http://educationnext.org/teacher-pension-reform-a-way-out-of-the-impasse/ Education Next is a journal of opinion and research about education policy. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:19:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://educationnext.org/teacher-pension-reform-a-way-out-of-the-impasse/comment-page-1/#comment-881 Is There a Third Way in the Debate over Teacher Pensions? : Colorado Education Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:35:19 +0000 http://educationnext.org/?p=49631294#comment-881 [...] Next (one of my favorite stops these days), professors Robert Costrell and Michael Podgursky say there may be a way to make a positive move beyond the traditional debate over teacher [...] [...] Next (one of my favorite stops these days), professors Robert Costrell and Michael Podgursky say there may be a way to make a positive move beyond the traditional debate over teacher [...]

]]> http://educationnext.org/teacher-pension-reform-a-way-out-of-the-impasse/comment-page-1/#comment-771 Ed is Watching » Is There a Third Way in the Debate over Teacher Pensions? Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:33:56 +0000 http://educationnext.org/?p=49631294#comment-771 [...] Next (one of my favorite stops these days), professors Robert Costrell and Michael Podgursky say there may be a way to make a positive move beyond the traditional debate over teacher [...] [...] Next (one of my favorite stops these days), professors Robert Costrell and Michael Podgursky say there may be a way to make a positive move beyond the traditional debate over teacher [...]

]]> http://educationnext.org/teacher-pension-reform-a-way-out-of-the-impasse/comment-page-1/#comment-770 George Mitchell Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:04:12 +0000 http://educationnext.org/?p=49631294#comment-770 Scrapping pensions entirely, as Tyler suggests, is an idea with almost no chance of being seriously considered. Reform, perhaps along the lines suggested by Costrell and Podgursky, is urgently needed. However, to the degree that reform would need to be bargained collectively, it, too, might be far-fetched. I believe legal or de facto bankruptcies will be needed in a couple large districts to shake up the NEA and AFT. Teachers' unions need to realize that they face a drastic loss of fringe benefits if they resist reform. Scrapping pensions entirely, as Tyler suggests, is an idea with almost no chance of being seriously considered. Reform, perhaps along the lines suggested by Costrell and Podgursky, is urgently needed. However, to the degree that reform would need to be bargained collectively, it, too, might be far-fetched. I believe legal or de facto bankruptcies will be needed in a couple large districts to shake up the NEA and AFT. Teachers’ unions need to realize that they face a drastic loss of fringe benefits if they
resist reform.

]]> http://educationnext.org/teacher-pension-reform-a-way-out-of-the-impasse/comment-page-1/#comment-767 Tyler Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:10:04 +0000 http://educationnext.org/?p=49631294#comment-767 What about a third option - scrapping pension plans altogether? The freed up money could then be used where it ought to be - in the classroom where the student learning is to take place. I'm outraged by the fact that our school's gym teacher will retire next year and collect $60k / year while sipping down pina coladas on the beach. What an absolute waste of resources. In this, we encourage older teachers who are no longer motivated by the thrills of being a classroom teacher to "rough it out" so that they can earn that carrot dangling from the stick. I would be in favor of taking that $60k and putting, say $30k on the front-end of teacher salaries, and put the other $30k in the classroom. The policy could be grandfathered in. Objections? What about a third option – scrapping pension plans altogether? The freed up money could then be used where it ought to be – in the classroom where the student learning is to take place. I’m outraged by the fact that our school’s gym teacher will retire next year and collect $60k / year while sipping down pina coladas on the beach. What an absolute waste of resources. In this, we encourage older teachers who are no longer motivated by the thrills of being a classroom teacher to “rough it out” so that they can earn that carrot dangling from the stick. I would be in favor of taking that $60k and putting, say $30k on the front-end of teacher salaries, and put the other $30k in the classroom. The policy could be grandfathered in. Objections?

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