Christie plan may prompt mass teacher retirements, analysis shows
STATE HOUSE BUREAU
STATE HOUSE BUREAU
Governor Christie’s plan to get long-serving teachers to retire this summer could drain lots of experience from some districts, while largely sparing charter schools staffed by younger educators, an analysis shows.
Christie wants to cut pension and health benefits for current teachers, but would allow those who retire by Aug. 1 to get a free pass. The state’s largest teachers union says the plan, which has not been submitted to the Legislature yet, could prompt mass retirements.
The analysis shows more than 29,300 of the state’s nearly 143,750 certified teachers — about 20 percent of the workforce — qualified for retirement, either through age or years worked, according to data from the 2008-09 school year, the latest available. Some teachers may have since retired, died or otherwise left the system.
In Bergen County, the percentage is in keeping with the state average: About a fifth of its 13,926 teachers, or 2,820, would be eligible for retirement.
The portion is higher in Passaic County, where 24.5 percent, or 1,999, of 8,163 teachers are eligible.
Nearly a third of the number in Passaic County are Paterson teachers. According to the data, 660 of the city’s 2,764, teachers are eligible. Retirements could help avert some of the 775 layoffs looming in the city schools. But Peter Tirri, the teachers union president, said the retirement of large numbers of veteran educators would be chaotic.
"You need relationships with parents, you’ve got to establish roots in a school," Tirri said.
The number of eligible teachers exceeds the averages in some smaller districts in North Jersey.
In Carlstadt, nearly 39 percent, or 21 of the 54 teachers in the district, are eligible. The district has one school, as does Alpine, where 10 of 27 teachers, or 37 percent, are eligible. In Ringwood, 45 of 135 would be eligible, fully a third of the teaching staff, according to the data.
The analysis also found:
FILE PHOTO
Governor Christie’s plan to get long-serving teachers to retire this summer could drain lots of experience from some districts.
The analysis shows more than 29,300 of the state’s nearly 143,750 certified teachers — about 20 percent of the workforce — qualified for retirement, either through age or years worked, according to data from the 2008-09 school year, the latest available. Some teachers may have since retired, died or otherwise left the system.
In Bergen County, the percentage is in keeping with the state average: About a fifth of its 13,926 teachers, or 2,820, would be eligible for retirement.
BY THE NUMBERS
| County | Eligible | Total | % |
| Bergen | 2,820 | 13,926 | 20.2 |
| Passaic | 1,999 | 8,163 | 24.5 |
| Morris | 1,619 | 8,382 | 19.3 |
| Hudson | 2,173 | 8,195 | 26.5 |
| New Jersey | 29,328 | 143,733 | 20.4 |
| Source: New Jersey Department of Education | |||
Nearly a third of the number in Passaic County are Paterson teachers. According to the data, 660 of the city’s 2,764, teachers are eligible. Retirements could help avert some of the 775 layoffs looming in the city schools. But Peter Tirri, the teachers union president, said the retirement of large numbers of veteran educators would be chaotic.
"You need relationships with parents, you’ve got to establish roots in a school," Tirri said.
The number of eligible teachers exceeds the averages in some smaller districts in North Jersey.
In Carlstadt, nearly 39 percent, or 21 of the 54 teachers in the district, are eligible. The district has one school, as does Alpine, where 10 of 27 teachers, or 37 percent, are eligible. In Ringwood, 45 of 135 would be eligible, fully a third of the teaching staff, according to the data.
The analysis also found: