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Sunday, March 11, 2012

Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset

teacher/poet/musician glen brown:


Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset

The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) “was enacted as part of the 1983 Social Security Refinancing Act, designed to shore up the financing of the Social Security Trust Fund. That Act was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan” (Mass Retirees).  
“The Windfall Elimination Provision primarily affects [a public employee who has] earned a pension in any job where [he or she] did not pay Social Security taxes and also worked in other jobs long enough to qualify for a Social Security retirement or disability benefit” (Social Security website).

WEP reduces any earned Social Security in other jobs because of a state pension benefit. “…Reduction in [a] Social Security benefit cannot be more than one-half of the amount of [one’s public] pension that is based on earnings after 1956 on which [he or she] did not pay Social Security taxes…

“The Windfall Elimination Provision may apply if [the public employee reaches 62] after 1985; or [if he or she] became disabled after 1985; and [if he or she] first became eligible for a monthly pension based on work where [he or she] did not pay Social Security taxes after 1985…” (Social Security website).

According to Mass Retirees, “the WEP affects members who apply for their own (not spousal) Social Security benefits and fail to satisfy certain exceptions. A major exception is that members, who were eligible for their public pension before January 1, 1986 (i.e., 20/more years of service under age 55, or 10/more years over 55) or have at least 30 years of substantial coverage under Social Security, are exempt from the WEP. (There is some relief for those with 20-30 years of SS coverage.”

The Government Pension Offset (GPO) is “a provision in the 1977 Social Security Amendments signed into law by President Jimmy Carter” (Mass Retirees).  

“The GPO affects members who apply for Social Security spousal benefits, based upon their husband or wife’s work record under the program and fail to satisfy two exceptions. Members must either be eligible for their public pension before December 1, 1982 and meet all requirements for Social Security spousal benefits… or be eligible for their pension before July 1, 1983 and receiving one-half support from his or her spouse. Unless a member satisfies one of these two exceptions, then the amount of their Social Security spousal benefits will be reduced by two-thirds of their public pension” (Mass Retirees).

“In other words, [with] a monthly civil service pension of $600, two-thirds of that (or $400) must be deducted from Social Security benefits. For example, [if the public employee is eligible] for a $500 spouse’s, widow’s or widower’s benefit from Social Security, [he or she] will receive $100 per month from Social Security ($500 – $400 = $100)” (Social Security Website).   

As said by the Illinois Education Association, “nine out of ten public employees affected by the GPO lose their entire spousal benefit, even though their spouse paid Social Security taxes for many years. The WEP causes hard-working people to lose up to sixty percent of the benefits they earned themselves. Many workers rely on misleading Social Security Administration statements that fail to take into account the GPO and WEP when projecting benefits.

“Some 300,000 individuals lose an average of $3,600 a year due to the GPO - an amount 

Jersey Jazzman: Sunday Music Blogging

Jersey Jazzman: Sunday Music Blogging:


Sunday Music Blogging

In an effort to not be such a snarky old bastard all the time, let's try to do a little music blogging every Sunday, shall we?

I'm just finishing a big band piece for a high school. A lot of times, when I write something, I think, "I want to do this piece I like, but recomposed my way." Like about 10,000 artists have said, "Good composers borrow; great composers steal."

I may not be great, but I have good taste. So when I steal, I steal from the best. Here's what I had in mind when I was composing; I wish I knew who the arranger is. Enjoy.

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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Lawsuit over Creative Approach Schools Needs Help

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Lawsuit over Creative Approach Schools Needs Help:


Lawsuit over Creative Approach Schools Needs Help

District watchdog Chris Jackins came forward at a recent Board meeting to say that he believed (and a lawyer looking at the RCW concurred) that the MOU between the district and the SEA is illegal.

 He has found a number of appellants to sign onto a lawsuit to challenge the legality of the MOU. 

But, that lawsuit needs money to start down this road.  If you find this MOU troubling and want to support this effort, contact Chris at 206-219-1687 or 206-521-3288.  Your donation will remain anonymous and any amount ($10, $20, $50, etc.) would be a big help.

Thanks in advance. 

Be Like Me: Just Write Five Different Blog Starters and Don’t Hit Publish | The Jose Vilson

Be Like Me: Just Write Five Different Blog Starters and Don’t Hit Publish | The Jose Vilson:


Be Like Me: Just Write Five Different Blog Starters and Don’t Hit Publish

Sometime after Monday, I thought I’d have the hang of this blogging thing again. I was fairly confident that I could crank out some really good topics for my blog, and possibly a few tweets related to these extensive pieces. I would carve out my usual 8pm to 10pm schedule for my blogging process and come up with something both insightful and gripping. The headlines kept coming up all week, some of them too good to pass up.
And I did. These otherwise easy layups didn’t even come out of my hands since Monday, ending up running out of bounds for the week. Turnover city. And all those other good metaphors.
On Tuesday, I wanted to write about the fact that Black students are three times more likely than White students to get suspended in school, Arne Duncan’s reaction, and my own experiences about it (Colleague Liz 

Georgia Charter School Decision Could Set National Precedent | Fox News

Georgia Charter School Decision Could Set National Precedent | Fox News:


Georgia charter school decision could set national precedent

Published March 11, 2012
| FoxNews.com
The Georgia Legislature is hotly debating a bill that would allow the state to cover the costs of charter schools even if local school boards reject them, setting up a case that could set national precedent on educational reform.
The legislation to amend the state constitution would allow the Peach State to create its own parallel K-12 system to local boards, drawing on the same limited pool of Georgia's taxpayer funds -- a decision that the Georgia Supreme Court said was illegal just one year ago.
"In the education reform battle often times things boil down to a turf battle, and that's what we have here. We have some local school systems that are worried that by virtue of having state charter schools that some of their turf is getting interfered. But it's about the children and the choice," said state Rep. Ed


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/11/georgia-charter-school-decision-could-set-national-precedent/#ixzz1orIdCZTH

Georgia Charter School Decision Could Set National Precedent | Fox News

Georgia Charter School Decision Could Set National Precedent | Fox News:


Georgia charter school decision could set national precedent

Published March 11, 2012
| FoxNews.com
The Georgia Legislature is hotly debating a bill that would allow the state to cover the costs of charter schools even if local school boards reject them, setting up a case that could set national precedent on educational reform.
The legislation to amend the state constitution would allow the Peach State to create its own parallel K-12 system to local boards, drawing on the same limited pool of Georgia's taxpayer funds -- a decision that the Georgia Supreme Court said was illegal just one year ago.
"In the education reform battle often times things boil down to a turf battle, and that's what we have here. We have some local school systems that are worried that by virtue of having state charter schools that some of their turf is getting interfered. But it's about the children and the choice," said state Rep. Ed


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/11/georgia-charter-school-decision-could-set-national-precedent/#ixzz1orIdCZTH

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 3-11 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform


6 Ways to Get Ready for the May 1st GENERAL STRIKE | OccupyWallSt.org #soschat #ows

6 Ways to Get Ready for the May 1st GENERAL STRIKE | OccupyWallSt.org: 6 Ways to Get Ready for the May 1st GENERAL STRIKEPosted 5 hours ago on March 11, 2012, 7:57 a.m. EST byOccupyWallStYesterday, 60,000 marched on Madison to mark the one-year anniversary of the passage of Governor Scott Walker's drastic dismantling of collective bargaining rights for public employees. Last year, Walker's attacks on labor rights sparked massive protests that saw hundreds of thousands occupy the Wisconsin capital building. ...more »

Robbing kindergartners of play in the name of reform - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Robbing kindergartners of play in the name of reform - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Robbing kindergartners of play in the name of reformbyValerie StraussByValerie StraussThere is no end to the bad ideas advanced in the name of school reform. Here’s one that will ensure that kids learn to hate school even earlier than usual: In Hartford, Conn., the superintendent of schools wants to extend the school year for some kindergartners to 11 months of the year.And these ...more »

Hechinger Report | Wisconsin moving toward portfolio-based assessment for teacher-candidates

Hechinger Report | Wisconsin moving toward portfolio-based assessment for teacher-candidates: Wisconsin moving toward portfolio-based assessment for teacher-candidatesbyErin RichardsMILWAUKEE — Before he could start student teaching in January at Sennette Middle School in nearby Madison, Andrew Johnson had to pass a multiple-choice test.The 23-year-old wants to teach high-school science, so the exam he took tested his knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics. He had to know the basic properties of an atom and the difference between oxidation and combustion reaction.But this ... more »

Oakland's painful school closure era might be over sooner than expected - ContraCostaTimes.com

Oakland's painful school closure era might be over sooner than expected - ContraCostaTimes.com: Oakland's painful school closure era might be over sooner than expectedByKaty MurphyOakland TribunePosted: 03/11/2012 12:00:00 AM PSTUpdated: 03/11/2012 05:06:35 AM PDTClick photo to enlargeOakland School District Superintendent Tony Smith speaks during an Oakland Unified School...OAKLAND -- Residents bracing for a second wave of school closures, wondering if their neighborhood school will still exist in 2013, should heed this news: Round 2 has been canceled.The downsizing plan announced ... more »

Despite Scott’s $1 Billion Increase, Local School Boards Still Facing Cuts | Scathing Purple Musings

Despite Scott’s $1 Billion Increase, Local School Boards Still Facing Cuts | Scathing Purple Musings: Despite Scott’s $1 Billion Increase, Local School Boards Still Facing CutsbyBob SikesFrom Leslie Postal in theOrlando Sentinel:Scott demanded more money for public schools this year, and the Legislature agreed. But the increase lawmakers approved won’t lead to bigger budgets for local districts this year.Per-student funding will go up an average of $150. But last year, lawmakers slashed an average of $585 for each student. Making ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Tom Moran, I'm Begging: Answer These Questions About Tenure

Jersey Jazzman: Tom Moran, I'm Begging: Answer These Questions About Tenure: Tom Moran, I'm Begging: Answer These Questions About TenurebyDukeFirst of all, I don't ever want to hear theStar-LedgerEditorial Board complain about money the NJEA spends on advertising; not aftertoday's anti-tenure editorial. Granting averyoccasional space to the union to run an op-ed in rebuttal is hardly equivalent to many, many pieces theLedgerhas written in support of policies to abolish tenure as we know it. The NJEA has every right - ... more »

Union. « Fred Klonsky

Union. « Fred Klonsky: Union.MARCH 11, 2012

Hechinger Report | Indiana overhauls how it evaluates teachers

Hechinger Report | Indiana overhauls how it evaluates teachers: Indiana overhauls how it evaluates teachersbyScott ElliottINDIANAPOLIS—Reform: There is perhaps no idea more embraced in education circles nationally—and especially here.Indiana is in the midst of a massive education reform effort that includes the creation of vouchers, increasing the number of charter schools and adopting a new system to hold schools accountable. For the first time, that includes taking control of failing schools away from districts.It could be argued, however, that no ... more »

Guest blog: Jerry Mulvihill on educational reformers. « Fred Klonsky

Guest blog: Jerry Mulvihill on educational reformers. « Fred Klonsky: Guest blog: Jerry Mulvihill on educational reformers.byFred KlonskyJerry Mulvihill, a colleague of mine in Park Ridge, wrote the following op-ed piece for the Southtown Star.“(Mr. Mulvihill), when you come up with a plan to decrease salaries and spending in wasteful and ineffective (school) districts and shift resources to the efficient and effective districts, you may gain some credibility. Until then, you’re acting like no more than a union shill.” — ... more »

Defeats of Prison Privatization and Parent Trigger Prompts FL Chamber of Commerce to Target Rebel GOP Senators | Scathing Purple Musings

Defeats of Prison Privatization and Parent Trigger Prompts FL Chamber of Commerce to Target Rebel GOP Senators | Scathing Purple Musings: Defeats of Prison Privatization and Parent Trigger Prompts FL Chamber of Commerce to Target Rebel GOP SenatorsbyBob SikesYesterday’sOrlando Sentinelpieceby Tallahassee bureau chief Aaron Deslatte delved into the Florida Chamber of Commerce’sinfluence and it’s displeasure with the republican rebels in the senate who didn’t go along with them on prison privatization and parent trigger.It was a rare defeat for the ... more »

CTC Whistle Blower Attorney Kathleen Carroll's Disturbing View of the Future of Public Education (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com

CTC Whistle Blower Attorney Kathleen Carroll's Disturbing View of the Future of Public Education (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com: CTC Whistle Blower Attorney Kathleen Carroll's Disturbing View of the Future of Public Education (VIDEO)byLeonard IsenbergWhat follows is a 17 minute overview given by California Teacher Credentialing whistle blower Attorney Kathleen Carroll that lays out the master plan for the privatization of public education at LAUSD, California, and throughout the United States. It is my belief that a functioning democracy that vests power ... more »

Why I Decided to Become a Private School Teacher - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

Why I Decided to Become a Private School Teacher - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Why I Decided to Become a Private School TeacherbyNancy FlanaganThis is a guest post fromNadia Zananiri, who teaches AP World History at Miami Beach Senior High School, and serves as AP World History mentor teacher for Miami Dade county. She is founder of the Facebook groupFlorida Parentsand Educators for Legislative Change.I am not a private school teacher yet; but I am ... more »

Schools Matter: Cañon City improves access to books, I make a suggestion

Schools Matter: Cañon City improves access to books, I make a suggestion: Cañon City improves access to books, I make a suggestionbyskrashenWritten in response to a very nice article in the local newspaper.A suggestion for the Book Swap: Don’t include incentivesSent to the Cañon City Daily Record, March 10, 2012I was very pleased to read that as a result of my presentation at the Colorado Reading Association conference, there are plans to add a book swap along with the summer ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 3-10 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform

Andrew Rotherham: Can Parents Take Over Schools? | Dropout Nation: Why Andy Rotherham is Off-Target by RiShawn Biddle »Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-21 minutes agoAndrew Rotherham: Can Parents Take Over Schools? | TIME Ideas | TIME.com: Can Parents Take Over Schools?New "parent trigger" laws are triggering debate, but not enough attention is being paid to what happens afterwardsByANDREW J. ROTHERHAM|@arotherham|March 8, 2012|9inShare15ALEX GALLARDO / REUTERSChrissy Guzman speaks in frustration during a Adelanto School District board meeting regarding the ... more »

An Urban Teacher's Education: Somebody's Unplugging My Computer

An Urban Teacher's Education: Somebody's Unplugging My Computer: Somebody's Unplugging My ComputerbyJames BoutinYesterday, for the third day in a row, I sat down at my computer during third period to find somebody had pulled its plug out of the socket.The first two days it happened, I chalked it up to an accident. The outlet is in sort of an awkward place, and its possible that a student may have bumped into the cord or moved a chair into it to ... more »

School Tech Connect: IFT Primary Outreach: Kelly Cassidy

School Tech Connect: IFT Primary Outreach: Kelly Cassidy: IFT Primary Outreach: Kelly CassidyI just got the nicest letter from IFT president Dan Montgomery, advising me to vote for Kelly Cassidy, who was endorsed early on byIFTand then later on byIPACE.Evidently there are people whostill haven't voted. It's been a long time since I was in the IEA but I don't remember getting an endorsement letter like this ever from IPACE. Maybe I just missed them. It's a pretty nice feature, ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Legislature and Education Bills; Here's Where They Stand

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Legislature and Education Bills; Here's Where They Stand: The Legislature and Education Bills; Here's Where They StandbyMelissa WestbrookThank goodness forThe Olympian; they really keep up-to-date on the Legislature. Here's the latest on education measures:Passed and gone to the Governor for her signature:Collaborative schools: A proposal for universities to work with school districts to assist low-performing schools cleared the Legislature. The pilot project would implement instruction models and other strategies in chosen elementary schools.Thi... more »

Undocumented students begin cross-country trek - latimes.com

Undocumented students begin cross-country trek - latimes.com: Undocumented students begin cross-country trekMarch 10, 2012|2:05pm70A group of undocumented students and their supporters Saturday began a cross-country walking journey from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the passage of the Dream Act.The eight-month walk began just before 1 p.m. with marchers crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. The trek is meant to draw attention during the election season to the proposed federal legislation, which would create a path to citizenship for ... more »

Daily Kos: Our fight for public schooling is a fight for democracy

Daily Kos: Our fight for public schooling is a fight for democracy: Our fight for public schooling is a fight for democracybyrss@dailykos.com (teacherken)Our fight for public schooling is a fight for democracy, for one-for-all-and-all-for-one solutions to our problems. But what is this democracy idea? Or as the Occupiers say: "What does democracy look like"? We need to use schools to sell democracy—even to explain it! It doesn't just live on neglected and compromised. Even many of our parental allies seem ... more »

Parents Across America hails defeat of Florida’s Parent Trigger bill | Seattle Education

Parents Across America hails defeat of Florida’s Parent Trigger bill | Seattle Education: Parents Across America hails defeat of Florida’s Parent Trigger billbyseattleducation2011Parents Across America hails defeat of Florida’s Parent Trigger bill:A victory of parents over forces that would privatize and profit from our public schoolsPublic education and true parent empowerment were the winners after a “Parent Trigger” law