Eric Hartwig to retire as Las Lomitas district superintendent

Eric Hartwig is a devoted public servant and great educator. All of my kids had him at MA. However, he has been well compensated with salary and benefits and he now will be drawing a pension while making no contribution. He may not even be 60 years old.

The pension system was meant as a safety net, not a profit platform. The chances are very good that he will take another job while collecting our tax dollars. He should wait until he is 67 years old to retire like the governeor is recommending for state employees.

Educators pay into their retirement system, STRS, and are fully vested at age 62 with 30 or more years of service. Ronald Regan passed the Windfall Initiative, NOT allowing educators to receive Social Security. There is a sliding scale based on your STRS retirement amount. For example: if you have held jobs where Social Security was taken from your wages and you qualify for the full compensation, a teacher will only be allowed between $100 and $200, etc. Regan called it "Double Dipping". Even some teachers who work at a second job to supplement their income are shocked when they retire and find out they are not allowed the qualifying amount for Social Security. Teachers/educators are not in the same category as police, fire, and other state workers. Educators are also restricted to a maximum amount that you can earn once you take your public school retirement.

I want to thank Eric for his many years of service to our community and to our schools. It has been a pleasure to work with him and I wish him well, regardless where his path leads him after leaving Las Lomitas. Thank you Eric.

Its unfortunate that "long time resident" is such an uninformed citizen. Please do not lump educators in with the rest of the public employees. It is an entirely different ballgame.

Thank you for your ==B many years== service to the community:
* Superintendent of the Las Lomitas School District
* Former principal of Menlo-Atherton High School
* 36-year career as a teacher and school administrator

Time to take the ride on the gravy train....

He was an assistant principal back in the 90s. He phoned it in and was not respectful to students. Can't believe he became a superintendent... Good riddance.