Teacher retirements fell by 31 percent this year, a possible sign that the number of eligible retirees is waning. "The teaching force has gotten younger and younger," said Jacqueline Ancess, co-director of the National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching. "What you want is a mix. People feel the Education Department is more onerous than before. They are not going to work where they are not respected."

According to the Teacher Retirement System, only 3,011 teachers have retired from New York City Schools since January, and that is 1,377 fewer than last year during the same period. While it appears there should be no need to worry about staffing classrooms in the Fall, Education Department officials still plan to hire 7,000 new teachers before September to replace retirees and mid-career teachers who quit.

The article, entitled "Teachers Stay the Course," appeared in the July 25 edition of the Daily News.

Published Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2004