PUTNEY — After understandably hearing from many teachers recently, with serious concerns about the pensions they've been paying into for decades, I am hoping the following will offer up-to-date, helpful information.
First, though, I want to thank all teachers for their years of dedicated service to our children. They are our future, and their education is the key to that future.
As I like to point out, when I hear someone complain about the cost of education: The kids of today will be taking your blood pressure tomorrow, and don't you want them to have the best education possible so they're able to do that accurately?
As for the current pension snafu:
Please know what is being publicized is not from the Legislature, it came from the state treasurer and what she has suggested is not a done deal.
Releasing a suggested solution - one that is now being perceived as a done deal - was not helpful. It only left teachers feeling even more set upon as they try and continue teaching through the pandemic.
I will certainly be advocating against such actions. I believe we have to be faithful to the educators who have been paying into their pension for these many years and have also given so many years of dedicated service to our kids, families, and communities.
Our schools are our community centers in Vermont, and our communities are at the heart of the quality of life that makes our state the best place I know to live, work, raise a family, and retire to.
The best next step is to bring together all the stakeholders in this situation and find a solution - a process that needs to be comprehensive and deliberate and will take time.
The governor has proposed bridge funding in his 2022 budget for the pension system. That would give us the needed time to find a solution to this problem by working a thorough process - one that isn't hurried and has all stakeholders at the table.