The federal SECURE Act 2.0 has raised the age at which individuals must begin taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from their retirement accounts to 73, as of January 2023. The RMD age has increased to 73 for people who turn age 72 after 2022 and age 73 before 2033. For people who turn age 74 after 2032, the RMD age will be 75.

The SECURE 1.0 Act in 2019 increased the RMD age to 72 (for people born on or after July 1, 1949). Prior to the SECURE Act 1.0, the RMD age was 70 1⁄2.

See more information about important rules, dates and benchmarks related to RMDs. 

No, they do not apply to DOE authorized parking spaces, at signs that read read "Department of Education," for employees with valid DOE parking permits, on school days, during times listed. 

No, they do not apply to DOE authorized parking spaces, at signs that read read "Department of Education," for employees with valid DOE parking permits, on school days, during times listed. 

You may update your permanent home address and/or other contact information by logging in to the TRS website. Any updated information that you provide to TRS through their website will take effect immediately. 

As an alternative, TRS in-service members and retirees may also use this form to update their address with TRS. Upon receipt of this form, TRS will update its records with your new permanent home address and/or other contact information and will direct all future communications to the home address and/or other contact information that you indicate in “Part B.”

TRS will send you a written confirmation of all changes whether you use the online or paper form.

Beneficiaries who are receiving monthly benefit payments should instead file the “Beneficiary’s Change of Address Form” which is available on the TRS web site. 

The DOE school year payroll calendar  lists pay periods for different payroll banks. Different job titles are paid through different banks: 

• H-bank: Full-time school nurses, therapists, audiologists, sign language interpreters, education analysts/officers, associate education analysts/officers and administrative analysts/officers.
• Z-bank: All job titles listed above, but Z-bank is for hourly workers, not full-time.
• Q-bank: Full time pedagogues (teachers, secretaries, guidance counselors, psychologists, social workers, lab specialists), paraprofessionals and substitute paraprofessionals.
• Per-session/per diem: per session pedagogues and substitutes, including F-status employees.

Eligible educators can deduct from their federal income taxes up to $300 of unreimbursed expenses for books, supplies, computer equipment (including related software and services), other equipment and supplementary materials they use in the classroom, according to the IRS. The educator expense deduction is an "adjustment to gross income," so you can use it whether or not you use the standard deduction or itemize deductions. 

To be eligible for this deduction, you must work for at least 900 hours during a school year at a school that provides elementary or secondary education as a teacher, instructor, counselor, principal or aide. See more about educator deductions via the IRS. 

The agency raised the deduction from $250 to $300 for tax year 2022, the first time the deduction had increased since its enactment in 2002. If you are married, filing jointly, and both spouses are educators, you can deduct up to $600, but not more than $300 each. For courses in health and physical education, expenses for supplies are qualified expenses only if they are related to athletics. You should keep documentation, such as receipts or canceled checks, for any deductions you take.

You may also deduct your union dues from your state income taxes if you itemize deductions on your state tax return form, but not on your federal taxes, as a result of the 2017 federal tax law changes.

The total number of years of experience hasn’t changed (two years for a permanent certificate and three for a professional one), but the state has changed its definition of a “year of experience.” A minimum of 180 days over a 12-month period in an educational setting is still mandated, but as of March 30, 2022, the state now permits a variety of part-time experiences that add up to 180 or more days of full-time experience in a 12-month period. The new definition no longer requires periods of continuous experience or teaching experience in the subject area of the certificate sought.

Yes. Through Feb. 1, 2024, school counselors received provisional and permanent state certification. As of Feb. 2, 2024, school counselors will be issued initial and professional certification instead. Both certifications will continue to be recognized. Members with a valid provisional certificate will still be able to obtain a permanent certificate after Feb. 2, 2024.

The state has also established extensions for Bilingual Education and Supplementary Bilingual Education for school counselors who hold an initial or professional certificate. Requirements include 12 semester hours and courses in sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics, similar to requirements for classroom teachers.

For more information, see the NYSED website. 

If I have Medicaid, one of the Essential Plans offered by NYS, or no health insurance at all, am I eligible for this benefit?
No, this benefit does not apply to you because you are not paying any premiums for your health insurance, either because you don’t have health insurance or because you have Medicaid or one of the Essential Plans, neither of which have any premiums associated with them. As a result, there’s nothing for us to reimburse you for.

I have insurance through my or my spouse/partner’s employer. Am I eligible for this benefit?
No, this benefit will reimburse your out-of-pocket expenses (i.e. your “premiums”) to purchase a qualified health plan on the “NY State of Health” marketplace (a.k.a. “the exchange”). Premiums that you and your family pay to offset the cost of the employer-based plan that you have are not eligible to be reimbursed through this program.

How much of my premiums will you reimburse?
Provider Wellness will reimburse up to 100% of the premiums you actually pay out-of-pocket with the following caveats: (1) For the current benefit year (Oct 2022-Sept 2023), there is a cap of $400 per provider per quarter; (2) The funds allocated to this benefit are not unlimited and will be disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis if and until they run out.

Can I get my out-of-pocket medical expenses reimbursed as well?
No, this benefit only reimburses you for the cost of purchasing health insurance (i.e. “premiums”), not costs you incur for health services (e.g. copays, co-insurance, outlay before you reach your deductible, any other out-of-pocket expense related to your health).

How do I take advantage of this benefit?
Enroll in Provider Wellness and choose this benefit on the Benefits Selection page. You will receive an email with instructions that will tell you exactly what you need to do to take advantage of this benefit. Learn more about the details of this program. 

Is this benefit offered in-person or virtually?
These services are 100% virtual.

What types of coaching are there?
There are two types: Individual (one-on-one) and Group. You can do as many or as few one-on-one sessions as you like and schedule them when convenient to you. The group sessions are organized around a cohort of fellow providers (minimum 3, maximum 15) and consist of twelve 30-minute meetings that take place once-per-week in the evening. Read more details about this program. 

I’ve heard about rewards for participation. What are those all about?
Anyone who completes either six individual sessions or a fully twelve-session group program will receive a $50 gift card. While participants may enjoy the benefits of more individual and group sessions throughout the year, they are only eligible for one completion gift card per year. In addition, as an incentive to encourage participation upfront, we are hosting a number of raffles in which we raffle off $100 Amazon gift cards among anyone who has simply registered on the WellSpark platform and are also giving away $25 Amazon gift cards to the first batch of providers who sign up for either group or individual coaching.