The 2014 AASA Superintendents Salary and Benefits Study is intended to provide superintendents with actionable information needed to manage their compensation. This edition marks the third year the association has undertaken a comprehensive study on public school superintendent compensation. Using a commercially prepared mailing list of American…

Recent research (Strunk and Reardon forthcoming) applies Partial Independence Item Response (PIIR) models to teacher bargaining agreements in California to calculate the latent restrictiveness of these contracts. Further research (Strunk and Grissom 2010; Strunk forthcoming) tests the external validity of these estimates. Given that much research…

Something is wrong with tenure, and one needs to make it right. Abolishing it is not feasible, but it doesn't mean that one shouldn't at least consider changing some of the ways that tenure works. In this article, the author proposes that a better way to change tenure is to offer an implied contract of about 30 years. A 30-year contract would…

Policy discussions about teacher quality and teacher "shortages" often focus on recruitment and retention of young teachers. However, attention has begun to focus on the incentive effects of teacher retirement benefit systems, particularly given their rising costs and the large unfunded liabilities. In this paper we analyze accrual of…

There is significant interest in reforming retirement plans for public school employees, particularly in light of current market conditions. This paper presents an overview of the various types of state regulation of public pension plans that affect possibilities for reform. Several states have legal protections that effectively prevent a state…

This edition of AASA, The School Superintendents Association's "Superintendents Salary and Benefits Study" marks the second year the association has undertaken a national study on public school superintendents' compensation. Until recently, most school superintendents have had to rely on the annual salary study sponsored by…

There is significant interest in reforming retirement plans for public school employees, particularly in light of current market conditions. This article presents an overview of the various types of state regulation of public pension plans that affect possibilities for reform. Nearly all of the various approaches to public pension plan protection…

To advocate replacement of traditional tenure arrangements by fixed-term contracts is a misreading of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act amendments, and may threaten academic freedom. (Author/MSE)

Garth Armstrong (pseudonym) agreed to participate based on a pre-existing "career-guidance-and-support" relationship with the researcher, to explore the realities of career transition. An account-making approach was used over the last eight months of his professional rugby-playing career (termination) and for a further ten months into…

Determining what will occur with a consulting practice becomes a more pressing concern as an evaluator approaches the age of retirement. Typically independent consultants do not have the pension planning services readily available to evaluators in academic settings, governmental agencies, or large corporations. Without prompts such as automatic…

Options for faculty utilization in a steady state are examined, with consideration for their economy or ability to increase turnover or flexibility: early retirement, part retirement, retraining, exchange with other institutions or industry, and fixed-term appointments or lecturer positions. (MSE)

Phased retirement policies are more or less attractive financially and more or less accommodating of individual differences. They are also implemented in varying ways, variations that especially affect departments and academic programs.

This research brief presents results of George B. Vaughan and Iris Weisman's 2006 Career and Lifestyle Survey (CLS) of community college presidents. Data from four previous CLS studies, conducted in 1984, 1991, 1996, and 2001, are included to indicate trends over time (Vaughan, 1986; Vaughan, Mellander, & Blois, 1994; Vaughan & Weisman, 1998;…

At the end of the day, most of those in higher education feel gratified for having accomplished meaningful work but somewhat overwhelmed with the pile of work yet to be tackled. Still, they see the need to do more beyond that. Indeed, it is becoming clear that there is a growing need for more contact between educators and students and a need to…

Tenure arrangements are long-term contracts. If their duration is clear, they will protect academic freedom, provide institutions with the flexibility needed to meet changing circumstances, and comply with age-discrimination laws. Policy for the termination of tenure must be redesigned to satisfy competing needs and goals. (Author/MSE)