Retirement package in Maine

Join Teachers.Net

Chatboards

Recent Groups

ME Teachers

MEMBERS

0 Members

+ Join Group

Pinned Posts

ALLAll Teachers

Teachers.Net LIVE CHAT Support group - Tues eve!

Featured Jobs

Full-timeMontessori Teacher

Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada

TemporaryTeachers, rural schools

Peace River North School District

Full-timeHead Teacher: 2nd/3rd Grades – Mills College Children’s School

Mills College

Teaching Jobs on Teachers.Net

Featured Job special only $39!

https://teachers.net/jobs

Become a Teachers.Net sponsor!

Maine Teachers Chatboard

Retirement package in Maine

by Stacy

Jul 30, 2008

Hi, I am currently finishing school here in TN. I have five classes to go. I am interested in teaching in the Bangor area of Maine. Can anyone please tell me about the retirement package in Maine. P.S. Does anyone know what salary Maine teachers start at? Here in TN, it is approximately $34,059 for a teacher with 0 experience and a B.A. Thanks...

Comment

(3)

report post

teacher Well I teach in maine, the retirement package is average of the last 3 years of teachings salary, and you get double the amount of years you have been teaching for the percentage of that. IE... you make an average of $10,000 the last 3 years, you have worked for 40 years so you get 80% of the $10,000. They don't pay very much for insurance after yo...See More

Jul 31, 2008

report post

Lenny Hoy On 7/30/08, Stacy wrote: > Hi, > I am currently finishing school here in TN. I have five > classes to go. I am interested in teaching in the Bangor > area of Maine. Can anyone please tell me about the > retirement package in Maine. P.S. Does anyone know what > salary Maine teachers start at? Here in TN, it is > approximately $3...See MoreOn 7/30/08, Stacy wrote: > Hi, > I am currently finishing school here in TN. I have five > classes to go. I am interested in teaching in the Bangor > area of Maine. Can anyone please tell me about the > retirement package in Maine. P.S. Does anyone know what > salary Maine teachers start at? Here in TN, it is > approximately $34,059 for a teacher with 0 experience and a > B.A. Thanks...

Stacy-congratulations on your achievement! You embark on a satisfying, challenging and at times, stressful career. I began teaching at 40 with the birth of my first child. I am now 62 and will retire this June. I can speak with some certainty about Maine's retirement package from the vantage point of a 23 year career in Bethel Maine.

As presently constituted, Maine's retirement package has got to be one of the least attractive packages in existence. While bundled in with other state employees who routinely get complete medical coverage paid out of the retirement system, we teachers will pay 60% of the premium. Maine, due to well meaning but intrusive insurance regulations, has retained only one or two medical insurance providers. Without competition to dampen their spirits and forced conform to rigorous state coverage mandates, companies charge premiums here in this state that are astronomical compared to the same policies offered by the same company in neighboring Hew Hampshire.

With 23 years service, I'll be working with around $15,000 a year retirement. My friend with 35 years under his belt breaks into the low 20's. While fully vested in social security by virtue of 20 years of employment before teaching, Maine and the federal government conspire to forbid me to also draw social security. They deem that additional pittance a 'windfall' on top of the 'generous' allotment Maine retirement affords me.

Stacy, I love this state. It's a thing of great beauty. But the exorbitant state tax and fee structures, small retirement stipends and high general cost of living have me looking, ironically, given this posting's destination, at TN as an alternative. What can you tell me about down there?

G2G. Suppers on and it does smell good. Let me know if I can be of any further service.

Lenny Hoy

Mar 26, 2009

report post