As educators and school related personnel, we must accept the responsibility of supporting our school districts by voting for our schools’ budgets. And as we pay close attention to who wants to lead our country, we must also become familiar with the individuals looking to oversee our school system by running for positions on the school board. We must remember not only the direct impact school boards and school budgets have on our working environment but also the significant impact both have on our communities as a whole.

Even though we are still a few months away from having to deal with school budget votes, we must begin the process of becoming informed voters.

What You Can Do:

• Contact your local school district to see that you are registered to vote. If you are a resident of the Massapequa Public School System, contact Anne Marie Bellizzi, District Clerk, at 797-6160. She can inform you if you are a registered voter. If you are not registered, you can go directly to her office in the Administration Building and register. Be sure to bring identification. It is recommended to do this as soon as possible but must be done no later than May 15th.
• Attend your local school board meetings and budget hearings to become knowledgeable of your school board’s focus and the views of community members who attend. Your school calendar will have the time and location of these meetings.
• Attend your district’s “Meet the Candidates” night. You should be able to find this information in your school calendar. Massapequa’s is scheduled for May 7th at 7:30 in the MHS Little Theatre. Put the date in your calendar now.
• Talk with your family, neighbors and friends about the importance of participating in your school district’s budget vote and school board elections.
• VOTE! School budget votes throughout the state are scheduled for May 20, 2008.

Retirement

The February 1st date for submitting retirement papers in order to receive the incentive in our contract is fast approaching. Information has been sent out and Evan Engler, NYSUT Coordinator of Financial Benefits, was able to join us on January 14th to discuss the incentive and 403b.

Please be advised, if you are planning to retire or think that you may be eligible to retire within the next five years, it is strongly recommended that you contact the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS) before you make your decision. They offer video conferencing to assist you. The MFT can not provide you with any retirement advice or determine your personal eligibility or benefits. We can only provide information regarding contacts and any benefits that are afforded to us upon retirement that are specific to our contract with the Massapequa Public School System.

As a warning, you will see many seminars on planning for retirement offered by various vendors who profit in financial planning. Many are very good and informative; however, do not rely on these seminars. You must deal with the NYSTRS to get your accurate information. After you have contacted NYSTRS and obtained your personal information, NYSUT does offer the services of retirement consultants.

In Unity,
Tomia Smith
President
Massapequa Federation of Teachers
(A Union of Teachers and Secretaries)

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