Retirees may fill some teacher gaps

By Staff
Retired teachers may soon be called upon to fill any new teacher positions in Morgan County.
Hartselle Enquirer
According to Superintendent Don Murphy, two part-time retired teachers can fill a full-time teacher unit at a cost of $8,761 each.
"Retired teachers are allowed to make $18,000 a year and work less than full-time hours, but the law doesn't say what full-time is," Murphy said. "We could have one retired teacher work in the morning and one in the afternoon."
With the expansion of Priceville High School, a driver's education course will have to be offered next year, creating the need for a new teaching position.
Regular full-time teachers are paid according to their degree. For example, salaries are higher for a teacher with a master's degree than a bachelor's degree.
"These retired teachers will be hired on a year to year contract basis, with everyone being paid the same $18,000," Murphy said. "On a part-time retired teacher, the only benefits we would have to pay are Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance."
These retired teachers would have to be certified instructors, meaning that they would have to have been teaching three out of five years or take re-certification courses.
"This looks like the best deal we could have," board member Tom Earwood said. "We can get teachers with experience behind them and save money, which is good during this time of a money crunch."
Positions will be advertised this summer.
"It will be up to the school principal to decide whether they are needed part-time or fulltime," Murphy said.