“We took a lot of pride in what we did in trying to make our students good citizens for our city and state,” association President Karen Headlee said.
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The association is one of 88 statewide of the Ohio Retired Teachers Association, which celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2017. It advocates and promotes the improvement of pensions, benefits and services available to Ohio’s active and retired public educators.
Group members have heard it many times over the years — teachers are lucky since they get three months in summer and other holidays off and get paid for what some think amounts to babysitting.
Their job doesn’t end when they leave the classroom for the day, association members said, often spending money out of pocket for class materials and hours keeping up license requirements.
“We’ve all been here and unless someone has worked in our organization, people don’t always understand,” said Headlee, who spent more than 30 years in Urbana City Schools and Triad Local Schools. “We have that mutual bond and respect.”
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Whereas in early years there was more of a social aspect to the association, the current group, which numbers about 60, shares news about state legislation that affects retired and current teachers, their pensions and things going on in the community and schools.
At the first anniversary-themed meeting of 2017 at Urbana’s Church of the Nazarene last week, Headlee read minutes from that very first association meeting of 1967. The original annual dues were just $1 and have risen to $15, which Headlee considers still a bargain.
The early meetings often had a social agenda, where members shared talents and experiences. That has evolved over the years to more informational.
They invite a guest speaker ranging from a politician to a senior center representative to a school official.
One thing consistent Headlee is proud of is the association’s generosity. It has contributed to programs such as Dollars for Scholars and to Urbana University, and when a member dies, they give books to school libraries in their memory.
Members are also active in volunteering, donating around 12,200 hours annually to various efforts.
“Teachers are very service-minded,” she said.
Future 50th anniversary meetings will include members sharing memories of teachers who made a difference in their lives; recognition of past scholarship winners since 2001 and the 2017 recipients; recognition of past association presidents and members; and a Christmas party to wind up the year.
Headlee stressed how important the students they serve are. She talked about a former student who earned a scholarship but went into a different field than education.
The association members were thrilled that she became a success in the community, opening a business.
“We should be proud of where we’ve been and where we’re going,” Headlee said.
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