Retirement & Pensions
Teaching Profession
Explainer
Did COVID-19 Really Drive Teachers to Quit?
An Education Week analysis shows that the predicted wave of leavers has not yet materialized across the nation.
Teaching Profession
Video
What It’s Like to Retire During a Pandemic
For first grade teacher Kristi Kucera, retiring in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic disrupted her plans.
Education
Public Pensions Have Lost $1 Trillion in Value. That's Bad News for Teacher Pay
States, school districts and teachers next year are likely to be on the hook for higher pension rates as the investment markets tank because of the coronavirus. That will leave districts with less money to spend on other K-12 priorities, including teacher pay.
States
State-District Tensions Swell Over School Pensions
There’s a tussle over the right balance for who should pick up the tab for teacher retirements and how that affects wealthier and less-wealthy districts.
Teaching Profession
Retired Teachers Struggle to Make Ends Meet
Many teachers went into the profession for the promise of a comfortable pension. But payouts haven’t always kept up with cost of living, and some retirees are barely scraping by.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Illinois High Court Backs Pension for One-Day Teacher Substitute
A union lobbyist who worked just one day as a substitute teacher is entitled to a pension worth potentially tens of thousands of dollars annually, the Illinois supreme court has ruled.
Teaching Profession
Most Teachers Won't Have Enough Retirement Savings Under Pension Plans, Study Finds
A new study estimates that 81 percent of teachers won't have comfortable retirement savings under a typical defined-benefit pension plan.
Teaching Profession
The Kentucky 'Pension Flu' Has Hit Teachers Once Again
Several school districts have been forced to close due to a large number of teachers calling out sick in protest of a pension-reform bill.
Education Funding
Kentucky Pension Law That Spurred Teacher Protests Is Nixed in High Court
The Kentucky Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a law that made changes to the state's struggling public pension system eight months after it prompted thousands of teachers to protest, closing schools across the state.
Education Funding
News in Brief
California's Teacher-Pension Fund Divests From Prison Companies
California's teacher-pension fund is pulling its investments out of two private prison companies that have contracts to house immigrants detained at the Mexican border.
Education
'Frontline' Examines Woes of Kentucky's Underfunded Teacher Pension Plan
The PBS show looks at one of the most underfunded teacher-retirement plans in the nation, and the political battles this year over changes to Kentucky's system.
Teaching Profession
In Illinois, New Budget Caps Raises and Limits Pensions for Teachers
The state's budget bill, which Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law this week, caps annual raises for end-of-career-teachers, lowering the pension they can receive.
Teaching Profession
Math Teacher Unseats Ky. House Leader Who Spearheaded Pension Changes
In the latest victory for educators, a high school math teacher ousted a Kentucky incumbent who co-authored the controversial pension reform bill.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
In Late-Night Deal, Colo. Lawmakers Pass Pension Reform Measure
In the 11th hour of their legislative session, Colorado lawmakers last week passed a compromise deal to change the state's underfunded pension system for teachers and other public employees.