Substitute Teaching (calculation, income, retiree)

[Zarathu]

Originally Posted by ExAirForce

Again you will have NO problem and the NCLB Law doesn't effect subs. .

It does in Pennsylvania. You must be fully certified in your subject area to teach anywhere in PA.

[medievalbooks]

I subbed as a teacher aide in Massachusetts and was quite busy. Didn't have the teacher's certificate in Education so couldn't sub as a teacher.

So, even if you don't have a teacher's certificate, you can probably sub as an aide.

[Zarathu]

Apparently you can sub as a teacher in Maine with only a couple couple of training sessions. Maine and Hawaii are like that.

[maineguy8888]

You can sub without a degree. Danforth, Southern Aroostook, and Hodgdon will all love you if you are halfway decent and can offer something to the kids, since they have a small pool of subs to draw on and really appreciate a good one in the area.
Houlton probably has more of a pool, but of course you might get calls from them too, considering it's a much larger school district.

[kevin5098]

Thanks, maineguy. I really do feel as if I can offer something. I have been a sort of teacher most of my adult life. I was an instructor for part of my Army career, did teaching as a graduate student in polymer chemistry, and taught employees in my current profession as a Quality Manager. I really don't want to teach full time though, as we intend to try to raise as much of our food as possible, and I am anxious to get back into hunting and fishing. Thought it might be a good way to earn some extra money when things slow down in fall and winter.

[kevin5098]

I just thought I would bump this thread with an update. I have my Temporary certificate now and after fingerprinting in Orono on Saturday I will receive my 5 year certification. All of the districts I applied in (Danforth, Hodgdon, Houlton) were very happy to see me. I got my first assignment for Friday when I dropped off a copy of my certificate in Danforth. I will be subbing as a one-on-one Ed tech for a 6th grader. Seems like a perfect way to start! I will post an update this weekend.

[Zarathu]

Originally Posted by kevin5098

I just thought I would bump this thread with an update. I have my Temporary certificate now and after fingerprinting in Orono on Saturday I will receive my 5 year certification. All of the districts I applied in (Danforth, Hodgdon, Houlton) were very happy to see me. I got my first assignment for Friday when I dropped off a copy of my certificate in Danforth. I will be subbing as a one-on-one Ed tech for a 6th grader. Seems like a perfect way to start! I will post an update this weekend.

You need to check on your social security. If you have at least thirty years in to the system then nothing will take away your SS benefits.

If you have less than that, even working for a Maine school district for just one hour as a Maine teacher can take away all of your SS retirement benefits.

This has happened to many unsuspecting people who switched careers and became teachers in Maine only to find that they no longer have any Social security that they'd paid into all the years before coming to Maine. My wife took time off to have kids for 14 years, so she has less than 30 years in. She cannot work as a sub or anything paid as a teacher in Maine.

[kellysmith]

Originally Posted by Zarathu

You need to check on your social security. If you have at least thirty years in to the system then nothing will take away your SS benefits.

If you have less than that, even working for a Maine school district for just one hour as a Maine teacher can take away all of your SS retirement benefits.

This has happened to many unsuspecting people who switched careers and became teachers in Maine only to find that they no longer have any Social security that they'd paid into all the years before coming to Maine. My wife took time off to have kids for 14 years, so she has less than 30 years in. She cannot work as a sub or anything paid as a teacher in Maine.

Where did you come up with that? Please!!...people come to these forums for advice. Nothing you say is correct. Many, many substitute teachers are retired from some other profession. I'm not going to look it up, but I'm fairly confident a substitute teacher doesn't even qualify to participate in the Maine Retirement System until they have 90 days or more. At that point even if someone participates in MSRS, in no way does it affect any SSI benefits they have accrued. Where did you glean that info Z? If you are talking about Government Pension Offset, you need to be receiving a Government pension (state pension from MSRS) before the GPO kicks in. You don't get a Government pension for substituting an hour my friend!...last I checked it took 5 years of full time employment to be vested in the MSRS. Once vested, and you started receiving a State Retirement Benefit, the GPO would decrease your SSI benefit by a percentage. The maximum GPO penalty is just over $300 per month. In other words if you were receiving both Social Security and Maine State Retirement your SS check would be reduced some number from 0 to slightly more than $300. Way too much information I'm sure, but substitute teaching doesn't affect your Social Security unless you make a career out of Substitute teaching!!!

[Zarathu]

Originally Posted by kellysmith

Where did you come up with that? Please!!...people come to these forums for advice. Nothing you say is correct. Many, many substitute teachers are retired from some other profession. I'm not going to look it up, but I'm fairly confident a substitute teacher doesn't even qualify to participate in the Maine Retirement System until they have 90 days or more. At that point even if someone participates in MSRS, in no way does it affect any SSI benefits they have accrued. Where did you glean that info Z? If you are talking about Government Pension Offset, you need to be receiving a Government pension (state pension from MSRS) before the GPO kicks in. You don't get a Government pension for substituting an hour my friend!...last I checked it took 5 years of full time employment to be vested in the MSRS. Once vested, and you started receiving a State Retirement Benefit, the GPO would decrease your SSI benefit by a percentage. The maximum GPO penalty is just over $300 per month. In other words if you were receiving both Social Security and Maine State Retirement your SS check would be reduced some number from 0 to slightly more than $300. Way too much information I'm sure, but substitute teaching doesn't affect your Social Security unless you make a career out of Substitute teaching!!!

You may be right. But if you are not, this person could lose his whole social security on the basis of this. There are many many people who have worked with less than the required 30 years for just a short time and lost social security. Do you want that on your conscience?

Better safe than sorry. He needs to check. My wife cannot work for the state of Maine as a teacher for any bit, and then keep the SS that she obtained in antoher state. You should look up the discussions on this. And its not just Maine that this is happening. Any state where teachers do not get social security are having this happen.

[kevin5098]

Originally Posted by kellysmith

Where did you come up with that? Please!!...people come to these forums for advice. Nothing you say is correct. Many, many substitute teachers are retired from some other profession. I'm not going to look it up, but I'm fairly confident a substitute teacher doesn't even qualify to participate in the Maine Retirement System until they have 90 days or more. At that point even if someone participates in MSRS, in no way does it affect any SSI benefits they have accrued. Where did you glean that info Z? If you are talking about Government Pension Offset, you need to be receiving a Government pension (state pension from MSRS) before the GPO kicks in. You don't get a Government pension for substituting an hour my friend!...last I checked it took 5 years of full time employment to be vested in the MSRS. Once vested, and you started receiving a State Retirement Benefit, the GPO would decrease your SSI benefit by a percentage. The maximum GPO penalty is just over $300 per month. In other words if you were receiving both Social Security and Maine State Retirement your SS check would be reduced some number from 0 to slightly more than $300. Way too much information I'm sure, but substitute teaching doesn't affect your Social Security unless you make a career out of Substitute teaching!!!

Subs are not required to participate in the MSRS. I signed a document that stated I am opting out.