In the wake of the economic downturn that began in 2008, public schools face serious and seemingly long-term fiscal challenges. Rising pension costs are a particular concern for school districts, whose dollars help prop up state retirement plans that often have substantial unfunded liabilities. Yet public school districts have no alternatives;…

Individual savings are critical for retirement as government and employer-based provisions fade or become less secure. Rural communities are vulnerable given their higher proportion of elderly and more who rely on Social Security. Using a telephone survey of working-age residents in Michigan's rural Upper Peninsula, this research investigates…

Older blacks migrated to nonmetropolitan (nonmetro) communities in the 1990s to a degree not true of the past. Some of the nonmetro counties that attracted them are well-known retirement areas also favored by other retirees, mostly whites. Two-thirds of black retirement counties, however, are areas in the Old South that are not attracting other…

Enthusiasm for information technology (IT) is growing among older adults. Many older adults enjoy IT and the Internet (Pro-Nets), but others have no desire to use it (No-Nets). This study found that Pro-Nets and No-Nets were different on a number of variables that might predict IT use. No-Nets were older, had less education and income, were…

Experts and leaders within most fields possess knowledge that is largely tacit and unconscious in nature. The leaders of most organizations do not "know what they know" and cannot share their knowledge with others. The loss of this essential knowledge is of major concern to organizations. This study tested an innovative method of tacit…

Many efforts have helped increase the number of women and ethnic minorities in college presidencies the past two decades, but Asian Americans have not kept pace with other historically underrepresented demographics. In fact, Asian American presidents are barely replacing themselves on the national landscape as they retire. This fact appears even…

According to a survey of 46 recently departed Michigan school superintendents, departing superintendents can announce their intention to leave and still maintain a viable leadership role. Lame-duck superintendents should help the board think through the superintendent-selection process and review possible promotions, recognize staff achievements,…

The paper reviews the major federal policies that affect older workers and focuses on Michigan's efforts to provide employment services to economically disadvantaged older workers. (CH)

At Grand Valley State Colleges an early retirement program for faculty was proposed as a contingency plan for potential enrollment shifts or declines. In this analysis, as a preliminary to the institution of such a program, a number of questions are considered in detail: potential benefits; principles on which the institution should base the plan;…

In an effort to determine the extent to which the development of the retirement function can contribute to growth and development of rural communities, 42 counties not adjacent to Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas in Michigan were studied. The retirement function was treated as a specialized community function, parallel to specialization…

Almost 900 employers responded to this year's "Recruiting Trends" survey, the largest response in the history of this project. Hiring of college graduates is expected to increase by single digits minimally, or double digits if certain geographic sectors are excluded (between 6% and 14%). This growth follows a robust 20% increase in…

This document describes in some detail the origins and implications of the Michigan Teachers' Tenure Act of 1964. After describing the nature and general effects of tenure, the document discusses specific aspects of tenure law, citing relevant court cases and decisions by Michigan's Tenure Commission. The first topic covered is probationary…