From The Rank and File Catholic: Catholic pension perspective

Thanks to Todd Johnson, Rank and File Catholic editor, for sending this column from the September issue.

By BOB NOLL

Asst. Principal, Tichenor Middle School, St. Barbara Parish, Erlanger

Having spent 31 years schools as a teacher and administrator (25 years in Catholic High Schools and 6 years in public high schools and middle schools), I have found that educators are less concerned with how much salary we earn and more concerned with being protected when vulnerable. When I found myself as an administrator discussing salary increases, I would always interject that we needed to shore up our retirement and health insurance in addition to the salary scale. In most Catholic School settings, educators cannot retire until they qualify for Medicare or Medicaid because pension income will not cover health insurance expense. In teaching Christian Lifestyles class, we would talk about building a faith foundation to help weather the storms life throws at us. This is the same thing educators, in my case, and all people who work want a foundation for those times life throws a storm at us (if we get sick, as we age). This has become even more obvious in the last year as I am now in my 7th year in public schools, and we are facing the drastic changes/destruction of Public Workers pension.

People will overlook much from our government employer, but when you unfairly affect retirement and health care, they take it as a serious trust violation and become extremely engaged. Yes, people are concerned about themselves, but many are just as concerned about the future of the profession as young people look at both low salary and a much less protective pension and health care. I will never tell you 100% of the people in education are there for the best interest of kids, but my experience is that 95% and higher hold that goal as paramount. The high level of child-centered concern is why I tell people all the time even though we do not have prayer and religious study, God is very much present in public schools. As I wade further into the public school pension issue, I find myself strengthened more and more by my faith foundation and emboldened by a variety of faith references.

Kentucky Leadership is very much business focused. I see a troubling conflict when business success is an end rather than a means to an end, a better quality of human life. Many people of faith believe we have crossed that line and it reminds me that, “You can’t serve two Masters: Money (business success) and God (human life). The Kentucky Pension is an agreement between parties and one side has met their obligation 100%, and the other (government, both Dem and Rep) has knowingly and willingly ignored their obligation. Scripture calls us to be many parts of one body but know that all parts are dependent upon the other parts to do their best so the body functions properly.

Everything in me as a Catholic tells me that this governor and many of his like-minded legislative followers are wrong in how they are governing and behaving publicly regarding the treatment of Public Workers and in dealing with the pension issue. As I am many years into a career and not deeply invested in the pension system, it is this fairness and protection of quality of life for others that I feel called to fight, as I believe Christ would expect.