Building America's Job Force

Dear President and First Lady Obama,

 I would like to first express my gratitude to you both for the courageous and most important step that you both made for all people.  Being the first black president and first lady is beyond so many American's dreams.  Your journey has a very unpredictable path, as I can imagine, but no matter the path sticking to the main goal is key.  This country has a long history of repetitive behavior and "CHANGE" is the one word that describes what is needed most.  This brings me to the purpose of this letter which focuses on education in the United States.  There is constant discussions about the educational system, college, and employment in America.  I want to share with you an idea that could create a positive response and slowly help our young men and women who need that hand to pull them up.

I would like to focus on the "double dipping" of jobs in education primarily because my husband works with many schools and we both have a great deal of knowledge about why this occurs.  As you may know, double dipping is when an employee of the schools retires, but then is rehired at less pay.  The reasoning is very simple and understandable.  Mrs. X has been our treasurer for 15 years and she is "knowledge."  Knowledge according to dictionary.com is familiarity, awareness, or understanding gained through experience or study.  Mrs. X has retained her job with a very good employment record and with no problems.  She leaves the district, only to cause stress due to the fact that she must be replaced.  The market for employing should be great, but there is one problem, the school treasurer has to be "knowledgeable."  Mrs. X had a great personality, work ethic, and she was rehired, but not for those reasons.  She was rehired for her "knowledge."  

As I listen to my husband tell me about one of his clients/friends who is very similar to Mrs. X, I immediately thought of the pros and cons of rehiring Mrs. X.  The discussion went on and my suggestion is this:

Knowledge is key, but without proper training so many of our college graduates do not have experience, or what is really "knowledge"  that is needed to replace Mrs. X, treasurer of 15 years.  So, do we continue to hire the retired and allow the double dipping?  My answer is yes, but with a one year or two year guarantee only with part of that salary going to a young man or woman that will be trained every second of that day until Mrs. X's contract has expired.  After the one to two year period, we have a college graduate that has been trained by the best and is now ready to continue with this treasurers job, but with an experts "knowledge."  

How does this fix a problem?

1.  Schools rehire retired treasurers usually at a lower cost and this saves them money.  It also guarantees no interruption or possible mistakes and confusion, but the salary is usually more than the average american makes in a year.  It's great for the retired because he/she has already reached that retirement guarantee.  Schools can rehire the retired treasurer at a lesser salary.  Change:  The schools can rehire the retired treasurer, but a reasonable amount of that money has to be split with a treasurer trainee.  (EX:  $55,000 Salary for rehire - only $30,000 to the rehired treasurer and $25,000 to the trainee.) 

2.  There are many jobs  that uses the "rehire the retired" or in corporate america it may be called private contracting someone for their knowledge.  This is done at a cheaper price, which is fine except for the fact that our younger generation is getting passed over.  This concept can be used in many areas of employment.  If we want to keep the same quality of work knowledge, implementing an on the job training program within our work force will benefit our country tremendously.  I am confident that the school unions may back something like this because it doesn't threaten jobs, but gives us a brighter look at how to fix some of the inequities that are stemming in the educational system. 

What I continue to see in this country is the "old school way of thinking."  There are so many who do not give any thought about their reentering of the workforce and how that affects the new generation of graduates.  Its seems we give no thought as to how to take the situation we have and expand on that for a win win situation.  America has to get out of the "every man for himself" mindset.  It is very difficult to take what you have and completely change and start over.  Implementing a few positive changes that will actually produce and promote the organization will result in win win.  (EX:  Mrs. X has been given an opportunity to return to work after retirement and receive partial of what she made before retirement.  (extra income is always good)  Graduate Y has a job that gives him/her that opportunity to learn, get paid, and guarantees the position within two years at full salary. Graduate Y has the knowledge to be treasurer of a $100million dollar school district budget and was taught by the best, Mrs. X of 15 years.)

If I were my daughter who is graduating with a Masters in a few months, I would feel more comfortable knowing I have someone there to train me and a job that invested in me.  What college graduate wouldn't want that?

We can call this "Double dipping for the Future!"

Respectfully, 

MFFOC (Mom fighting for our children)