'Out of the classroom' doesn't mean 'out of the profession'

If there’s a switch that allows retired teachers to turn off all interest in the profession, Carol Keiser hasn’t found it yet.

Keeping abreast of cutting-edge developments in education has become an exciting part of retired life for AFT members like Keiser, a Pawtucket, R.I., teacher who exited the classroom four years ago after 28 years of service.

In July, Keiser could be found in Washington, D.C., participating in the many workshops and presentations tied to the AFT’s Quality Educational Standards in Teaching (QuEST) conference and to the Educational Research and Dissemination conference (ER&D) that immediately preceded it. “I love QuEST. You get such a variety of speakers and ideas under one roof,” she says.

And QuEST information is put to good use when Keiser returns home to Rhode Island, where she is a member of the committee that plans a similar conference hosted by her state affiliate, the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals. By attending QuEST, “we can target presenters and topics” for the conference back home, she says.

And, since Keiser also serves as a mentor to new teachers in her school district, QuEST “keeps me involved in knowing what’s coming down the pike. As a mentor, I need to keep current on new practices,” says Keiser, who is also a trainer in the ER&D network.

Keiser has attended QuEST since the late 1980s and now participates in the event with her daughter, Christina Keiser, a fourth-year teacher. That’s one of the benefits of the conference, explains the retired teacher—the mix of educators at all stages of their professional careers. “You get experience on one end, and enthusiasm and motivation on the other end.”

Keiser’s local, the Pawtucket Teachers Alliance/AFT, sees QuEST not only as a great source of information on the education landscape but also as an excellent team-building opportunity. In fact, the local sponsored an eight-person delegation to attend the QuEST/ER&D events this year in Washington. And the team-building strategy has paid off handsomely when it comes to Keiser, says local vice president Charleen Christy. “Carol is definitely one of our ‘go to’ people—a member who can be counted on 24-7.”

Today, Keiser serves on the board of the Rhode Island AFT Retirees and is actively involved in rebuilding the statewide retiree organization.

Pennsylvania retirees chronicle their union's rich history

The Neshaminy (Pa.) Federation of Teachers is a suburban local with a rich history that many younger members didn’t know much about—that is, until its retiree chapter found a way to celebrate the past. Now, nearly 40 years of history are chronicled on the NFT Archive Wall, which retirees recently unveiled in their union office.

“There was this sense that we were losing our history,” says NFT president Louise Boyd. “We wanted to make sure people understood the efforts that went into making the organization what it is today.”

The local has seen some exciting times. One key event illustrated on the wall is the longest strike in the state’s history: 13 weeks in 1980. During the teachers’ strike, Albert Shanker, the late AFT president, went to Pennsylvania to give the teachers words of encouragement—and a $150,000 check. It is one of retiree John Rock’s most memorable moments as an NFT member.

“It was at the height of the strike,” recalls Rock, who taught social studies for 35 years before retiring in 1993. “Shanker had to run a gauntlet of angry people on both sides of the road to get to the hall where he spoke to us,” Rock says. “He urged us to remain united. He told us the strike would be over soon and that when it was we would have a legacy we would be proud of and years of productivity.”

“We have been through a lot,” says Audrey Wolfinger, a former school librarian who worked in the district for 29 years and retired in 1984. “We realized that if we didn’t put down our history, no one would ever know about it.”

The wall, which features an illustrated timeline from the 1960s to the present, is the result of their efforts. The wall is just one of many items on the retirees’ agenda, says NFT retiree chapter president William E. Smith. The group is working with other retirees organizations in the state to lobby lawmakers to include a permanent cost-of-living adjustment in the state employees’ retirement system. The retirees also are involved in the fight over the rising cost of prescription drugs.

Thanks to strong collective bargaining, “we have a good retiree benefits package,” says Smith. “Most of our retirees are covered until they’re old enough to receive Medicare, but we are working with other organizations because we know that’s not the case for many retirees in our state and beyond.”

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