| April 19, 2011
Teacher double-dipping widespread
When it comes to pension reform, state Treasurer Ken Miller is flat-out bringin’ it. Which is good.
One of the reasons for Oklahoma’s pension woes is that many public-sector workers go back to work after retiring. Miller points out that “this practice, commonly referred to as ‘double-dipping,’ lengthens the years that benefits are paid out of the system due to the financial incentive of drawing full retirement benefits in addition to a salary. Many members in OTRS [Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System] retire as soon as eligible then immediately re-enter the classroom. Approximately one-third of all teachers who retired in 2008 were re-employed with a school the following calendar year.”