HUDSON COUNTY — The Star-Ledger posted a story on Sunday noting that with Gov. Chris Christie’s plans to cut pension and health benefit banks for current teachers, those retiring by Aug. 1 will get to keep all the money. Thus, many teachers who are eligible to retire may do so all at once at the end of this school year. That is, IF Christie’s plan passes through the state legislature.
If many of them leave, it could leave area districts struggling to pay a lot of money at once, but might also open their jobs up to new teachers.
The story notes: “Gov. Chris 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, a Star-Ledger analysis has found. …The state’s largest teachers union says the plan could prompt mass retirements. The Star-Ledger 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.
“Hudson, Passaic and Cape May counties could be hit the hardest, with 24 percent or more of their teachers potentially looking at an open door.”
To reiterate, Christie’s plan hasn’t passed through the state legislature yet. What do you think? Is his idea good or bad? Comment below!
What happens when teachers leave the Hudson County schools all at once?24 percent could retire locally if bill passes legislature, get big payouts
