Proposition 9 would increase pensions for retired teachers and public school employees

Joe Ramirez, a retired educator and president of Austin’s Retired Teachers Association, sits at a desk in his Austin home on Nov. 2, 2023. Voters will decide this month whether to increase pensions for retired public school teachers and employees. (Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune)

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For 28 years, Joe Ramirez taught social studies in Austin for students including President George W. Bush’s daughters, four-time Grammy award winning musician Gary Clark Jr. and former Gov. Rick Perry’s son. After retiring in 2012, he said he initially was able to live on his $2,200 a month check from the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.