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Beach OutlookCalifornia Retired Teachers AssociationLong Beach - Division 3, Area XOctober 2019 - November 2019Core Purpose: To enhance and protectthe benefits of retired educators.President: Julia MendellEditors: Stuart Borden & Becky CarrollLayout Editor: Louise JonesDIVISION 3 AWARDS 21,250 in SCHOLARSHIPS!Congratulations to our Scholarship Students!L to R: Maira Moreno, Gabriel Gonzales, Sarah Nasser, Alia Medrano, Allison Heer,Marc Calderon, Brenda Gonzales, Sarai Guzman, and Maria MedranoCalRTA Division 3’s Annual Scholarship Recognition Luncheon was held on Friday, September20, with twenty-two scholars and guests in attendance. A special thank you to the generous benefactors who financed these lunches for our recipients who represented Long Beach City College,Cerritos College, and Cal State Long Beach: Jean Bakke, Ginny Baxter, Connie Lu Berg, BarbaraEllis, Bill & Hannah Gough, Karen & Dwayne Larson, Melvin Lindsey, Leane Metzler, BettyOugland, Patricia Potter, Geneva Ray, Kitty Rozenstraten, Claire Vincent, Lewis & Felicia Ward,and Sonia Woitovich. Special appreciation is also due our members who are always so friendlyand welcoming and to those who graciously gave up their chairs at a favorite table, so that thescholars and guests could be seated together. This scholarship luncheon is really a team effort.Thank you, Division 3 members for the wonderful support you give to prospective teachers andschool nurses.We had five college representatives at the luncheon. Shireen Pavri, Dean of the College of Education, gave an interesting and informative update on activities at Cal State. Plans for a big celebraBeach OutlookOctober-November 2019

tion of the 70th anniversary of the college are in full swing, while the College of Ed continues toprepare outstanding teacher candidates to fill classrooms in these days when we are seeing ashortage of teachers. Accompanying the Dean were Maryanne Horton, Senior Director of Development and Hayley Miller, Assistant Director of Development. Paula Barrow, Assistant Directorfor Alumni Development at Long Beach City College gave an enthusiastic update on the CollegePromise, which has now been extended to two years. This gives the opportunity of a college education to every student in the Long Beach Unified School District by putting higher educationwithin reach for all. Veronica Castro, Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships at Cerritos Collegegave an update on the teacher training at that site which is coordinated with Cal State for asmooth transition as students continue their preparation for the classroom.The new scholars were introduced to the members and our continuing students were welcomedback and an up-dates were given on their progress toward earning their degrees and teachingcredentials. Brenda Gonzalez who has been the Trudy Cares Scholar since she was a freshman atLBCC graduated last spring and will be student teaching next semester. She expressed her appreciation for the support and encouragement she has received from the membership and hopes to bein a classroom in the Long Beach Unified School District at this time next year. Sarai Guzmanhas also been our scholar since her freshman days at Cerritos. She too will be student teaching inthe spring. Along with her teaching credential, she will also qualify for the authorization to be abilingual teacher. A longer-range goal is to obtain a master's degree in EducationalAdministration. An even longer-term goal is to become a professor at CSULB.You will be reading about other scholars in upcoming newsletters. We have an outstanding groupof prospective teachers, and we also have a conscientious Scholarship Committee whose members need to be commended for the time they devote in perusing applications, interviewing candidates at both community colleges, and making the important decisions about those who are mostworthy of being awarded a coveted CalRTA scholarship: Barbara Butler, Becky Carroll, Dwayneand Karen Larson, Jim Mullen, Brenda Ross, Kitty Rozenstraten, Mary Slattery, and Sheryal Walther.Again, a big thank you to all of Division 3 members for the wonderful support you give to prospective teachers and school nurses. Your scholarship dollars are certainly needed and appreciatedby these students. You heard from our student speakers what a difference that scholarship moneyhas made. Your encouraging words and confidence in their ability to become successful professionals are just as important. Rosemary Harks has written a very generous check to continue theTrudy Cares Scholarship. If you would like to join her in honoring Trudy, write a check tothe L.B. CalRTA Scholarship Fund. Just write "Trudy Cares" on the memo line. If you wouldlike your donation to count toward nursing scholarships, indicate that as well. All other checkswill go into the general scholarship fund. Checks should be sent to Barbara Ellis, 450-103 Kakkis Drive, Long Beach CA 90803.Barbara Ellis, chairScholarship CommitteeBeach Outlook2October-November 2019

The President Reports.CalRTA Area X WorkshopDivision 3 is a member of Area X. A thank you to members of Division 3 Board, Becky Carroll,Barbara Harris, Julie Mendell, Toni Tawzer and Janice Wilcox who attended the workshop. Congratulations to Becky Carroll, past President of Division 3 and recently elected as Area X Director, for a well- planned and informative workshop. Guest presenters at the workshop were Johanna Hobbs, Membership Manager; Susan Dixon, CalRTA Government Relations Chair andGini Pederson, Communication and Technology Content Specialist. Topics and highlights of thesepresentation included a “visual” walk through of CalRTA’s Website, information about emailing aquestion to CalRTA’s “Ask a Question” and receiving a prompt answer and reports on advocacyefforts regarding WEP/GPO and other work.November LuncheonEntertainment at our luncheon on Friday, November 15, 2019, will be The Civil War Battalionfrom Long Beach City College. Program Chair, Frank Dayak, has long wanted to share thisgroup with Division 3 and has worked hard to schedule this impressive group. Thinking ahead,our January 15, 2019 luncheon guest speaker is Jim Mahoney, President of CalRTA. We hope youwill plan to attend.CalRTA Teacher GrantsOur previous newsletter shared information about CalRTA’s 2019–2020 Grant Program. Recipients of the first round of grants were recently notified of their selection. One of the recipients is ateacher in Long Beach Unified School District. A check for 100.00 has been mailed to Division3, as well as, information about CalRTA and logo items to share. Member(s) of Division 3 Boardare scheduling a visit to the school to present the grant check.Division 3’s Grant ProgramAs you know, each year Division 3 provides grants to active teachers in school districts assignedto Division 3. Last year, 2018 – 2019, Division 3 provided 12 grants to teachers or school librarians in Paramount Unified School District. One of our recipients recently sent us a picture of theirstudents holding “California Missions” projects which were supported by teaching material purchased by the teacher using grant funds as a “thank you”. We will share this picture with you atthe luncheon.Division 3 Membership CommitteeCalRTA’s Mission is to “Protect and advocate for retired and active educators’ pensions, andother retirement benefits and to support public education in our community”. Maintaining an increasing membership is important to the mission of CalRTA. Division 3 Membership Chairs, ToniTawzer and Janice Wilcox active outreach to members who do not participate in dues deductionand have not currently paid their dues is labor intensive and important. Thank you to each ofthem for their work in reaching out to these members as well as potential future members. Thankyou also to Division 3 members who reach out to friends and colleagues regarding CalRTA membership. At our recent Area X Workshop, we learned that retired and active educators may alsojoin CalRTA as Advocacy Members. Dues are the same amount but Advocacy members are notassigned to a Division.Julie Mendell, PresidentBeach Outlook3October-November 2019

LEGISLATION REPEAL THE WEP/GPOWindfall Elimination Penalty/Government Pension OffsetCalRTA has a petition available for friends, colleagues, relatives or neighbors in support of the repeal of Social Security Penalties for retired educators in California. What are those penalties? Ifyou, as a retired educator are receiving a CalSTRS pension, you do not receive benefits from aspouse who receives Social Security. Also, if you worked in a Social Security job position, yourSocial Security benefits are reduced because of your CalSTRS retirement benefit.If you are interested in gathering signatures to repeal this legislation, you can go to calrta.org andprint copies of this petition. The petition must be the exact petition from the web site. Signers neednot be educators, but must be at least 18 years of age. Each signer must personally sign their ownname and insert their zip code.To access the petition go to https://www.calrta.org click on HOME, scroll down to “Call toAction.Advocacy Days, open and click on petition. You don’t even have to log in to the websitewith your member number.When you have finished, send the signed petition(s) to your elected congressman’s Washington D.C. address or deliver in person to their local office, or do both.Please mail a copy to CalRTA’s Legislative Advocate, David Walrath at his office.David Walrath1303 J. Street, Suite 520Sacramento, CA 95814Or you may scan and email to jcontreras@m-w-h.comThe deadline for this effort is December 1, 2019Thank you,Tony Diaz, Legislation ChairBecky CarrollRepealing WEP/GPOCalRTA was one of the first organizations to begin pushing for repeal of these unfair penalties.From California to Washington, D.C. we've given a voice to teachers and energized other organizations along the way. There is now a coalition of states fighting for repeal!Latest Repeal NewsWEP/GPO Repeal Bills in CongressWe are excited to report that on January 3rd, Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL-13) introducedH.R. 141 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to repeal the Government Pension Offset andWindfall Elimination Provision. Please help us thank co-sponsors and encourage others to supportthis measure.Our goal is for our Senators and Representatives to receive THOUSANDS of emails and calls onone day. 4th Thursday Tell Your Representative ThursdaySenator FeinsteinPhone: (202) 224-3841Email link online:Senator HarrisPhone: (202) 224-3553Email link -mail-meBeach mber 2019