Special Report
Golden Apples
Rotting teachers' pension systems.
(Page 2 of 2)
This spending has made teaching one of the most lucrative in both the public and private sectors. By 2002, the average teacher earned 25 percent more than that of the average American worker, according to the Education Intelligence Agency, a teacher union watchdog think tank; this doesn't even include pension benefits. A Missouri teacher retiring at age 52 will get 200 percent more in pension benefits than she actually paid into the plan during her career.
But now states and districts -- and ultimately, taxpayers -- are straining to pay this burden. As it turns out, the benefits are also exacerbating teacher shortages. Twenty-five percent of Michigan teachers and other school employees retire before age 55 while 64 percent leave before reaching 60, according to a 2007 analysis by the Detroit News. At the same time, the benefits -- along with the lack of performance pay -- makes teaching less attractive to the talented collegians needed to replace retiring teachers.
Some states are now taking stabs at reform. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has spent the past four years pushing to that state's early-retirement plan for teachers, which allows double-dipping. In November, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue pushed for a reform that would have ended automatic cost-of-living raises for retirees on the state's $47 billion teacher pension. It was defeated by the Peach State's NEA affiliate. More of such skirmishes loom on the horizon, especially as states -- egged on by both school reformers and angry taxpayers alike -- realize that comfy retirements for teachers are too expensive for citizens and their children.
About the Author
RiShawn Biddle the editor of Dropout Nation , is co-author of A Byte at the Apple: Rethinking Education Data for the Post-NCLB Era. He can be followed at Twitter.com/dropoutnation.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (54) | Leave a comment
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saleboter| 1.12.09 @ 7:28AM
We will all be working well past 65 to pay for all the benefits of government workers and teachers. When will the revolt happen?
Fred Edwards | 1.12.09 @ 8:13AM
Here's a survey that the Education Intelligence Ageny can do: What schools do public school teachers send their children ? This would be very revealing. My instinct tells me they (inner city school teachers) probably live in the suburbs where public schools are better , or they send their kids to private schools.
Deborah| 1.12.09 @ 8:16AM
Just another obvious problem with unions and other liberal ideas. They tend to destroy themselves and the rest of us along the way.
Alan Brooks| 1.12.09 @ 10:11AM
it would be best to shut down public ed altogether but that would be anti-conservative.
know what Ahnold wants? he wants to be first foreign born potus; his career trajectory is aimed thusly.
Stan Redmond| 1.12.09 @ 11:58AM
AND YET, there's NEVER enough money to fund the schools. The sad reality is education dollars do not go to funding education but instead fund administration and teachers. From Kindergarten to master degree honor students, students be damned. As long as students are taught to be good little democrat voters the system will never change.
Alan Brooks| 1.12.09 @ 12:48PM
it wont EVER change, Stan, whether dem or GOP voters. is there any longer doubt? only suckers today would fall for change in education. what is 'Change'.
change is building a bridge to the 21st century.
educational change is a chump reading a $14.95 book, 'The Coming 21st Century Electronic Kandy Flake Technetronic Classroom'
all is teacher/administrator funding, status.
Alles tenure. Alles vanity.
kids mixed together like pigs: scholars with room temp IQ kids, J. Delinquents.
you can read it in my new book, 'How To Elect Arnold Schwarzenegger President And Educate Our Precious Little Children For The Challenges Of The 21st Century'
$29.99, softcover
all rights reserved
no portion of this book may be reproduced without permission of author
no portion of this book may be reproduced electronically without permission from the publisher in writing
copyright infringement of this book will be punished to the fullest extent of the law in those states where the law is violated
copyright infringement is punishable by a fine of no less than $750,000 and/or imprisonment of no more than six months.
have a nice day :)
Joe| 1.12.09 @ 1:06PM
This is the sad state we are in with another Govern't run agency. And they want us to trust them to fix all of our troubles. No Thanks. It is time to throw the liberals out.
Alan Brooks| 1.12.09 @ 1:29PM
Joe,
it wont change unless you throw publik skools out.
but that would be radical.
just leave skools the way they are, children herded together-- no matter what their capabilities and temperaments-- like cattle in a barn.
change.
put straw on classroom floors.
Prez George W. Bush| 1.12.09 @ 2:03PM
Look, guys, clearly, putting a 'mission accomplished' on an aircraft carrier was a mistake. It sent the wrong message. We were trying to say something differently but, nevertheless, it conveyed a different message. Sorry, everyone.
Obama Rules| 1.12.09 @ 2:05PM
saleboter,
The revolt happened on Nov. 4, 2008. Weren't you paying attention?
Alan Brooks| 1.12.09 @ 2:18PM
um,
to get back to the teeny weenie, ittle bittle wittle 'issue' of education, Obama will do nothing to reform ed, save for higher ed.
Alan Brooks| 1.12.09 @ 2:25PM
the revolt was on 11/4?
you really believe that?
dont you know govt is really business like everything else, and the people who work for govt care about their precious positions in the food chain?
to save ed infra. funds, put K-16 students in barns and let them roll in the mud at recess.
Kat| 1.12.09 @ 4:13PM
Obama better watch our national security, just one terroist attack on our soil will destroy his administration and all liberal garbage policies (including our failed school system) . Let's see how long the liberal revolution lasts.
Alan Brooks| 1.12.09 @ 4:16PM
sorry, saleboter,
jumped the gun--you meant the revolt of the elites.
Alan Brooks| 1.12.09 @ 4:19PM
kat,
actually hes not a liberal, hes a nude democrat
er that is to say a new democrat.
Allan| 1.12.09 @ 4:29PM
Pay no pensions until age 65 - 67 and compute benefits on the best 38 - years average earnings just like scoial security.
Alan brooks| 1.12.09 @ 4:37PM
teachers unions wont allow it, Allan. there are no econ conservatives or libertopians running teachers unions & lobbies.
good try, though.
Ken| 1.12.09 @ 10:14PM
These numbers are huge. If I were a teacher in California, I would automatically discount the value of my future pension benefits by at least 50%. We can not bankrupt the state and all of the taxpayers of the state in order to meet a ridiculous promise that was irresponsibly made by vote grabbing school board members.
The days of public employee pay, benefits, and job security being excessively higher than markets rates paid in the private sector is soon to be over. Good riddance.
Alan Brooks| 1.12.09 @ 11:11PM
does that mean education will improve? education is the most important 'issue', more important than anything else in Ca, so how did school boards become so irresponsible in the first place?
why wont teachers unions and administrators make the same mistakes next decade?
Osamas Pajamas| 1.13.09 @ 1:51AM
Hey. It gets better [worse]. OhBummer wants to add a million or so new government employees ---- with all the salary and benefit problems that implies for the privately-employed and largely unarmed taxpayer who is expected to pay the bill. Overthrow OhBummer. Overthrow the Democrats. Overthrow the public school system, and refuse to pay the reitrement and other benefits of teachers. Let 'em eat snake.
AreYouDumbOrWhat| 1.13.09 @ 11:00AM
ENCINITAS - 4 Million not 4 Billion.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/06/22pensions.h27.html
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