Huge Number of Retirees Honored

133 P.E.A. members; 150 Total Staff Leave the System on June 30
Retirees Honored at Dinner on June 27, 2007

The largest number of retirees in recent memory retired since last summer and through the school year ending June 30, 2007. Out of the approximately 150 staff members retiring, 130 of them were members of the Paterson Education Association. These staff members leave with over 3600 years of dedicated service to the Paterson School District. P.E.A. President Pete Tirri expressed differing emotions about the retirees. "We know that many of these dedicated staff members are leaving because they feel frustrated and unwanted by the current administration," Tirri stated. "Even at the dinner, many of them remarked to me how sad they were to be leaving."

Yet leave they did, in greater numbers than seen in recent years. A dinner was held in their honor at the Valley Regency in Clifton, on June 27, 2007. This event was sponsored by the School District under the direction of the Human Resources Department. The dinner was quite a wonderful thank you to all of the retirees for their many years of hard work in the system. Approximately 80 of the staff members who retired this year attended the dinner. They were feted with words of praise and gratitude as well as a farewell gift from both the School District and the P.E.A.

Along with tributes from Mayor Joey Torres's office and other local elected officials, each retiree received certificates of commendation for their years of dedicated service to the children of Paterson.

The committee who worked on the dinner was successful in making it a wonderful evening and should be thanked for their efforts. Many of those helping out were the secretaries from the Human Resources Department, who are P.E.A. members themselves.

"P.E.A. would like to wish each and every retiree a healthy and happy retirement along with our gratitude for their tireless efforts for the children of Paterson through the years, Tirri remarked. "These were all caring, devoted educators. We are sorry to see them leave, but happy that they can now look forward to new challenges; new adventures in their retirement."