Unlike the incorrect assertion in Charles Lane’s opinion piece, data indicate that the large majority of teachers make a career commitment to preparing America’s children for the future. New research also finds that Americans agree that teachers deserve their compensation, including their pension.
Pensions help retain experienced teachers, and that experience is a key factor in providing high quality education for children. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that 83 percent of public K-12 educators who started teaching in 2008 remained in the classroom five years later. And, only eight out of 100 teachers moved to another school in 2013 with most staying in the school district or state.