EARN EXTRA RETIREMENT INCOME ASSISTING IN CRITICAL SHORTAGE AREAS
Virginia Retirement System (VRS) retirees who are licensed to teach in Virginia may teach full-time in a critical shortage position and continue to receive VRS retirement benefits if certain eligibility requirements are met. An individual may be eligible to teach or serve as a principal or assistant principal in a critical shortage position in a Virginia public school. The educator does not have to retire as a teacher or school administrator as long as they become licensed by the Virginia Board of Education for the position held. Positions are full-time and temporary for the current school year; and if a person qualifies, they will continue to receive retirement benefits but they will not earn additional service credit.
Teacher Eligibility
• You must receive a monthly VRS retirement benefit;
• You must teach in a designated critical shortage position as defined by the Code of Virginia and Department of Education;
• You must have had a bona fide break in service of at least 12 months following the effective date of your VRS retirement and not worked in any capacity for a VRS-participating employer, even on a part-time/substitute basis during that period;
• You must not have retired under a local school division’s early retirement incentive program (ERIP) unless you are receiving an unreduced VRS retirement benefit. (Any period of work performed by the retiree to satisfy the requirements of an ERIP will extend the number of months required to satisfy the bona fide break in service to comply with this program.);
• You must not have retired under the Transitional Benefits Program with an enhanced monthly VRS benefit.
• You must be licensed and endorsed for your assigned position by the Virginia Board of Education; and
• Prior to your VRS retirement date, you did not have a pre-arranged commitment, either verbal or written, for post-retirement employment as a critical shortage teacher or administrator.
Principal and Assistant Principal for a K-12 critical shortage position eligibility:
• Work in a designated critical shortage position.
• Hold a Virginia Board of Education license for the position.
• Have a break in service of at least 12 consecutive months between your
retirement date and the date you wish to work in a critical shortage position.
This break in service means not working in any full-time, part-time or
temporary position, including coaching and substitute teaching, with any
VRS-participating employer, or working for a contractor for any VRS participating employer.
• Not have retired with a reduced VRS benefit under an early retirement
incentive program (ERIP) or with an incentive program that enabled you to
retire with a reduced or unreduced benefit.
• Not on VRS disability retirement.
• Retired from a VRS-covered position. If you took a refund of your member
contributions and interest or deferred retirement, you are not eligible to work in a critical shortage position.
• Not have a pre-arranged commitment, either verbal or written, with the
school division before your retirement date.
Critical Shortage areas:
Special Education
Elementary Education
Middle Education
Career Technical Education
Math
School Counselor
English - Secondary
Science - Secondary
Foreign Language
Health & Physical Education
For more information, please contact Stafford County Public Schools' Department of Human Resources at (540) 658-6560 https://www.staffordschools.net/Page/20804
