Retirement & Pensions
Education news, analysis, and opinion about school staff retirement and the related financial obligations and issues for districts and states
Teaching Profession
Opinion
How Teachers Can Prepare for Retirement
After years in the classroom, the time is approaching to move on. So the big question is, what’s next?
Budget & Finance
From Our Research Center
The 'Zero-Sum Game' of School Budgets and Teacher Pensions
Pensions represent a rising cost, but many school district administrators don't understand how they work.
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A new study suggests that policymakers have limited knowledge about the impact of teacher pension expenses on school district budgets...
School & District Management
Webinar
How Pensions Work: Why It Matters for K-12 Education
Panelists explain the fundamentals of teacher pension finances — how they are paid for, what drives their costs, and their impact on K-12 education.
Teaching Profession
'Never Stop Learning’: Inside the Club for Retired Teachers
A club for retired teachers keeps lifelong educators connected to the young people in today's classrooms.
Budget & Finance
ESG: The Hotly Contested Investment Strategy That Could Pose Trouble for Teacher Pensions
Pension funds are facing political pressure either to incorporate social goals into their investment approaches, or to do the opposite.
Budget & Finance
The Ballooning Expense That's Cutting Into Funding for Students
The costs of retirement benefits and unfunded pension liabilities have grown far more quickly than overall spending on K-12 schools.
Budget & Finance
The Bleak Outlook for Teacher Pensions: What You Need to Know
Public pensions for teachers and other school workers were only 75 percent funded by states and districts last year—a steep drop from 2021.
Recruitment & Retention
Part-Time Teaching Gigs Help Keep Experienced Educators. But the Approach Is Rare
The strategy might be one way to deal with an aging teacher force and a limited supply of new teachers.
Teaching Profession
The Cryptocurrency Collapse Spells Trouble For Teacher Pensions. Here's How
A pension fund expert explains how the FTX collapse could affect educators and school systems.
Teaching Profession
In Their Own Words
'I Just Want to Get Better': A Teacher With Long COVID Retires Earlier Than She'd Hoped
A former Massachusetts teacher shares how long COVID damaged her cognitive abilities and accelerated her retirement.
Recruitment & Retention
5 Strategies States Are Using to Fill Teacher Shortages
After months of scrambling, states have settled on a handful of practices. But experts say some could weaken the quality of teaching.
Recruitment & Retention
Could Retired Teachers Be the Answer to Shortages? It's Complicated
Some hard-pressed states are letting retired teachers "double dip" and collect their pension on top of a new salary.
Budget & Finance
Districts Spend Up to a Third of Their Payroll on Pensions. What That Means for Budgets
Despite healthy returns in 2021, some districts' share of retirement benefits and debt servicing has crept up to high levels.