"We are here to fight for our pension. We’re 50 out of 50 in the country and I need a better for when I retire. We are going to see Sen. Haines and our other delegates and explain to them what our pension is and why it needs to be improved."

"I am here to ask my senator and delegates to introduce a bill to provide 60 percent of our salary in pension. We have written letters, made phone calls and talked it up at our schools. We came tonight to speak directly to our legislators."

Elizabeth Brown
Lackey HS Charles
Teacher

"I’m here to help support the push for pensions. We’ll have better teacher retention and I would like to stay here in Maryland. When I look at my pension, I might have to start looking at other places more affordable to live."

Charlene Haney
Lackey HS Charles
Teacher

"I’m a 30 year teacher and I’m in the old system. I would like to see that enhanced and I have a daughter who is a first year teacher who would also like to have something to retire on."

"We are here to get this pension reform through so everybody can have a fair retirement. We aren’t looking for anything out of the ordinary or some golden parachute. We are just looking for a pension commensurate to our actual wage. Hopefully we’ll press some palms tonight and make some introductions to our legislators and let them put a name to our faces. Most importantly, we’ll let them know there are a lot of teachers in our county who’ll be voting in November."

Rob Watkins
Stevensville MS Queen Anne’s
Teacher

"This is my fifth year of teaching and I’m here to support the pension push since in 25 to 30 years I hope to retire. My wife is also a teacher. I love teaching middle school, I wouldn’t change it for the world, but I need a better pension."

"We are the worst in the country for pensions and we need to be better than that. I came here to campaign to support full Thornton funding. I think teachers need respect. It’s a way of showing respect for teachers and I think that helps students in the long run. We don’t choose this job for the money and after 30 years you need a good pension."

"My husband and I have each worked in the system for over 30 years. Tonight we’ll talk to the legislators and they will, I hope, listen to us. Teachers are not in this for the money, obviously, but we would like to compete with some of the other school systems that are nearby so we can keep our teachers here in Maryland. We have excellent teachers, but if we were able to attract even more highly qualified professionals, we could be that much more successful in raising student achievement."

Jim Apple
Stevensville MS Queen Anne’s
Teacher

"I am a teacher who has taught for 31 years and that’s the reason I am here. We’re going to talk to our representatives and convince them they have got to do something or they are going to lose people like me and younger teachers, too."

"I want a better pension for myself and others. I’m hoping it will be a 60 percent benefit for us, the custodians, and for teachers as well."

"I’m interested in the pension and getting an improvement across the board for those of us who have spent their time, their energy and sometimes their entire careers working with the school systems. Our years of service to the state should be rewarded. We don’t make a big salary – we should be able to retire comfortably."

"I’m here to raise legislators’ awareness. They need to understand that improving pensions will help attract teachers and maintain educational excellence in Maryland. Qualified teachers go where they can earn the best income and where they can have the best benefits. I think people will be attracted to Maryland if they can receive good benefits, and they will stay."