Opinion
School & District Management Opinion

School Improvement RFP of the Week (2): Retiree Leaseback - A Back Door to Outsourcing the Teaching Force

By Marc Dean Millot — July 08, 2008 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
From Monday’s issue of K-12Leads and Youth Service Markets Report.Announcement: Contract Employment Program for Retirees—Employee Leaseback Due July 29. Mesa Public Schools, Arizona

Their Description:

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to develop a long-term contract with a qualified firm to provide employee lease-back services.... This RFP is being issued as part of the SAVE Purchasing Consortium. Any member of this consortium may participate in the resultant program....

The goal of this program is to retain experienced and qualified employees that would otherwise retire and be lost to the organization. Those employees interested and qualified to participate in this program would take full retirement and then be formally hired by the successful firm and placed back in their same position (or other position as qualified) as a contract employee.

The contracting entities (school districts) are open to applying this program to all employee categories. The benefits of this program should be two-fold. The contracting entity should realize a reduction in labor costs based on the elimination of FICA and benefit costs associated with a fully loaded internal employee along with the ability to retain experienced and qualified personnel.... The actual percentage of exit salary paid to each contract employee shall be at the sole discretion of the contracting entity....

The parties agree that no person supplied by the Contractor in the performance of the Contractor’s obligations under the contract are considered to be contracting entity employees, and that no rights of State civil service, retirement accrue to such persons.
The Contractor shall have total responsibility for all salaries, wages, bonuses, retirement... other employee benefits and all taxes and premiums... and shall save and hold the State harmless with respect thereto....

The contracting entity shall have control over the daily activities of the Contractor’s employees and in the event any such employee shall fail to adhere to the contracting entity’s directions, security regulations or demonstrate that they are not qualified to perform the duties required or if they refuse to do so, the contracting entity shall notify the Contractor who will conference with the contracting entity as to what actions will be taken. The Contractor shall follow through with the discipline of the employee after the decision has been made....

Changes in key personnel as detailed in Contractor’s proposal attached hereto, cannot be made without prior written approval of the contracting entity. For any such changes requested by Contractor, substitute personnel must posses education and experience qualifications equal to or higher than personnel being replaced....

Work policies, standards and procedures established by the contracting entity shall be followed at all times. The Contractor and his employees shall conform in all respects with regard to physical, fire and security regulations while on the premises of the contracting entity.

All personnel assigned must be employees of the Contractor at the time of any specific work assignment to the contracting entity. Before assigning one of its employees, the Contractor shall assure that the individual has, at a minimum, the qualifications for the required work and is able to perform the duties required by the contracting entity....

Pricing must be submitted on an all inclusive basis. The Contracting entity will pay one rate for the predetermined salary of an employee; this rate must be inclusive of all charges by the Contractor. Rates shall be outline for each year of the five-year contract....

My Thoughts: Today, this is a way for districts to have their cake and eat it too. Teachers reaching retirement can take retirement, but still remain under district control. (Profit now lies in the difference districts would otherwise pay as employee benefit costs.) Next, expect retirees from adjacent school districts. Someday - why just retirees?

Related Tags:

The opinions expressed in edbizbuzz are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Opinion The Stunning Resignation of UVA President Jim Ryan—and Why It Matters
The university president’s departure is more than just a headline. It’s a lesson in leadership.
2 min read
Opinion Licensed Not for Reuse Wait What FCG
Canva
School & District Management In Their Own Words This Custodian Got Students to Stop Vandalizing and Take Pride in Their School
Andy Markus, the 2025 Education Support Professional of the Year, helped boost behavior and engagement in his Utah district.
5 min read
Andy Markus, the head custodian at Draper Park Middle School, in Draper, Utah, sits for a portrait during the National Education Association's 2025 Representative Assembly in Portland, Ore., on July 3, 2025. Markus was named the 2025 NEA Education Support Professional (ESP) of the Year.
Andy Markus, the head custodian at Draper Park Middle School, in Draper, Utah, sits for a portrait during the National Education Association's 2025 representative assembly in Portland, Ore., on July 3, 2025. Markus was named the 2025 NEA Education Support Professional of the Year for his mentorship of students.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
School & District Management What the Research Says About School Boards: How Much Conflict Really Is There?
Plus, how competitive are board elections? How much do teachers' union endorsements matter?
7 min read
Houston ISD's appointed school board votes on the "District of Innovation" status during their monthly work session meeting at HISD Central Office on Sept. 7, 2023 in Houston.
Houston's appointed school board takes a vote during a meeting on Sept. 7, 2023 in the district's central office. A number of studies from recent years have answered questions about school boards' makeup, how competitive board elections are, whether conflict is on the rise, and more.
Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP
School & District Management Opinion How a Weekly Email to My Staff Made Me a Better District Leader
Writing helps make sense out of what feels messy and focus us on what's most important.
George Philhower
5 min read
Blue hand holding red pen.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty + Education Week