Teachers who have been retired for six months or more may soon find themselves back inside a New Jersey classroom under a new law designed to help alleviate school staffing shortages brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation Tuesday that allows retired teachers and professional school staff members to continue to collect their retirement pensions while also getting a new salary if they temporarily fill “critical need” jobs in New Jersey schools.
“We must do everything in our power to ensure that our schools are staffed with qualified educators. With this law we can put our students first by allowing retired teachers and staff members to return to our classrooms and schools without reenrolling in the Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund,” said a joint statement issued by state Assemblywomen Mila Jasey, D-Essex, and Pamela Lampitt, D-Camden, and Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, D-Hudson, co-sponsors of the bill.
The new law applies to any retired teacher or professional staff member, including speech language specialists or therapists. They can gets jobs in school districts for the the remainder of this current school year and the 2022-2023 school year.
But the proposed law does not list what the “critical need” areas will be, leaving that to the state Commissioner of Education to decide. Many school districts have had trouble for years filling science teaching jobs, bi-lingual teaching posts and other specialized positions. But some districts have also struggled to find teachers for easier-to-fill elementary school and physical education classes after many teachers were unable to unwilling to stay in the profession during the pandemic.
Under the new law:
Murphy signed the bill, S3685, after it was approved by the state Senate in June by a 40-0 vote and by the state Assembly earlier this month in a 78-0 vote. It had wide support among education groups and school officials looking for solutions for COVID-related staffing shortages.
Retired teachers could return to their old jobs, if they are deemed “critical need” posts, or take positions in new districts, under the new rules.
It is unclear how many retired teachers and school staff will be willing to return to schools to fill open jobs. The pandemic has introduced new health concerns, especially for older people and those with health problems. All New Jersey teachers are also required to wear masks, be vaccinated or submit to regular testing, and many must be ready to teach via Zoom or video classes on short notice if schools switch to remote learning.
But returning to the classroom could be lucrative for retired teachers who want to continue to collect their pensions while also earning an additional salary for the next year or two.
There is already a similar law in New Jersey that allows retired superintendents and administrators to return to temporary positions in schools without affecting their pensions.
There is no price tag for how much the new law will cost or save the state because it is difficult to gauge how many retired teachers might take the state up on its offer to return to teaching or how much they will be paid, according to an analysis by the state Office of Legislative Services.
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School districts could save some money by not paying health care costs for retired teachers because they already have health care benefits through their retirement plans. The state will also not have to contribute additional money to the retired employee’s pension for the year or two they return to teaching on a temporary basis, according to the law.
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Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com.