Hello! We're So Glad You're Here.

District 11 is affiliated with the Texas Retired Teacher’s Association (TRTA.) Active membership in TRTA is open to any retired public school employee who is an annuitant or who is eligible to receive benefits from the Texas Teacher Retirement System.

TRTA and local chapter membership is vitally important for retired school personnel. TRTA is the only organization with the power to take steps to improve the quality of life for retirees. TRTA lobbies the state legislature on our behalf. They also guide members in the best ways to communicate our needs to our legislators.

Membership in our local chapters is open to anyone who supports public school employees. Find a local chapter near you on our Local Chapters page. Members can be as involved as they have the time and inclination to be! Please consider joining us to meet up with old friends and make new ones!

TRTA is the only statewide organization in Texas that works exclusively for retired public school and higher education personnel at the legislative level to maintain or improve benefits to all retirees. This includes advocacy on issues important to retirees, including working for a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) and repealing the Windfall Elimination Program (WEP).

TRTA is the largest organization of its kind in the United States.

WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED

TRTA has a proven track record.

In 2024, TRTA worked with its national coalition partners to repeal the arbitrary and unfair Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). For more than four decades, TRS retirees who also worked in the private sector before, during, or after their education careers and paid into Social Security saw their Social Security benefits slashed by WEP, simply because they also received a public pension. TRS retirees also had their spousal or survivor benefits cut or eliminated by GPO. TRTA will continue to keep members updated about the implementation of H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, as benefits are restored for thousands of TRS retirees and millions of public servants.

In 2023, due to TRTA’s strong advocacy efforts, the Legislature appropriated approximately $5 billion in general revenue designated for COLAs and supplemental payments for eligible TRS annuitants, the largest amount ever appropriated from the state using only general revenue funds for a TRS benefit enhancement.

Worked with the Legislature to pass Senate Bill 10, providing all TRS annuitants aged 70 and older with a supplemental payment and a tiered cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for TRS annuitants who retired as of August 31, 2020 or before.
Ensured that the TRS pension fund contribution increases from the state were implemented to help maintain the fund’s actuarial soundness.
Launched a successful, comprehensive statewide campaign to support the passage of Proposition 9, a constitutional amendment in the November General Election that provided $3.3 billion in general revenue funds for tiered COLAs for TRS annuitants. Proposition 9 received more votes than any of the other 13 amendments on the ballot!
Helped secure the passage of SCR 28, a resolution urging Congress to repeal GPO and WEP.