ASCD retirees stay active in education.
"What do you do when a career that has been such an integral part of your life is suddenly over with a bouquet of roses and a farewell gift?"—Retired Educator Karen Eichler
"I don't think many educators truly retire," says Pat Matthews, 30-year teacher and administrator, now turned independent educational consultant. She's right—most education retirees seek out ways to remain active in education but enjoy the freedom to choose the level and area of commitment. Lost income and rising health care costs top the list of retiree concerns.
For retiree David Walter, deciding how to spend retirement first requires considering your financial solvency, then deciding whether you want to stay in education, and then determining what special skills would be valuable and enjoyable to pass along.
"I may be retired, but I'm also redirected," notes D'Ann Douglas, a former 4th grade gifted and talented teacher.
Teacher shortages—especially in math, science, language arts, and special education—have led states to adopt retirement policies that allow more educators to return to the profession. In general, however, studies report that retirees tend not to go back to the classroom, opting instead for consulting and educator-training work. So while retirees are adding greatly to teacher-quality efforts, they are usually not replacing the bottom-line need for more teachers in actual classrooms. There is still a great need to recruit and retain new teachers.
Financial Concerns
Almost all retirees cite financial concerns when they are deciding what direction their retirement will take. "School retirement is sometimes just enough to pay the bills until something major happens, and then it's a struggle," explains Peter Richards, retired Vermont elementary school principal. The rising cost of health care worries retiree Nancy Baird "even more than my retirement income."
Nancy Timmons notes that those who have retired from administration usually have a livable pension, but teachers who've been retired for a while often struggle to get by. Medicare costs increase all the time, but the retirement pension rate remains the same and does not reflect rising costs of living. As a member of the Texas Retired Teachers Association, Timmons advocates for pension reforms.
Former Washington State teacher Karen Eichler adds, "We teach for intrinsic reasons, but there are very real concerns about financial stability, so there need to be avenues retired teachers can follow to remain mentally engaged and earn extra money as well."
To that end, states have gotten crafty with plans that allow educators to retire with their full benefits while taking full-time employment at a new school. Lawanna Sears was able to retire at age 57 from a suburban Kansas City district and sign on at an area charter school as a reading specialist. "In Missouri, teachers can retire, with benefits, from a district in the Missouri retirement system and then take a job outside that system, across the state line, or in the Kansas City area," explains Sears.
However, retiree Allan Dornseif sees potential problems ahead for educator pensions. "While my doctors are doing an excellent job of keeping me alive and healthy, soon I will be in a position of collecting more pension checks than I collected paychecks. Good for me, but how in the world can any state keep the promise to the immense numbers of educators who are now working toward a comfortable retirement?"
Policymakers are beginning to grapple with Dornseif's concerns, but exactly how states will respond is still in development (see "Unintended Consequences" on p. 8).
Staying Connected
Many retirees return to education because they miss the collaborative work environment and the ability to directly influence the lives of young people. As retired social studies chair Thomas Coy puts it, "Teachers are used to being with people."
Retiree J. T. Gates agrees that "educators who have been continuously energized by their students must find new sources of motivation and interest that are as complex as teaching."
Marilyn Winters, a retiree who now teaches education degree candidates at Sacramento State University in California, stays "mentally active and emotionally centered by working with teachers who are moving ahead in their careers."
Retiree Pat Ashcraft suggests choosing one or two professional organizations on which to focus your time and attention. By doing so, you'll develop many professional friends across your state and country, Ashcraft predicts.
For the Good of the Profession
Educators are driven to return to education because it capitalizes on their expertise and keeps them involved with peers, but also because they have an intrinsic concern for the future of public education. Many, like 33-year communications teacher Michael Bergen, are concerned with teacher quality. "New teachers may have their portfolios ready, but they lack critical-thinking training and effective discipline plans," Bergen claims.
Retired teachers have a responsibility, say many, to step in where training falls short. "Very often," retiree Angela Cosimano explains, "education courses are taught by professors with little recent classroom experience. Nothing can replace years of hands-on practice."
Focusing on teacher quality and bolstering the perception of public schools through multiple measures of student achievement is at the heart of much of the work of education retirees. Ashcraft believes a loss of respect for public education makes it harder to draw people to the profession, especially into administration. "Many are finding that if they have leadership skills, those skills are more marketable in other fields," Ashcraft adds.
Truthfully, many educators admit they retire because they are tired. "After having to deal with NCLB, low salaries, and negative attitudes toward public education, many educators are just burnt out," contends Rena Berlin.
"Teachers are not allowed to use their creativity, and that becomes very tiring," adds D'Ann Douglas.
The challenge—or the gift—of retirement is finding those one or two aspects of your former work that you can really dig into. For many, this new definition of employment is personally reinvigorating. It is also valuable to those who benefit from retirees' dedication. "At 71, I plan to continue to use my special skills to strengthen public education, at both the local and state levels," says Walter.
Douglas uses her post as executive director of the Jason Project Alliance of Southeast Texas to advocate for "teaching by doing, and allowing students to learn tested concepts in an interesting way." Last year, her group trained 170 teachers. She maintains that even teachers "learn by doing." Learning from retirees what works in classrooms is a great way to learn teaching, she adds.
More Time, Less Pressure
"Since I have more time, I'm able to spend it reading and preparing for my college students and district school improvement projects I facilitate," says Joan Daly-Lewis of Socratic Solutions. "I'm able to focus on just those areas where I feel I can really contribute."
Marge Tye Zuba, an international educational consultant, says retirement has given her the freedom to do only the "meaningful" things that affect learning for children. She's currently working on ways to support academic achievement for children in foster care.
Diane Busch mentors and coaches current administrators. "Professionally, I equate it to being a grandmother. I get to visit schools, think about and explore educational issues, but leave at the end of the visit without the full-time responsibility."
Less stress is important to Sandy Clifton-Bacon: "No discipline problems to deal with, no union issues, no parent complaints, and no more late-night board meetings." As a former assistant superintendent for instruction, Clifton-Bacon was eager to help new and aspiring administrators.
"I never intended to fully retire, but rather to be ‘rehired’ doing things I really enjoy," says Clifton-Bacon, who works as a consultant and coach, and partners with higher education.
Maximizing Return Engagements
Retirees are in the prime position of having the experience and practical wisdom that aspiring or newly minted teachers crave. The next logical step many are taking is meeting this need. "After years of sitting through tedious inservice workshops, I vowed that I would do a better job if I ever had the opportunity," says Cosimano. Recently retired teachers, she adds, especially those who come from outside the district, make great mentors and can offer fresh ideas without feeling obligated to conform to a school's unspoken agenda.
Michael Ross, retired assistant superintendent in Ohio, meets the challenge of staying current with education practice and issues through his work with High Schools That Work and through ASCD leadership. He sees broad potential for using retired educators on school advisory councils for curricular and program changes, in public relations and fund-raising campaigns, and as board of education candidates. "You have to work to strike a balance between the freedom of retirement and continued professional development," says Ross.
"Retirement does not mean oblivion," says James Furukawa, who, in retirement, endeavors to "make his voice heard above the din of buzzwords in education."
For Ricardo Sosapavon, retirees are poised to lobby for reforms within their districts, without fear of retribution or politics that may deter current administrators. Regeta Slaughter sees retirees leading discussion groups for new teachers, "so that they can build learning communities, and share ideas and strategies."
Broader Vision
As an administrator, notes retired principal Barbara Wotherspoon, you can be so busy that you don't get to look outside your own school's situation. When you retire, she notes, you get to step back from the hectic day-to-day routines and broaden your scope—and not just to other schools in your area, but to what's going on in schools in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world. Wotherspoon now works as a leadership coach in school districts across the United States and in two different licensure programs for principals. For her, the most important message to impart to current principals is to see their school's place in the global community. "You are preparing students for success in the world, not just for success in your school."
"While one of ASCD's most important position statements is about developing the whole child, we must also continuously reflect upon our own lives and determine to what extent we are becoming whole persons," notes Richard Flaim, who now works with New Jersey ASCD, among other pursuits. "Retirement, if properly planned, can help us to become whole."
"Retirement?" asks Eichler. "It's great to sleep in, have time to work out, and volunteer at the hospital, but I'm very happy that I am valued as a teacher of young educators, and still feel that my ideas and experience can make a difference in learning."
