The tension at the heart of pension politics is the incentive to satisfy today's claimants in the here-and-now at the expense of long-term concerns. Rules and auditing standards are intended to tame this kind of short-sighted behavior in the private sector. In the public sector, the primary safeguard is the hope that public officials will not be…

Offers editorial opinion and excerpts from letters discussing pension requirements for teachers in the Soviet Union. Criticizes the policy of requiring teachers to put in a strictly enforced number of years of service to become eligible to receive a pension. (DK)

Discusses a perceived lack of concern for retired teachers among former students and the community at large. Provides examples and excerpts from letters describing loneliness and financial difficulties among retired teachers in the Soviet Union. Urges respect and concern for those who have given everything for their profession, often at the…

The economic, human, and social impacts of mandatory retirement are addressed in a brief presented by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) to the Subcommittee on Equality Rights. There is a possibility that the coming into force of equality rights may remove mandatory retirement. It has been estimated that by 1989 removal…

Proceedings of a 1980 Brown University conference on faculty retirement are presented. Papers and authors are as follows: "A Review of Current Legal Status and National Policy Issues" (Laura C. Ford); "Mandatory Retirement Age Legislation for Tenured Faculty: The Policy Issues and Their Context" (W. Lee Hansen);…

Offers school board members 10 tried-and-true signs that can help them know when to retire. (MLF)

Senator Collins of Maine plans to fight for proper federal funding of the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) that allows rural schools to combine federal funding sources. Collins, and Senator Dianne Feinstein, will soon introduce legislation that will eliminate inequities in the current Social Security law that penalize teachers and other…

Although the Family and Medical Leave Act enabled some parents to take unpaid parental leave in order to fulfill family responsibilities, it did not cover all workers and did not provide workers the financial support to do so. This policy report calls for Congress to: require states to allow new parents who have been working to collect…

To ensure the quality of school leadership in the future requires the following: (1) improving financial incentives; (2) strengthening administrator training programs; and (3) raising certification requirements. (MLF)

This article argues that, rather than raising the salaries of college presidents, thus widening the salary gap with faculty and possibly creating ill will, governing boards can provide better, long-term supplemental retirement programs that offer maximum reward, security, and control. This strategy can assist in recruitment and retention of…

When possible, college presidents should be encouraged to retire undefeated rather than making the presidency a career. When circumstances indicate that the time has come for a change in administration, a thoughtful board of trustees will seek ways to make such a transition graceful. (MSE)

The Commission on College Retirement was formed to review the role and functioning of college and university retirement programs and make recommendations for program improvements. This volume brings together five separate reports issued by the commission. "Retirement Ages for College and University Personnel" addresses the issues of…

A recent survey of the 50 states showed a wide variation in buy-back provisions for emigrating teachers who wish to apply prior service from another state toward their pension plan in the state to which they have moved. A chart shows the number of years of buy-back allowed and the specific requirements for claiming them in each of the states,…

Policy statements give a framework to decision-making power, clarify issues, regulate relationships, and assist in the resolution of differences of opinion. It is essential that a school board provide direction through a well-conceived and well-developed policy. If there is unwillingness to implement policy, a real or perceived vacuum is created…

The Supreme Court's ruling in "Betts" gives employers wide latitude in structuring benefit plans and should strengthen the confidence of school boards that wish to offer age-based retirement incentives. (MLF)