and collected benefits until death (let’s assume 75 years) they would collect $608,049.28 over their 8 years of retirement as a Tier 1 educator, while collecting $555,042.32 as a Tier 2 educator. This is a difference of $53,006.96. If this person were a woman, the CDC projects they would live to be 80.2 years old (let’s assume 80 for this example). The gap here would be even wider, with the educator collecting $988,080.08 as a Tier 1 educator, and $901,943.77 as a Tier 2 educator, a difference of $86,136.31. This is also not considering that, as a Tier 1 educator, this person would have been able to retire anywhere between 5 and 12 years earlier than they would have been as a Tier 2 educator. Considering that Tier 2 educators are not going to get the same amount as Tier 1 educators, you might think that TRS would require these two groups to contribute different amounts of their paychecks to TRS before retirement. This makes sense, as everything else relating to money between these two groups has been different up to now, so why not this too? You would be wrong about this, as both groups are required to contribute 9% of their gross earnings to TRS, even though they will not be collecting the same amounts in retirement. Up to now, all of my arguments have been regarding financial inequality, but let’s take a moment to really consider the difference of time. I have coworkers who have retired in their mid to late 50’s. These people began teaching when they were in their early twenties and kept going throughout their lives. So many of these people have talked about how tired they are, and how much they need to retire. Whenever I hear these comments, I cannot help but think that, when I am in their shoes, I will have somewhere in the ballpark of a decade left to work. What am I going to miss out on, having to work for so many more years? My wife and I just had a son at the end of 2023. When I retire, he will be pushing forty and will likely, if he chooses to, have kids that are in high school. I will miss so many of those early years with my grandkids. I will not be able to be there as often for my son as my parents are for me now. Anyone with parents who help watch their grandkids know how much of a blessing this can be. I will be the grandfather who was only around on the holidays, who was always working. I want to end on a story and a call to action. First, the story. At the beginning of the 20232024 school year, we had someone come in to talk to the teachers in my school about TRS. This is when I really started looking into TRS and the differences between the tiers and realizing how deeply flawed the current system is. I asked several questions of the presenter, and he understood that I was outraged at the lack of equitability. He told me that I could retire before I turned 67, I just could not start collecting my retirement benefits before that age without incurring the penalties. I will never forget that he said to “find something to do in the meantime,” meaning to find a way to make money between whenever I retire and the time I turn 67. I refuse to believe that, as a college educated person, I should have to work most of my career in one position, only to start an entry level position in my mid-to-late fifties doing something else until I retire. Why did I even bother going to college if my only choice was to work until I resent my career for not valuing me and my service, or having to work some other job for a decade or more where I may not even use that degree? Continued --
Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 2025 Page 35 Tier 2 needs to be undone. There is no way around it. It can be reworked, it can be modified, but there is so much wrong with it, I am not sure that any modifications can truly right all the wrongs. First, Tier 2 educators need to be allowed to retire earlier than 67, or 62 with severe penalties. No one is going to want to get into a job as difficult as teaching if they know this is where the road will drop them off in retirement. Second, Tier 2 educators must be offered a more equitable monthly retirement benefit when compared to their Tier 1 counterparts. No one wants to be told that, after working for as long and as hard as someone else, that they just are not worth as much. Third, don’t just listen to me. I’m just some teacher that has done his research, but may have missed a beat or two. There are thousands of other teacher voices that need to be listened to when it comes to this matter and what needs to be fixed. Reach out to the teachers and schools that you represent. Talk to the people there about what they feel needs to be changed, and listen when they tell you. This is a touchy subject that most do not have mild opinions on, so understand if they get angry, it’s not at you, it’s at the situation. Understand that there is a need for one of the most underappreciated jobs in this country. We need a win, and you can help give us a chance at getting that win. So, once more, I implore you, undo Tier 2. Matthew Boutcher [Matt Boutcher has been a stringer with Lincoln Daily News since 2023 while also teaching full time at Lincoln Junior High School. The Tier 2 topic is one that is near and dear to his heart. Regardless of how the reader may feel about this article, LDN believes the information presented is timely, accurate and important. We invite readers to form their own opinions derived from honest and accurate information.]
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