Few people work harder than teachers, who dedicate their lives to educating our children. Traditionally, teachers have been able to achieve a secure retirement with a defined benefit pension, but that isn’t the case for many charter school teachers in Louisiana.
Retirement security of charter school teachers is often overlooked. In 20 states that authorize charter schools — including Louisiana — schools are given a choice between participating in a public pension plan or offering an alternative. According to a new report from the National Public Pension Coalition, a majority of charters in Louisiana are opting out of the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana. This threatens the retirement security of charter school teachers.