Nicole, my fiance and member of the Resource Department at Monte Vista High School in Danville, California, brought home a letter she had received during her latest weekly staff meeting. It was from Susan Carter, a high school teacher in California for 33 years, who was spreading the word about a teacher’s inability to receive social security in some states simply because he or she was a teacher.

When my husband died in April of 2006, I contacted Social Security to find out how to proceed to obtain his social security. My husband contributed to SSI for forty years. The woman with whom I spoke told me I would be receiving fourteen hundred plus dollars a month. As we spoke, I shared with her that I was a teacher. She said, “You’re a teacher?” When I responded in the affirmative she told me I would be getting nothing.

Apparently, there are two federal laws that make this possible: 1) the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and 2) the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) under Title II of the Social Security Act. Mrs. Carter is trying to bring attention to this unbelievable situation by spreading the word about it to anybody and everybody she can. Her letter, the one Nicole brought home, was sent to the National Education Association (NEA), so, rather than doing an injustice to her work and effort by paraphrasing the letter, please take the time to read it yourself. As you will see, she already has Senator Dianne Feinstein and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s support but needs more.

After you read what she has to say, and if you feel the same as she, please take the time to place a phone call and show your support. Call Senator Baucus (D-Montana), Finance Committee chair at 202-224-2651 or Senator Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Finance Committee at 202-224-3744 and tell them you support S.206.

by Brian, Chief Architect