Setting the Record Straight on the Teacher Tax

A message from CEA President Sheila Cohen

Thank you for your advocacy and activism in fighting back against the teacher tax and the cost shift proposals. The Republican budget that passed the legislature contained a teacher tax, but no cost shift. However, the governor has said he will veto that plan, and that would mean legislators once again will be considering both issues to try to solve the budget deficit. We must stand strong and ready to fight back against both the cost shift and the teacher tax because they hurt students, teachers, and public education.

Because of your continued outreach and strong objections to the teacher tax, there is a lot of misinformation being shared by some legislators.

I want to be perfectly clear: THIS IS A TAX ON TEACHERS.

Here are the facts:

• The Republican budget increases the payroll tax on teachers from 6 percent to 8 percent.
• This will cost every teacher about $1,500 per year.
• Unlike other pension contributions, the budget counts this additional 2% as tax revenue.
• This increase will generate almost $100 million to reduce the state’s deficit instead of reducing the unfunded liability for teacher retirement
• None of this tax increase will go toward the state’s unfunded teacher pension liability—it will instead reduce the state’s contribution to teacher retirement.

Unlike other pension contributions, this additional 2% increase counts as tax revenue—PERIOD!

Click here for The Facts About the Teacher Tax.

Please feel free to share this information with your colleagues, friends, and family members and to post it on your social media networks.

Our voices are being heard and we will continue to speak out against all attempts to balance the budget on the backs of students and teachers. We will fight against any new proposals that include a teacher tax or a cost shift that moves the state’s share of teacher retirement costs onto cities and towns.

We must keep up our advocacy until we have a fair budget that works for all of us and invests in public education.

Thank you for your continued activism and support.