California Retired Teachers Association Long Beach Chapter (LBCalRTA)
CalRTA began in 1929 as the country struggled through the Great Depression. A small group of teachers banded together to fight for better pensions for colleagues who were living in poverty after a lifetime of teaching. In 1929, a retired schoolteacher received a maximum of just $500 a year in pension benefits. Laura E. Settle, CalRTA’s founder and president until 1945, drove the dusty highways of the state to help organize teachers in a common cause. All were welcome to join for the annual dues of $1. After several years, CalRTA made its first major breakthrough in 1934, when pensions were finally boosted.
CalRTA today is a multi-faceted organization. Its members provide a backbone of volunteer service that keeps local communities strong. Members contribute nearly 2.7 million hours of volunteer service annually. Today, CalRTA is one of the nation’s largest retired teacher organizations with more than 50,000 members in 87 local divisions (similar to chapters) throughout the state.
In 1933 the Long Beach division became the third to affiliate with CalRTA. There are more than 1200 members living in Long Beach and surrounding cities. Get to know us! Join us for lunch.
LBCalRTA provides annual scholarships to support future teachers and nurses at CSULB, LBCC, and Cerritos College.
The College of Education (CED) expresses gratitude to all scholarship donors who continue to enhance the quality of education students experience at CSULB.
Website
http://div3.calrta.org/
Impact
Led by scholarship chair, Barbara Ellis, the LBCalRTA has been giving CED scholarships since 1974. These scholarships are awarded to full-time Multiple or Single Subject Teaching Credential students who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree and a teaching credential.
Scholarships
California Retired Teachers Association Long Beach Chapter Scholarship