School Retiree Organizations

Since 1937 and until the early 1980s, the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees (PASR) was the only organization in Pennsylvania serving the needs and interests of retired public school employees. Over the years PASR has worked closely with all of the organizations representing active school employees and received support from all of the organizations in encouraging teachers, administrators, and school support personnel to join together and support PASR in retirement.

 

As divisions of the active organizations, most of the other retiree groups were organized and operate primarily to provide support to the goals and objectives of the active members of the organization, and secondarily to promote the needs and interests of the retirees themselves. The retiree groups are subsidiaries to and governed by the parent, active member organizations.

Unlike all of the other retiree groups, PASR is a totally independent, voluntary membership organization. It consists of, is governed by, and works exclusively to serve the needs and interests of all school retirees — regardless of the positions held or the organizations to which its members belonged prior to retirement. Its officers, board members and chapter presidents are all elected by the members. All serve for limited terms on a strictly volunteer basis. None can serve in the position for which he was elected for more than two years and none receive any payment for their services other than reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses.

 

Membership in PASR is strictly voluntary. The State Association of PASR does not bestow gift memberships to individuals upon retirement or otherwise count as members anyone who has not chosen to become members of the Association with the self-payment of dues. Many of the active employee organizations provide gift memberships in their retirement divisions to their members upon retirement.

 

PASR is organized at the local, region, state and national levels, but unlike many of the other organizations PASR does not compel participation and support of all levels. It does not have a unified dues structure. PASR local chapters establish their own dues structures, as does PASR’s national affiliate — the NRTA Division of AARP. Members may elect to join and support whichever level(s) they choose.

 

PASR encourages all school retirees to accept the gift memberships and join the retired membership divisions of the organizations that served them when they were working in the schools. Please, continue to support our active colleagues. They need our help!

 

However, please remember that we must also help and serve ourselves the retired school employees of the Commonwealth. We must join and work together to serve the common needs and interests of all school retirees. Please, consider joining PASR as well. We need your help!