Letters: Retired teachers spur economic benefits while donating time

What do retired teachers mean to Madera County? A lot! After years, sometimes decades in the classroom giving back to their students, retired teachers continue to give back to local communities through their pocketbook and their passion for volunteerism. The week of November 3-9, 2024, is California’s 26th annual Retired Teachers Week.

According to figures from the California Retired Teachers Association, retired teachers statewide donated more than one million hours of volunteer service in the past year valued at more than $40 million. Here in Madera County, our local Division 79 donated more than 10,000 hours! In addition to their donated time, retired teachers are part of the swell of economic benefits California receives from public pensioners as they spend their pension benefit checks.

In California, expenditures stemming from state and local pensions supported 381,038 jobs and $11.9 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues. In fact, each dollar paid out in pension benefits supported $4.59 in total economic activity in California.