Retired Teachers Hold February Meeting

The Pushmataha County Retired Teachers and Support Personnel held their February meeting at the K Country Restaurant in Clayton.

Betty Work introduced Angie Baton, CEO and Registered Nurse at the Pushmataha Family Medical Center in Clayton.

Mrs. Baton shared how important preventive health care screening can be for people, The public can be screened at the The Center for hepatitis C, STI, HIV, cervical, breast, colon, and prostate cancers. The Center can also test for diabetes and abdominal and Aortic aneurisms. They can administer vaccines for flu, covid, HPV, and shingles. Your heart health can also be checked there.

The county is very fortunate to have this health facility in the northern part of our county.

The next guest speaker was Brenda Callahan Jones. Mrs. Jones is the SE District Director of OREA. She spoke to the group about SB 882. SB 882 authored by (R) John Montgomery effects teacher retirement and insurance. Basically the bill would create a “defined contribution” system for new teachers. This retirement idea would be like a 401K , when you retire , you would draw a retirement check until your money runs out. For years teachers in Oklahoma have had their retirement set up in a “defined benefit.” Teachers draw a check until they die.

The “defined benefit plan is like the social security plan. In both systems, “defined contribution” and defined benefit,” teachers pay into the account, pay taxes, and for their insurance. OREA is definity against SB 882.

he next meeting will be March 8th at 11:00 in the Rattan High School Library. Stephen Smallwood’s award winning Speech Class will perform for the members.