Letters - Letter to the Editor

School Administrator, March, 2002

Shared Pain on Pensions

Like Laval Wilson ("My Perils with Pension Portability," December 2001), I have suffered from the lack of pension portability. After 21 years in Michigan, my husband took a job in city management in Illinois. Our dual requirements of living in the city or district we administer have given us enough grief, but the retirement thing was simply icing on our cake!

My husband's career took us to central Illinois. I became a principal for two different districts in the Bloomington area. The retirement rules changed here in Michigan and it became apparent I would need to return to the state to complete my career. I never pulled out my Michigan time, but changes in the law now required educators to work five full years after rolling their outside experience into Michigan's retirement plan.

After seven years in Illinois, I found myself back in Michigan as a job hunter. I now have more than the required 30 years in Michigan, but to complete my five years, my husband and I have maintained two households in neighboring states. We drive 3 1/2 hours one way on weekends to see each other. It's not a pretty situation.

My only other choice: work until I was 65 and then draw small retirements from both states. I opted to come back and tough it out. I have 1 1/2 years to go, but my Michigan retirement and benefits will be much better. I could buy back my seven Illinois years when I leave Michigan, but I'm not anxious in my mid-50s to take another four graduate classes to get Illinois superintendent certification.

Fortunately, my current employer is excellent, which has made these five years more enjoyable than it could have been.

I hope someday we can waive the ridiculous requirements and reach reciprocity between states over retirement systems. It might come too late for us, but it will help others.

DIANE BAILEY

Assistant Superintendent, Sturgis Public Schools, Sturgis, Mich.

I read Laval Wilson's guest column with interest, having spent time in four states over the last 35 years.

I never worked in one state long enough to vest my pensions: 11 years in New Jersey, two in Maryland, three in New York and now 15 years in Pennsylvania. The latter state allows one to buy back a maximum of 12 years of previous out-of-state service if you have at least a dozen years in Pennsylvania.

The cost for a person with a family is not readily feasible so you keep on keeping on. I even spent six years in health care administration, but I came back to public education because I missed working with kids. I love what I do in education as a superintendent of schools. And as long as I do, I will continue to do it.

Wilson needs to know that he is one of many who have been hurt by the lack of portable pensions.

FREDERICK E. HACKETT

Superintendent, Stroudsburg Area School District, Stroudsburg, Pa.

Laval Wilson might be interested to know that Pennsylvania's retirement system was just liberalized to increase the multiplier to 2.5 percent per year and the vesting requirement was dropped to only five years. You can purchase up to 12 years of out-of-state time (any education position plus military time) at a 2 percent multiplier. There is no penalty after age 62 regardless of years of service.

If he is willing to look at one more move, Pennsylvania might help him get some credit for those California and Illinois years.

DAN COLLINS

Superintendent, Downingtown Area School District, Downingtown, Pa.

Nebraska's Model

The article on Nebraska's assessment system by Douglas D. Christensen ("Building State Assessment From the Classroom Up," December 2001) is an excellent example of one state's approach to creating a system of assessments that works well for that state.

Having learned first-hand about this unique approach, I found the article to be an excellent summation of what is happening in Nebraska.

While there is no one-size-fits-all fix for assessments for all states to apply, everyone from chief state school officers to district and school administrators to teachers can certainly learn a lot from Christensen and Nebraska's approach. Thank you for sharing his insightful description.

G. THOMAS HOULIHAN

Executive Director, Council of Chief State School Officers, Washington, D.C.

Sturdy Scaffolding

I enjoyed Suzette Lovely's Focus article ("Leadership Scaffolds for an Administrative Career Ladder") in the November issue.

The work she and her district are doing to recruit, train and retain quality principals in the Capistrano Unified School District is impressive. We are all in the same boat trying to achieve this in our schools. Our state is no exception.

Today's principals have new tasks in their in-boxes, new priorities on their agendas and new relationships to build. Their job demands are expanding precisely as the pool of leaders is shrinking. It is encouraging to see quality models such as the one in Capistrano emerge to address the potential problem.

FRANK HE WINS

Assistant Superintendent,

Franklin Pierce School District,

Tacowa, Wash.

Welcome Help on Threats

I just read Ken Trump's Focus article "Assessing and Managing School Threats" (October 2001) and found it to be an excellent quick guide for administrators.