Teachers Annuity and Aid Association of the District of Columbia
Managed by the WTU
Application Link
What is the Teachers Annuity and Aid Association?
The annuity is an annual payment of $1,000 (or more based on extenuating circumstances) available to all WTU Educators who have to go on unpaid protected leave due to their own medical needs in a given school year.
Note: You cannot use the annuity for days that were already paid for while you were on leave. You must demonstrate through your documentation that this was time you were on Leave Without Pay.
Who Qualifies for the Annuity?
- You must be a “Teacher” as defined in the collective bargaining agreement between the WTU and DCPS during the year in which you are seeking a Benefit. This means all ET-15s and EG-09s who can be members of the WTU.
- Applications must be submitted by June 30th of the school year following the year for which you are seeking a benefit. For example, if you are seeking a benefit for the 2024-2025 school year, applications are due no later than June 30, 2026.
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You must also have met ONE of the following requirements and provide the supporting documentation with the application
How do I qualify for more than $1,000?
The Annuity's Board of Trustees, appointed by the President and confirmed by the WTU Executive Board, will use the Governing Policy Passed by the WTU Representative Assembly 3/10/26 to make exceptions to the $1000 benefit in the following manner:
- Offer up to $10,000 for 120+ additional hours of need that is unpaid per FMLA, ADA, etc.
- If under 120 hours unpaid, offer a proportional amount of a % above $1,000 after 3 days unpaid.
Can this be used to pay for time the sick leave bank was unavailable?
Yes. The Annuity can be used for any protected unpaid time you had to be on leave to care for your own medical needs. So if you expected to use the Sick Leave Bank, but it was unavailable for the total time you were out on FMLA, resulting in 3+ days unpaid leave, you can apply to use the annuity for that school year.
Where did the Annuity come from?
The Teachers Annuity and Aid Association of the District of Columbia (“Association”) was originally established in 1894 to provide retirement income to retired District of Columbia Public Schools teachers who were dues-paying members of the Association. Once the District of Columbia implemented a government-sponsored retirement plan for teachers, the need for the Association was eliminated and no new members were admitted. Remaining funds of the Association were dedicated to provide financial support to teachers who became temporarily or permanently incapacitated either physically or mentally as determined by the Association’s Board of Trustees. The program was dormant for many years but in 2011, a new Board of Trustees was appointed and an application was filed with the IRS to ensure that the remaining assets in the Association remain tax-exempt. IRS approved the application and the Association is now a “501(c)(11) Trust Fund” under the Internal Revenue Code. Its purpose continues to be to provide financial support to eligible participants who become temporarily or permanently incapacitated either physically or mentally as determined by the Association’s Board of Trustees.