Watson Lake Signpost Forest, Yukon, Canada

 

Picture: Tina and her dog Yami,

Unimaginable joy washed over me as I found myself in the breathtaking Yukon, reveling in the thrill of adventure after a long day of driving. My partner steered the vehicle to the side of the road, and as I gazed upward, my eyes widened in awe at the iconic Watson Lake Signpost Forest before me. The sight was nothing short of surreal—I felt like I had stepped into an Alice in Wonderland scene. "I’ve been here before; how did I end up here?" I wondered aloud, grappling with the whimsical sense of déjà vu.

It felt like I was dropped into the location of an intriguing story from the Farmer’s Almanac box calendar, which dedicated a feature to the fascinating Sign Post Forest. While I couldn’t recall the exact date of the story about Private Carl K. Lindley, I distinctly remembered how it captured my middle school students' imaginations that year. The narrative spoke of a U.S. private serving with the 341st Engineers, tasked with making repairs to a sign along the rugged Alaska-Canadian Highway. In a delightful display of creativity, he decided to personalize his contribution by erecting a sign that pointed toward his hometown, Danville, Illinois, along with the distance to that cherished place. I fondly remember sharing this captivating box calendar with my students in either 2021 or 2022, igniting their curiosity, sense of adventure, and love of learning all things including math.

I believe the tear-off was likely from the 2021 box calendar, I retired from CPS in December 2022 and, drove to Alaska summer of 2023. After returning from my trip, I attempted to locate the actual tear-off. I had repurposed these tear-off calendars as notepads. When I flipped through them, however, I couldn’t find it. Maya Angelou said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” I know this agony. I also feel that stories must be told. If we don’t they die and somehow it feels like we lose who we are and why we are here. I left my vibrant green platform shoes behind, along with a personalized memento, a staggering 2,506 miles away from the familiar streets of Chicago. In doing so, I shed not just my footwear but also the fear that my inability to continue serving as a Trustee for the Chicago Teachers’ pension fund would impede the important work that had already begun. This moment marked the beginning of my quest to restore the “Defined Benefit Plan,” a vital safeguard for teachers’ futures.

My unwavering commitment to holding our elected officials and other fiduciaries accountable is at the forefront of my mission. If one individual can spark success in this Forest, we can work together to restore the gold standard of retirement savings for everyone, one pension fund at a time. The journey ahead is daunting, but the vision of a secure retirement for all teachers fuels my determination.

In today’s data-driven environment, employers often require employees to utilize their designated network drives for various purposes, such as ensuring data security, improving collaboration, and facilitating access to important documents. Understanding the importance of adhering to these guidelines, I diligently followed the directive and stored all my work-related files on the CPS network. While this decision could be beneficial, it also has its drawbacks. The memories and relationships we build throughout our careers with co-workers and students are incredibly special and priceless. However, we often leave behind intellectual property that can be monetized, and we need to consider how we are being compensated for it and how we can protect it. 

To effectively repeal the unjust Tier 2 law, we, the participants in this initiative, must hold our fiduciaries accountable. We can no longer rely on the status quo. It is essential that we leverage our collective intellectual talent, along with that of the staff, to identify ways to improve our funding ratio, which, as of the last update, was just over 46%. How is this acceptable?

Let’s personalize our work, explore innovative revenue streams, and balance the pension actuarial equation by thoroughly examining our expenses. What is our expense ratio?

Where is the money?

What happened to the $41 million that a former employee brought to the attention of our internal auditor?

Where are our Pre-Paid Pensions, which have not yet been disbursed? The amount owed to CTPF stands at approximately $13.9 billion.

Most importantly, how are we collaborating on legislation that addresses the mistakes of the past and works toward repealing Tier 2?

 Respectfully,

Tina Padilla