News in Brief: A National Roundup

A group of mostly retired educators last week announced a national effort to keep more new teachers from leaving the profession.

The 1-million-member group, formerly known as the National Retired Teachers Association and now dubbed NRTA: AARP's Educator Community, expects to convene a panel of business and education leaders early in the new year to guide the initiative. The AARP is the nation's largest membership organization for people over 50.

The three-year effort will include new research on the problem of teacher turnover and possible solutions, as well as regional panels to address the issue in various...