Most public school teachers are enrolled in a pension plan, but that doesn't mean they'll ever actually receive a pension, or that it will be a good one.
Contrary to the popular perception of teachers having "Cadillac" health care benefits, those costs are mainly driven by differences in coverage across different types of employees, not the generosity of the underlying benefits.
The current Arkansas Teacher Retirement System (ATRS) plan is not providing most of its members with adequate retirement benefits. Alternative models already in place within the state would do a better job of accomplishing that goal.
This post digs into worker retention data from Arkansas and notes that there are reasons to doubt how much pension plans affect worker retention rates.
