Recent articles by Charles Chieppo from governing.com http://www.governing.com/authors/rss/rss/?a=103294494 Charles Chieppo is a research fellow at the Ash Center of the Harvard Kennedy School. California and the Thorny Business of Cutting Current Public Workers' Pensions http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-cutting-current-public-workers-pensions-california-ballot-measure.html There are a number of things that states and municipal governments can do to help get their retirement costs under control without dialing back their current employees' benefits. How a Federal Law Trumps Cost-Effective Transit http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-how-federal-law-prevents-cost-effective-mass-transit-workforce.html By threatening to withhold mass transit funds, Washington is preventing California from realizing savings from its pension reforms. It isn't the first time special interest legislation has stood in the way of cheaper government. The Civil Service Systems Governments Need for the Modern Era http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-civil-service-public-workforce-update-modern-era.html Merit-based hiring systems in government are more than a century old, and some of them make managing the public workforce absurdly difficult and complicated. They need to be updated for the modern era. Back to School: How New York City is Using Technology to Teach Math One-on-One http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-new-york-city-school-of-one-personalized-math-instruction.html New York City is trying a new technology-driven teaching approach to improve and personalize math instruction. So far, the results are encouraging. Bringing a Performance Culture to Massachusetts' Community Colleges http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-massachusetts-community-colleges-funding-performance.html Massachusetts is about to tie much of its community-college funding to measures of how well the schools educate their students. The state's bold plan is part of a welcome trend. Are Wisconsin's Public Employee Laws a Panacea for the Nation? http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-wisconsin-governor-scott-walker-public-employee-laws-panacea-nation.html Gov. Scott Walker says they are. But there are a lot of problems with one-size-fits-all policies. Wisconsin and the Politics of Coercing Public Employees to Live in Town http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-milwaukee-wisconsin-tom-barrett-scott-walker-public-employee-municipal-residency-requirement.html Residency requirements for municipal workers make it harder to recruit the best and the brightest, but a statewide ban like Wisconsin's may not be the best way to end them. Boston Transit Workers' Pensions: a Win for Transparency http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-boston-massachusetts-bay-transportation-authority-pension-transparency.html Information about the pensions for employees of greater Boston's transit agency has been hidden from the public. Now it's a matter of public record. Making Ice in the Desert: Glendale, Ariz.'s Multimillion-Dollar Hockey Bet http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-glendale-arizona-hockey-team-phoenix-coyotes-arena-lease.html Investing in sports teams and stadiums is usually a bad deal for cities. Glendale, Ariz.'s multimillion-dollar bet on its hockey team looks like one for the penalty box. Public Services in a Monopoly: Why it Costs so Much to Fix Boston's Buses http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-headline-massachusetts-bay-transportation-authority-boston-bus-maintenance.html There's abundant evidence that greater Boston's transit agency could save a lot of money by contracting out bus maintenance. But thanks to a restrictive state law, that's not likely to happen. Rhode Island and Massachusetts Chase Private Jobs with Public Money http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-economic-development-jobs-public-money-rhode-island-massachusetts.html It rarely works, but that doesn't stop public officials from trying. In two New England states, the lesson is being learned once again. The Growing Movement to Get Better Teachers into the Classroom http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-school-teacher-education-preparation-setting-higher-standards.html Teacher education programs have long set a low bar for students seeking to enter the profession. That is finally beginning to change. Can Phoenix Find a Way Out of its Pension Mess? http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-phoenix-police-firefighter-public-pension-spiking.html Some police and firefighters are getting hundreds of thousands of dollars in pension payouts, draining the city's finances and helping to shrink the public-safety workforce. Pension benefits need to be tied to contributions. How New Orleans is Rebuilding Its Ruined School System from the Ground up http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-rebuilding-new-orleans-public-schools.html After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans started over. A far better school system has emerged from the floodwaters. Illinois Lawmakers' Dilemma: 2 Ways to Fix Public Pensions http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/col-illinois-public-pension-reform-dilemma.html State lawmakers moving to fix the nation's worst-funded pension system have a choice: a plan that saves a lot of money or one that might survive a court challenge.