Ask the CEO

Ask the CEO is an online communication channel offered by CalSTRS CEO, Cassandra Lichnock. This Web forum solicits questions about the sustainability and administration of the CalSTRS Defined Benefit Program. Not all will be posted directly, but Cassandra’s responses will be inclusive of views and perspectives.

I retired last year and am worried about inflation and the increasing cost for groceries and other items. With my monthly expenses going up, will my CalSTRS benefit increase to help cover my expenses?

CalSTRS knows how difficult rising costs are for nearly everyone, especially our retirees. We offer two programs intended to ease the impact of inflation on you and your fellow retired educators.

I was awarded two years of service credit through the CalSTRS Retirement Incentive Program when I retired in June 2021. Is it okay if I return to the district that offered me this incentive while Executive Order N-3-22 is in place?

No, requirements in Education Code section 22714, which governs the CalSTRS Retirement Incentive Program, are still in effect. If you return to work in any capacity within five years of being awarded the incentive with the employer that awarded it, CalSTRS will remove the two years of service credit as of the date you returned to work with that employer. This includes any job as an employee, independent contractor or as an employee of a third party with that school district.

I retired on July 15, 2021, and am being asked to help my former school district out. I know there are some restrictions about returning to work. What do I need to know?

On January 11, 2022, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-3-22 that applies to retired CalSTRS members interested in returning to work in a K-12 school district, county office of education or charter school. In short, this Executive Order suspends the CalSTRS annual postretirement earnings limit and suspends the separation-from-service requirement for retired members who have attained the normal retirement age at the time the compensation was earned for the timeframe of July 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022. Keep in mind that many postretirement requirements and limitations remain in effect.