MARSP

Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel

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To all MARSP Members (with email addresses):

As we all continue to adjust to changes in our lives as a result of COVID-19, we know that many of you may be experiencing difficult challenges due to isolation, reduced contact with friends, loved ones, and your community.  We care about you and want you to be connected and informed in an ever-changing landscape.

MARSP will continue to work on behalf of our members during the COVID-19 outbreak and MARSP can be a valuable information source and can help if you have questions or encounter problems.

  • Our foundation offers financial assistance to members in need.
  • Staff members act as liaisons if you have trouble obtaining necessary health care services or medications.
  • Stay tuned for upcoming communications as we continue to monitor the current situation in Lansing, and how this could potentially impact the MPSERS pension fund.

For current and up-to-date information regarding the Coronavirus visit:
http://www.Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or http://www.CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

Please visit our website for frequently updated information and please share this email with other public school retirees who may not be connected to MARSP.  To reach the MARSP office, please call 1-888-960-4022 or email staff@marsp.org.

We are all in this together and together we will make it through. Please take care of yourself, and do not hesitate to reach out.

MARSP and the Office of Retirement Services (ORS) are working for you during COVID-19

Media News Room

The MARSP Team continues to work on your behalf during the virus outbreak, we wanted to reassure you about some concerns you may have about your pension payments.

We have been communicating with the Office of Retirement Services (ORS) and can confirm that your March pension payment is not affected.  Your upcoming pension payments will arrive on schedule – on April 24, May 22 and June 25.  Direct deposit paper statements, which are normally mailed quarterly, may be delayed due to delays in gathering data and printing and not necessarily related to the virus outbreak. As a reminder that if you want to receive your direct deposit statement electronically instead of by mail, log in to miAccount and review the tab labeled “Member Communications” on the left-hand side of the screen. ORS strongly encourages members to choose the electronic statement option, which allows more frequent access to the information and saves printing and mailing costs for the entire system.

“We know how critical it is to provide a retirement income stream and health care to our retirees,” says Andy Kolp, customer service director at Michigan ORS, “and we will keep doing that.  Those already on the payroll and those who are planning to retire can rest assured those services will continue.”

Kolp provided a link from the MPSERS website that answers questions about market performance and how it impacts retirement benefits.  Visit MPSERS to learn more.

For more information, the ORS contact center is available during its normal hours of 8:30 to 5 p.m., and miAccount remains available online.   System providers, including insurance carriers, are also operating normally.

As we work to maintain two–way communication with our members during these difficult times, your feedback is more important than ever.  Please let us know when the information we provide has been helpful and tell us what else is on your mind.  We will strive to answer questions and offer guidance whenever possible.  During such uncertain times, we want your MARSP membership to be a strong resource for you.

MARSP & COVID-19: staff is continuing to serve our members’ needs

Media News Room

MARSP members are in our thoughts as we navigate the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the uncertainty it has created.  Although we’ve made some necessary changes to the way we live and work, the MARSP staff is continuing to serve our members’ needs.  Because your continued good health is part of the MARSP mission, we wanted to share best practices and perhaps answer questions you may have.

Many of you are in the age group that is identified as being most at risk for contracting the virus, but keep in mind that you also benefit from several factors that tend to keep you healthy.

  1.  You are likely already paying attention to trusted health care sources and adhering to recommendations to stay home and limit exposure to even small groups of people who unknowingly may carry the virus.
  1.  As retirees, your stress levels are generally lower, which is one of the most important factors in keeping you healthy.
  1. You tend to take advantage of preventive health care options available to you as part of your retiree benefits.

Being in a “high risk” age group is not a guarantee you will contract the virus, but it does mean you should be as vigilant as possible to prevent your exposure.  In addition to the recommended “social distancing” and washing your hands often, other things to do include:

  • If you have symptoms of the virus, call your doctor.  If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice. If it’s an emergency, call 911.
  • Stay informed, but limit the time you spend watching or listening to negative news.  Some media outlets can focus heavily on reports that tend to create anxiety and fear.  Too much negativity is counterproductive to your mental and physical well being.
  • Continue to eat well and choose nutritious foods that boost your immune system, rather than tax it.  Although trying times like these make us want “comfort foods,” be selective.  Foods high in fat, sugar and preservatives put extra stress on your entire system and use up energy that should be devoted to fighting off a virus.

For current and up-to-date information regarding the Coronavirus visit http://www.Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or http://www.CDC.gov/Coronavirus

Although we don’t know how long the virus outbreak will last or how severe it will be, taking it seriously is our best defense.  We recognize that new health issues could evolve for some of you as a result of a virus-related illness.  MARSP will continue to serve you and be a resource for your questions and concerns.  Although many of our staff are working from home in order to prevent a potential spread of the virus, we are still on the job and our work on your behalf continues.

We encourage you to try to stay positive during all the uncertainty, practice tolerance and patience and know that better days are ahead.

Additional resources:
Michigan.gov COVID-19 Tip Sheet for Older Adults

 

Executive Director’s Blog: The need for certified subs in classrooms

Executive Director

Knowing that many of you continue to be concerned about quality education in Michigan, I wanted to draw your attention to a study done recently by Bridge Magazine, a respected publication which follows education policy issues.  The study, titled “No Substitute,” suggests the state could reduce its reliance on long-term, uncertified substitutes and says a majority of the public supports that move.

The study also mentions that the public supports a change in state law so that retired teachers can substitute teach without diminished retirement benefits.

It’s a fact that many Michigan school districts rely on uncertified, long-term substitute teachers to fill classroom vacancies. MARSP supports the recruitment of well-trained substitutes, along with pay and benefits that attract more full-time teachers to schools in the first place.

MARSP knows that to provide the best education possible, teachers should know the science of education and best teaching practices. Last August, a Bridge Magazine article noted that uncertified substitute teachers were being used long-term in more than 2,500 classrooms across the state.

Certified teachers have a bachelor’s degree with student teaching experience, which is not required of long-term substitutes.  Last year we reported in VANGUARD that the average substitute teacher hired from EduStaff – the state’s largest provider of subs – was a 44-year-old working mother who was not state-certified.

Many would-be substitute teachers have found better-paying jobs in other industries. Also, state law has made it more costly for schools to hire retired teachers as substitutes.

Adding to the teacher shortage issue is the decrease in students pursuing education degrees.  Where young people frequently sought out teaching as a career, there are fewer graduates now.  Our state needs to encourage young people to see teaching as a chance to make a difference and also to keep teacher salaries and benefits competitive with other industries.  Those who do graduate with teaching degrees are much more likely to get full-time teaching jobs right of college rather than substitute part-time.

Two years ago, MARSP and its members helped fight back a stated plan to weaken teacher pension and health care benefits.  Teachers are the life-blood of our public education system.  While it can be difficult to recruit and retain certified teachers, it’s essential for our students and the success of our next generation.

To read the Bridge article, “No substitute,” click here.