Pensions

• Chicago Teachers Strike Continues as Emanuel Seeks Court Order to End It
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Chicago   |   September 17, 2012
• Mayor Rahm has maintained for over a week that the two major sticking points in negotiations — evaluations and the ability to recall teachers who have been laid off — are not legal grounds for a work stoppage.

• Wyoming's Retiree Rehire Policy Rankles Some Public Workers
• Source: Casper Star-Tribune   |   Wyoming   |   September 17, 2012
• Only three retirement groups are eligible for rehire after retirement — the big public plan that includes state government employees and the plans for law enforcement officers and Wyoming Air National Guard firefighters.

• Pension Reform Gets Final OK in Ohio
• Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer   |   Ohio   |   September 14, 2012
• Beginning in January, many Ohio public workers will face increased pension contribution rates and higher retirement-age requirements.

• Chicago Teachers Contract Deal Will Take "Creativity"
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Chicago   |   September 14, 2012
• The district and union continue to haggle over how teachers will be evaluated and a framework for recalling teachers who've been laid off because of school closings, consolidations and turnarounds.

• Iowa May Rank Teacher Colleges, Graduates' Performance
• Source: Des Moines Register   |   Iowa   |   September 14, 2012
• Although many educators believe the step is needed, no one has yet figured how to make that happen.

• California Bill to Trim Pension Costs Becomes Law
• Source: Los Angeles Times   |   California   |   September 13, 2012
• The new law signed by California Gov. Jerry Brown increases the retirement age for new hires, caps benefits and requires employee contributions.
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• Chicago Talks Drag on, with School Closings in Spotlight
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Chicago   |   September 13, 2012
• "Nobody knows" how many schools will be closed or consolidated, Rahm Emanuel said, a day after sources told the Tribune that the plan being considered calls for shuttering 80 to 120 sparsely populated and underperforming public schools.

• North Dakota Leads in Hyper-Local Government
• BY: Mike Maciag   |   North Dakota   |   September 13, 2012
• The state, which has the most governments per capita, represents one of the nation's last remaining systems of hyper-local governance.

• Albuquerque Teaches and Promotes Public Service
• BY: Heather Kerrigan   |   September 12, 2012
• The city-funded "university" prepares public workers for the jobs they want and aims to reverse the sometimes negative view of government.

• Boston's Pioneering Way of Innovating
• BY: Stephen Goldsmith   |   September 12, 2012
• The mayor's chief of staff describes how the city's aggressive pursuit of citizen-friendly tools aims to increase civic participation.

• Test Scores to Factor into School Principal Evaluations in Los Angeles
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Los Angeles   |   September 12, 2012
• For the first time, Los Angeles public school principals will be evaluated under a new system that includes student achievement as one measure of administrators' effectiveness.
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• Miami Strikes Deal Giving Police Raises, City Savings
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Miami   |   September 12, 2012
• A tentative contract agreement reached with Miami’s police union would generate $11.5 million in savings for the cash-strapped city, and signals an important step forward in Miami’s quest to balance its budget by the end of the month.

• Chicago Teachers Get Wisconsin Unions' Support
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Wisconsin   |   September 11, 2012
• Teacher union leaders in Wisconsin connected the Chicago teachers strike to Wisconsin's collective bargaining battle that erupted in Madison a year and a half ago.
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• Chicago Teachers Strike Brings Political Peril for Emanuel, Lewis
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Chicago   |   September 10, 2012
• The walkout sets up a political minefield for both Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis.

• Chicago Teachers Strike for 1st Time in 25 Years
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Chicago   |   September 10, 2012
• After an all-day negotiating session Sunday, the city and its teachers union failed to reach an agreement to prevent a strike. Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said the two sides are close on teacher compensation but the union has serious concerns about the cost of health benefits, the makeup of the teacher evaluation system and job security.
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