The Truth About Retirement

Hello, and happy summer, my friends and colleagues! I am Rita Zigas-Brown, your newly appointed Retired Members Representative. It is wonderful to be involved with CMEA again after years of serving on the Bay Section Board, including my sixyear term as President. I look forward to collaborating with you while we reflect on our careers and brainstorm together on how we might be able to reach out and support those still on the front lines in the classroom.

What can I say about retirement? It is fan-freak-in-tas-tic! I always knew that being a teacher had its rewards in so many ways; some more obvious than others, of course, and yes, the profession also carries some baggage, stress, worry and fatigue. However, getting to the finish line is a glorious, glorious feeling, and deliciously rewarding. Let me share my journey to retirement.

I feel so very fortunate to have held two full time positions during my thirty-four year career. I started out in Novato (Marin County/Area I) at San Jose Middle School from 1987 to 2005 where I taught three wind bands, a jazz band and a choir. I moved to the east bay in 2005 and taught at Walnut Creek Intermediate School in Walnut Creek (Contra Costa County/Area III) from 2005 to 2021 where I taught four wind bands, a jazz band and a string orchestra.

It had been my intention to retire in 2021 since 2016; it was not my intention to retire during COVID. However, after three months of 100% distant learning and providing enrichment materials at the end of the 2019-2020 school year, I was looking forward to being back with my students for the final school year of my career. Alas, the pandemic threw us a curveball and my last year consisted of teaching content on Zoom, then moving into hybrid classes, teaching outside in the parking lot, teaching simultaneously on Zoom and in person, and a year of block scheduling. 2021 was my target date and I was more than ready! Departing during a pandemic was less than celebratory, but it was my plan, and I was sticking to it.

I am extremely fortunate to be married to a music educator who also chose to retire in 2021 after a thirty-four year career, so we get to enjoy retirement together! It is just another perk! We are blessed to have our good health, as well as a youthful and optimistic outlook to our next chapter together.

by Rita Zigas-Brown CMEA Retired Members Representative

The silver lining to that last year during a pandemic was that I integrated technology that I would have never used; I was successful on many levels, I was proud of myself. The downside to that year was that it was the most exhausting year of my career. I had never, in all my years, ever had to prepare such intense and detailed lesson plans! Wow! If you’re still teaching, you know what I’m talking about! Google Classroom, Google slides, SEL activities; the list just goes on. I survived, and said goodbye.

My five-year plan to retire started in 2016 when a colleague was preparing to retire that year. He asked me if I had a plan for my retirement, and at that time I did not. I hadn’t even considered it. Later in the 2016 school year I attended a free retirement seminar at the district office, and the planning began! I made an appointment a few days later with the retirement specialist who lead the seminar, and received a more detailed and specific outline to retirement. I told my husband about my meeting; that was the moment that he decided to investigate his retirement plans as well.

This same specialist also soon became our financial advisor, and we are so incredibly thankful for that assistance. I highly recommend that when preparing for retirement you have a professional on your side, guiding you through the process, as it makes everything much less daunting. He helped with necessary communications and paperwork with our district offices, our phone meetings with STRS representatives, and helped with consolidating all of our investment accounts.

If you are already retired, preparations for retirement are moot; however, if you are considering retirement, or wondering when you are eligible, I do hope that what I have shared can be of use to you.

Here are just a few examples of the questions I’ve received since retirement:

Q: Do you still wake up at 4:30am every day? A: NO, NO, NO! I go to bed later, and I get up later.

Q: Do you miss the job? A: Nope; I only miss the kids. I do not miss the politics or all of the other things that made my job more challenging. I have, however, done some adjudication during the festival season, so this involvement enables my “music creating” itch to be scratched.

Q: What do you do with your time? A: Sleep in, do more hiking with my hubby and dog, take in more travel, see friends more often, have lunches with other retirees, go to weekday matinees, and I am a part time dog walker! I’ve built a clientele since the summer of 2018 and since retirement my business has expanded. I now have several regular clients that are scheduled four days a week which has me out for several hours on those days. It’s pretty sweet!

Q: What is the best part of retirement? A: In addition to collecting a well-earned pension, I am experiencing less stress, and less worry, I am more relaxed; every night is Friday, every day is Saturday!

Q: Do you still play your instrument? A: Yes, absolutely! I have been playing in the clarinet section of the Contra Costa Wind Symphony since 2014 and in the ten-piece clarinet choir called Clarinet Fusion since 2016, and I plan to continue. Q: Do I get bored? A: No, as you can see, I stay active, I find things to do.

Returning to my statement at the beginning of this article, it is my goal to brainstorm ways to reach out to CMEA’s retired members in an effort to stay connected and maintain a “network.” I look forward to chatting with you and learn what makes retirement so special for you. If you have any ideas regarding collaboration, or you are considering your retirement options, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me via email at rzigas.brown@ gmail.com.