For more than three decades, I have devoted my life to teaching—guiding students, mentoring young people, and helping prepare future generations for success. After 31 years in the classroom, I am still expected to work another eight years before qualifying for full retirement benefits. This reality highlights a fundamental inequity in California's retirement system for educators.

California teachers dedicate their careers to one of society's most important responsibilities: educating and supporting our children. Yet unlike many other public-service professions that offer pathways to earlier retirement after long careers of service, educators continue to face age-based penalties even after contributing 30 years or more to California's schools.

The demands of teaching have changed dramatically over the past several decades. Today's educators are expected to serve not only as instructors, but also as counselors, technology specialists, behavior managers, social-emotional support providers, and first responders to student crises. These responsibilities have contributed to unprecedented levels of stress and burnout throughout the profession.

The data is clear:

-A 2025 RAND survey found that 53% of teachers reported experiencing burnout, and teachers continue to report significantly lower well-being than other working adults.

-Research shows that teacher attrition accounts for approximately 90% of annual teacher demand, meaning retention—not retirement—is one of the primary drivers of teacher shortages nationwide.

-California continues to experience persistent teacher shortages, particularly in special education, math, science, and bilingual education.
Reports indicate that California has more than 10,000 unfilled teaching positions and tens of thousands of classrooms staffed by educators who are not fully certified for their assignments.

-Surveys of California educators have found that four in ten teachers have considered leaving the profession, with burnout identified as the leading reason.

California's retirement system already recognizes the significance of 30 years of service by providing a modest "career factor" enhancement to educators who reach that milestone. However, retirement benefits remain heavily dependent on age, effectively requiring many educators to continue working years beyond what they originally anticipated.

We believe that 30 years of service should be enough.

A teacher who has spent three decades educating California's children has made a lifetime contribution to the state. Requiring additional years solely to avoid age-based retirement penalties fails to recognize the physical, emotional, and professional demands of a modern teaching career.

We urge California lawmakers, CalSTRS, educational leaders, and policymakers to enact retirement reform that allows teachers who have completed 30 years of credited service to receive full retirement benefits without age penalties.

This reform would:

1. Honor the commitment of long-serving educators.
2. Improve fairness within California's public-service retirement systems.
3. Encourage talented individuals to remain in the profession for a full career.
4. Demonstrate respect for the educators who have dedicated their lives to serving students and communities.

California's teachers have spent decades investing in the future of our state. It is time for California to invest in them.

If you believe that 30 years of service is a lifetime of contribution, please sign and share this petition. Together, we can create a more equitable retirement system for California educators.