Displaying 1-8 of 8 results
Report
9.9.2013
Governance, Teachers & School Leaders

Ohio Pension Reform in Cleveland: New Teachers Beware

Robert M. Costrell, Larry Maloney

At first glance, the recent teacher-retirement reforms in Ohio seem to bring good fiscal news to school systems in the Buckeye State. Thanks to Senate Bills 341 and 342—and a series of cutbacks on retiree healthcare—the Cleveland Metropolitan School District is projected to spend less on retirement costs in 2020 than it does today. But these reforms come at a big price.

Report
7.17.2013
School Finance, Governance

Milwaukee: Saved by Act 10...For Now

Robert M. Costrell, Larry Maloney

One of three technical reports on retirement costs and school-district budgets.

Report
6.3.2013
School Finance, Governance

The Big Squeeze: Retirement Costs and School-District Budgets

Dara Zeehandelaar Shaw, Ph.D., Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.

When it comes to pension reform in the education realm, it’s hard to stay positive. Here, we’re saddled with a bona fide fiscal calamity (up to a trillion dollars in unfunded liabilities by some counts), and no consensus about how to rectify the situation. No matter how one slices and dices this problem, somebody ends up paying in ways they won’t like and perhaps shouldn’t have to bear. All we can say is that some options are less bad than others.

Report
4.17.2013
Governance

Redefining the School District in Tennessee

Nelson Smith

As the challenges of education governance loom ever larger and the dysfunction and incapacity of the traditional K-12 system reveal themselves as major roadblocks to urgently-needed reforms across that system, many have asked, “What’s the alternative?”

Report
3.20.2013
Charter Schools, Governance

Governance in the charter school sector: Time for a reboot

Adam Emerson

When charter schools first emerged more than two decades ago, they presented an innovation in public school governance. No longer would school districts enjoy the “exclusive franchise” to own and operate public schools, as chartering pioneer and advocate Ted Kolderie explained. Charters wouldn’t gain all of the independence of private schools—they would still report to a publicly accountable body, or authorizer—but they would be largely freed from the micromanagement of school boards, district bureaucracies, and union contracts. Autonomy, in exchange for accountability, would reign supreme.

Report
2.14.2013
School Finance, Governance

When Teachers Choose Pension Plans: The Florida Story

Matthew M. Chingos, Martin R. West

In an era of budgetary belt tightening, state and local policy makers are finally awakening to the impact of teacher pension costs on their bottom lines. Recent reports demonstrate that such pension programs across the United States are burdened by almost $390 billion in unfunded liabilities. Yet, most states and municipalities have been taking the road of least resistance, tinkering around the edges rather than tackling systemic (but painful) pension reform. Is the solution to the pension crisis to offer teachers the option of a 401(k)-style plan (also known as a "defined contribution" or DC plan) instead of a traditional pension plan? Would this alternative appeal to teachers? When Teachers Choose Pension Plans: The Florida Story sets out to answer these questions.

Report
1.23.2013
Charter Schools, Governance, Private School Choice

School Choice Regulations: Red Tape or Red Herring?

David A. Stuit, Sy Doan

Many proponents of private school choice take for granted that schools won’t participate if government asks too much of them, especially if it demands that they be publicly accountable for student achievement. Were such school refusals to be widespread, the programs themselves could not serve many kids. But is this assumption justified? A new Fordham Institute study—to be released on January 29—provides empirical answers. Do regulations and accountability requirements deter private schools from participating in choice programs? How important are such requirements compared to other factors, such as voucher amounts? Are certain types of regulations stronger deterrents than others? Do certain types schools shy away from regulation more than others?

Report
1.10.2013
Governance

Education Governance for the Twenty-First Century: Overcoming the Structural Barriers to School Reform

Paul Manna, Patrick McGuinn

America’s fragmented, decentralized, politicized, and bureaucratic system of education governance is a major impediment to school reform. In Education Governance for the Twenty-First Century: Overcoming the Structural Barriers to School Reform, a number of leading education scholars, analysts, and practitioners show that understanding the impact of specific policy changes in areas such as standards, testing, teachers, or school choice requires careful analysis of the broader governing arrangements that influence their content, implementation, and impact.