Let’s get Ben on the ballot

Help get fellow teacher and New Action/UFT Executive Board member, Ben Morgenroth, on the ballot for the May NYC TRS board election as part of the three teacher trustees who oversee the more than $100 billion in our pension fund. Ben is supported by members across the City’s schools, across many caucuses, including New Action, and of course by independents, owing to his passion for maintaining solvent pensions, his unsurpassed quantitative and financial background preparing him to make financial decisions, and his advocacy for fixing Tier 6 (see NAC’s Tier 6 presentation, predominately led by Ben, here).

This trustee position is the second to change hands in two years. We need qualified trustees with a solid financial background, like Ben’s, to keep our pensions safe, secure and stable.

We need to put the best qualified candidate on the ballot and Ben is the most qualified candidate.

Ben teaches AP Calculus and Algebra II at Brooklyn Technical High School and has served as a passionate teacher in the New York City public schools for the past decade. He also serves as an adjunct lecturer in Mathematics at Hunter College, City University of New York. He is a life-long New Yorker and a graduate of New York City public schools. He comes from a family of educators; he and three members of his immediate family are all TRS members.

Ben holds a BA in Applied Math-Economics from Brown University and a MA in Applied Mathematics from Hunter College.

Prior to teaching, Ben served as a business technology consultant and hedge fund risk analyst, helping to manage $3 billion in client investments.

He is the only candidate with a strong investment background who can be trusted to keep our pension stable, solvent, and ensure that it continues to grow.

Ben is an independent-thinking, union-proud, classroom educator who will serve the best interests of all NYC educators. He will fight to fix Tier 6 so all members have a fair pension and have the option to retire at 55 with the same contributions that Tier 4 members have.

He needs 1,000 signatures to get on the ballot. Please help by circulating his nomination petition (link and QR code below). Any active in-service TRS member may sign the petition, including teachers, counselors, school staff, administrators and active CUNY employees who are members of TRS.

Please circulate this petition in your school to all NYC TRS members.

Please return signed petitions as quickly as possible. We are hoping to collect all signatures in the next 15 school days.

Download & Print Ballot Petition

Ben’s LinkedIn

If you have questions, concerns or comments, contact the Committee to Elect Benjamin Morgenroth at [email protected]

Vote For Ben – Election Day, Wed May 8, 2024

When asking people to sign the petition ballot, please remind and urge them to vote for Ben Morgenroth on May 8, 2024 – Election Day.

We will share more details about these NYC DOE run elections in the coming days and weeks.

Ben’s top priorities for managing our pension plan:

1. Ensure financial stability and fund solvency to secure financial futures for retirees.
2. Aggressively and judiciously pursue investments that maximize returns while minimizing risk.
3. Hold webinars and workshops in schools to ensure members understand our pension, including benefits, investment, and retirement options.
4. Improve pension and disability benefits for members of all tiers.
5. Restore the 8.25% TDA rate (received by everyone except UFT members).
6. Restore retirement age to 55 for Tier 6 members.
7. Reduce pension contributions for all tiers and end pension contributions after 10 years of service.
8. Improve pension flexibility for members who change careers or relocate, including pension credit for teachers entering from other school systems.
9. Improve Final Average Salary calculation for pension benefits that better reflect real earnings.
10. Update COLA law for benefit increases that keep pace with inflation.
11. Offer swifter movement of funds between TDA investment options (reduce time lag to one day from the present one to four months).