Highest Year Final Compensation*
     - Any teacher who has taught 25 or more years will have retirement income calculated on final compensation defined as the highest compensation earned for 12 consecutive months rather than an average of the 3 highest years.

     * CTA will work during the coming session to remove the 25 year requirement.

       Most decisions on education policy and funding are made in Sacramento by legislators, the Governor and bureaucrats. Without a strong, forceful advocate working on teachers’ behalf in Sacramento, policymakers would ignore our voice, our expertise and our practical experience. CTA employs seven full-time education advocates to track legislation, to testify at committee hearings, and work behind the scenes to ensure that our professional interests and rights are protected.
     The recent improvements in retirement legislation for all California teachers are a direct result of CTA’s advocacy. The retirement package will enable teachers to retire with significantly increased benefits.
      Included in this section are the major components of this legislation. For more detailed information, log on to the CTA website, www.cta.org or the California State Teachers Retirement website, www.calstrs.com.