Retired teachers have not only spent decades helping future generations, but they continue to make a difference in the lives of others long after leaving their teaching careers. In 2023, CalRTA members statewide donated more than $40 million worth of time to their local communities. Members of local CalRTA Division 33, which serves Hemet, San Jacinto, Menifee, Nuview and Romoland, volunteered nearly 12,000 hours in the same year, with a value of over $437,000.  Retired teachers can often be seen volunteering their time and skills in community centers, libraries, schools, and local organizations. Their time enriches the lives of both children and adults, and their pensions uplift their local communities. Because retirees spend their benefit checks in their local community, their spending ripples through the economy as one person’s spending becomes another person’s income.

CalRTA members are part of that pool of retirees whose pension checks help stimulate and boost California’s economy. Members statewide also donated more than $750,000 in grants, scholarships and donations last year.  Division 33 also offers 11 $1000 scholarships annually to seniors planning to enter the teaching profession and awards 16 $100 “no strings attached” teacher grants to local teachers to use in their classrooms.

CalRTA highlights retired teachers’ contributions by celebrating Retired Teachers Week during the first week of each November. This year’s event, November 3-9, marks the 26th year the celebration has been held during the organization’s 95-year history. In 1929, as the country entered the Great Depression, a small group of teachers banded together to fight for retirement security. In addition to helping California’s educators, early CalRTA leaders went on to form other retiree organizations. One such leader was Ethel Percy Andrus who formed AARP.

“Our early leaders showed us what dedication, compassion and determination can accomplish,” noted Susan Dixon, CalRTA State President. “Today we’re trying to live up to their example as we continue our fight for retirement security while also giving back to our local communities and protecting public education.”

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Fulfilling its mission to “support public education in our communities,” the State California Retired Teachers Association awarded 40 $100 teacher grants to California public school teachers – including two local educators – randomly selected from over 40,000 applicants in their recent October drawing. Amanda Weden, a fifth-grade teacher at Taawila Elementary School in Menifee, and Tahquitz High School Special Education teacher, Odalmy Cecala, were announced as grant recipients. As an added bonus, both teachers also received a matching $100 from CalRTA Division 33, for a total of $200 each to use in their classrooms. Weden plans to use the $200 to buy supplemental materials to help her students with hands-on classroom experiences. Ms. Cecala says the $200 will go a long way in purchasing sensory equipment for her many Special Education students. The next CalRTA statewide teacher grant drawing will be held in March, with online entry forms available between February 16, 2022 and March 9, 2022. To access the entry form, go to www.calrta.org/teacher-grants or check out CalRTA’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/CalRTA.

But those were not the only local educators to receive grant money this past month. Guests at CalRTA Division 33’s October luncheon also randomly drew the names of four lucky $100 Teacher Grant winners from nearly 80 local applicants. San Jacinto High School Life Skills teacher, Marcie Murphy, is going to purchase educational apps for her class to use on their Promethean Board. Murrieta Mesa High School math teacher, Yadira Mokelke, will put the $100 towards purchasing a class set of scientific calculators for her Math 1 Basic A class. In this modified Math 1 class with specialized academic instruction, her students need to learn how to use available tools such as calculators to solve problems. Jessica Sotelo from Hemet West Valley High School will use the $100 to help pay for the online platforms she uses with her students, such as Padlet, a content sharing app, and Gimkit, a gameshow for the classroom). Finally, Laura Azpeitia, who teaches at Jacob Wiens Elementary School in Hemet, plans to purchase a STEAM Kit for her students, with hands-on technology projects to work on collaboratively or individually.

CalRTA Division 33’s next drawing will be on December 12th at their holiday luncheon. Teachers in Hemet, San Jacinto, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, Temecula, Romoland and Nuview districts may apply. Applications can be accessed starting November 14th at https://div33.calrta.org/scholarships-and-grants/ or on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/calrtadivision33.

Sue Breyer | CalRTA Division 33 Vice President

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