Who We Are.
About Texas Teachers for Retirement Solutions.
Texas Teachers for Retirement Solution is a group of teachers from across the state of Texas who share a common interest in improving retirement security for all Texas teachers. Members of this group are all former Teach Plus fellows, focused on raising standards for the teaching profession to enable educators to better serve students. They have between 5 and 15 years of experience, and teach in elementary, middle and high schools, and both traditional public schools and public charter schools, This workgroup was formed to study the Texas Teacher Retirement System and other issues related to teacher retirement benefits and develop a set of policy recommendations to ensure that Texas teachers are well served and on a path to a secure retirement.
Meet the Teachers.
Angela Burke
Angela is in her 9th year as an educator, and currently teaches physics and astronomy at Dallas Environmental Science Academy, a magnet middle school in Dallas ISD. Burke graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Secondary Education with an emphasis in science and earned an M.S. in Physics with an education emphasis from TAMUC. A Teach for America alumna, Angela has been a Teaching Trust Ed-Fellow, Texas Teach Plus Policy Fellow, and CAMP Fellow. Last year, Burke continued her work in advocating for educational equity through policy as a ULF Fellow. Burke is motivated by Nelson Mandela’s quote, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Shana Gaines
Shana Gaines is in her 16th year of teaching, and currently teaches elementary music. Even though she has 16 years under her belt, only 10 count as qualifying years of service under TRS. She will need to teach another 15-20 years to draw a reasonable retirement income. She will be ineligible to draw social security and will have hard decisions to make if she ever needs to move out of state to care for family.
Celeste Graham
Celeste teaches 10th grade world history. In her 5th year of teaching Ms. Graham will qualify for a pension at the end of the year. But she would need to keep working for two more decades to qualify for a pension worth enough to retire on, and even then the money paid out to her may be eroded by inflation over time.
Joanna Holland
Joanna is a 2019-20 Teach Plus Texas DFW Policy Fellow. She is currently an ESL teacher at Benjamin Franklin International Exploratory Academy of Dallas ISD. Previously, she taught at City Lab High School, an innovative choice school that specializes in urban architecture, modern design, engineering, and STEM classes. She serves as a Distinguished Teacher Ambassador in Dallas ISD and has been DISD’s Distinguished Teacher and a TEI (Teacher Excellence Initiative) Campus Expert from 2016 to 2019. Joanna has served as an LPAC Chairman (Language Proficiency Accommodations Committee), an ELA Lead Curriculum Coordinator in personalized learning, a Project Based Learning Chairman, and has established a writing ambassador student program. Joanna holds a BA from Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas with a major in English and a minor in Political Science.
Yuridiana Lewis
Yuri is a 2020-2021 Teach Plus Texas DFW Policy Senior Fellow. Yuri is the Instructional Lead Teacher for the 8th grade reading language arts team at Francisco "Pancho" Medrano Junior High School. A state of Texas Master teacher, Yuri is an Ambassador for Dallas ISD's Distinguished Teacher Review process, has served as a grade-level chairperson, a classroom host teacher for Urban Teachers, sponsor of Destination Imagination, and head volleyball and soccer coach. Yuri serves on the Educator Advisory Board for The Educator Collective and on an Advisory Committee for TEA HB 3906.
N. Vanessa Morales
Vanessa is a 2019-2020 Teach Plus fellow. She graduated from Rice University in 2012 and immediately joined Teach for America. Currently, she currently teaches middle school math at YES Prep Public Schools in Houston, TX. Vanessa is extremely passionate about closing the inequity gaps in her community and co-founded the college readiness program, Rice University’s Young Owls Leadership Program in 2012, which focuses on preparing Houston area first-generation college students to apply to competitive universities across the country. She also enjoys curriculum writing and facilitating professional development around culturally relevant pedagogy.
Miriam Rodgers
Miriam teaches US Government, Economics, and Theory of Knowledge to 11th and 12th graders. By the end of this year, her fifth year teaching in Texas, Ms. Rodgers will qualify for a pension. But she would need to remain teaching in Texas until at least the year 2032 in order for her TRS benefit to provide minimally comfortable retirement benefits.
Mark Rogers
Mark teaches 2nd grade. After 10 years of teaching, Mr. Rogers is already eligible to collect a pension when he retires. But he would need to work another 15 or 20 years in TRS for the pension to be worth enough to retire on, and even then it would be at risk of being eroded by inflation over time.
Josue Tamarez
Josue is a 5th grade math teacher at Cesar Chavez Learning Center, where he serves as a teacher-leader. He was named 2017-2018 Teacher of the Year by Dallas ISD and by the Southeast Dallas Chamber of Commerce. Josue is a 2011 Teach for America alum, a 2015 Teaching Trust Ed Fellow and a 2018-19 Teach Plus DFW Teaching Policy Fellow. His students’ performance on the math STAAR test was highlighted by D-Magazine and the Dallas Morning News, and he testified before the Texas Senate Education Committee on school finance reform in the 86th Legislative Session. Josue graduated from Baruch College, New York, with a BBA in Finance and a Minor in mathematics.
Our Advisors.
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Sandi Jacobs Principal, EducationCounsel
Sandi is currently the principal of EducationCounsel, a mission-based education consulting firm that combines significant experience in policy, strategy, law and advocacy to drive improvements in the U.S. education system. Prior to joining EducationCounsel, Sandi was the Senior Vice President for State and District Policy at the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). Prior to that, Ms. Jacobs worked at the U.S. Department of Education as a Senior Education Program Specialist for the Reading First and Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration programs. She also taught 4th and 5th grade for nearly a decade at Public School 9 in Brooklyn, New York. Sandi was a Presidential Management Intern and a charter corps member of Teach For America. She holds a master’s degree from Columbia University's Teachers College and a BA from Columbia College.
Anthony Randazzo Executive Director, Equable
Anthony Randazzo is executive director of Equable, a bipartisan non-profit that educates and informs employees, retirees, labor leaders, and taxpayers about how to create real retirement plan sustainability and accountability without sacrificing future income security. He has published extensively on the systemic and political behavioral factors that lead to underfunded retirement systems, and he has worked directly with numerous governments to improve funding policy and build new public sector retirement system designs. Prior to Equable, Randazzo was managing director of the Pension Integrity Project and director of economic research at Reason Foundation. He graduated from New York University with a multidisciplinary M.A. in behavioral political economy.
With Support From.
Teacher Retirement U
Teacher Retirement U is a collaborative curriculum developed by Equable Institute, EducationCounsel, and Hattaway Communications. It provides a robust overview of how retirement systems work in the public sector, specifically those designed for educators.