Teacher Benefits
This is a brief summary of Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) teacher benefits. This summary is an example of our benefits and is not intended as a full description. City Schools reserves the right to eliminate, modify or interpret any of the benefit plans described herein at any time.
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City Schools pays up to 100 percent of the premium in accordance with the plan selected by the employee. Available plans include:
Health Insurance Plans:
- United HealthCare - www.uhc.com
- MAMSI - www.mamsi.com
- Blue Cross/Blue Shield - www.carefirst.com
Dental Programs:
Program premium is fully paid by the Board of Education for the basic dental plan.Prescription Drug Plan:
- www.express-scripts.com. Monthly $4 premium is paid by the employee. Employees pay a maximum $15 co-payment for each eligible prescription. Generic drugs are $10 and brand name formulary drugs are $15.
Life Insurance
- www.prudential.com. The City Schools provides employees with basic life insurance at no cost to the employee. Supplemental Life Insurance is also available.
Vision Plan
- www.e-nva.com. Premium fully paid by the Board of Education.
Pension System:
A mandatory pension system is administered by the state of Maryland. Members contribute 5% of yearly salary.Tax Sheltered Annuity Program 403 (b):
The City Schools has 5 authorized carriers who participate in offering tax sheltered annuity plans. Tax sheltered or deferred programs - 403 (b) under federal law allow employees to set aside a portion of their income on a pre-tax basis. Section 403 (b) of the Federal Tax Code permits an individual to save under the plan on a favorable basis. The savings results from the reduction of gross taxable income, the tax-deferred growth of savings, and the accrual of savings through payroll deduction. Authorized tax sheltered companies include:- ING
- New York Life
- Lincoln Financial Advisor
- Security First Group
- VALIC
Tuition Reimbursement:
Up to and including Master’s Degree — 75% tuition reimbursement
Master’s Degree and/or Equilvant — 50% tuition reimbursement.
Reimbursement is paid for courses taken by teachers up to and including twelve (12) credits per school year in an educational field or an approved related field.
There are many colleges and universities in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. Colleges and universities in the greater Baltimore metropolitan area include: Johns Hopkins University, Loyola College in Maryland, College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Towson University, Coppin State College, Morgan State University, Goucher College, Sojourner-Douglass College, University of Maryland at Baltimore, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Baltimore and McDaniel College. Colleges and universities in the Washington D.C. area include: University of Maryland College Park, George Washington University, Georgetown University, American University, Catholic University, Howard University, Trinity College and the University of the District of Columbia.
For further information concerning tuition reimbursement,.please contact the Office of HR Finance at 410-396-3121.
Student Loan Repayment:
Teachers may be eligible for loan forgiveness or cancellation if they borrowed one of the following type loans:
Federal Perkins Loans
If you have a Federal Perkins Loan, you may be eligible for loan cancellation for full-time teaching.
For additional information please contact your loan service provider.
Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL)/William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan)
If you have a FFEL or Direct Loan, you may be eligible for deferment if you are teaching full time in a teacher shortage area. The FFEL Program comprises Federal Stafford Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, Federal Consolidation Loans, and loans offered in earlier years through the Guaranteed Student Loan Program. The Direct Loan Program comprises Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, and Federal Direct Consolidation Loans. If you borrowed your 1st Federal Stafford Loan or Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loan after October 1,1998, you may be eligible for cancellation for teacher service.
For more information about targeted teaching deferments for the FFEL Program, consult your loan promissory note and contact the organization holding your loan. Direct Loan borrowers should contact the Direct Loan Servicing Center at 1-800-848-0979.
Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
City Schools Provides free, confidential, professional assessment and referral assistance for employees and family members experiencing personal problems that may be affecting work performance, job satisfaction, personal issues or overall quality of life