This dissertation is comprised of three essays on the economics of education. The first and third chapters examine marijuana legalization and its effects on students, while the second chapter examines the impact of pension incentives on teacher quality. The first chapter examines the extent to which there are negative spillovers of recreational…

The working retired population is more populated now than ever before in human history. There have been various studies in the area of Information Computer Technology use in the workplace, the area of workforce training, and the area of training of individuals within various age groups, but little to no research addressing the experience of…

This study addressed the lack of professional development and networking opportunities targeted towards school counselors in rural school districts. To address this problem, this study explored the perceptions and lived experiences of professional school counselors, in rural settings, and their participation in a professional learning community…

Community Colleges were thrust to the forefront to develop, train, and re-train American workers for an altered labor environment. This occurred at a period of time when community colleges experienced their own reductions in workforce due to retirements. The business industry had long been a consumer of succession planning which utilized the…

Presidential tenures at colleges and universities in the United States have declined. Private, four-year institutions have witnessed a significant decrease in average appointments while more presidents, many influenced by personal job dissatisfaction, have chosen to retire or leave the industry rather than assuming a similar role at a more…

History has created many societal structures, expectations, and barriers that keep women in a particular place where their voices are expected to remain silent and passive (Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger & Tarule, 1997; Blount, 1998; Gilligan, 1982). According to Gilligan (1982), women have difficulty listening to their inner voices and often…

Many collegiate student athletes dream of professional careers in athletics for their entire lives. However, it is estimated that only 2% of college athletes will have the opportunity to continue their sports career after graduating college (NCAA, 2018). An extensive review of existing literature revealed a lack of support for student athletes as…

Studies regarding Black male teachers' experiences working in predominantly White schools are rarely found in academic literature. This is especially true of retired Black male teachers who worked in predominantly White settings. The pronounced absence of profiles of these men is a concern, since less than three percent of classroom teachers are…

There is a nationwide shortage of qualified teachers, with 90% of all teacher shortages caused by teacher attrition (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2019). This study surveyed public school K-12 teachers in South Carolina to gain an understanding of workplace factors that contribute to teacher intentions to quit/ teacher attrition. The…

This study explored the topic of current women administrators and their mentorship experiences. The purpose is to examine if these individuals had a mentor at all and how that relationship evolved. There is a universal graying of administration in Higher Education Leadership and many institutions lack a long-term plan to mentor and replace the…

Superintendents are leaving districts at an alarming rate across the nation, which can lead to detrimental effects for students, staff, and communities. Where once this was a position of prestige, it has become one in which educational experts are choosing to leave districts because of the various stressors that comprise their jobs. It is not…

Principal turnover continues to be a problem in schools today, and urban schools experience principal turnover at the highest rate. There has been an abundance of research on turnover of school principals, yet minimal research on retention of urban school principals. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with retired urban school…

This qualitative study focused on retired school principals' involvement in special education. More specifically, it explored various ways former principals conceived of their leadership identity and accounted for their level of involvement in special education and with students identified or identifying as disabled. The following research…

In many areas, the number of people transitioning to retirement is starting to outnumber the number of young people negotiating their way into the labor market. To sustain economic prosperity, these regions need to prolong the working lives of older workers. Maintaining older workers' earning power and employment until and past the traditional…

Community colleges are experiencing a retirement crisis. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Association of Community College Trustees (2018) reported that as many as half of community college presidents presiding in 2016 were likely to retire by 2021. Many current community college vice presidents are not interested in…