Madison teachers' comings and goings

Scores of Madison's most experienced teachers may be opting for early retirement, Matthew Nelson reports in the news section's lead story. John Matthews, executive director of Madison Teachers Inc., predicts the district "is going to have tremendous problems staffing our schools." MTI figures suggest some 200 Madison teachers, accounting for more than 12% of the faculty, could retire in 1990. District officials acknowledge the projections but note that 2,800 applications for teaching jobs were received during the most recent hiring window. "Madison is in an unusually favorable position to avoid being raided by other districts," argues Supt. James Travis, citing its "competitive" salaries. Travis leaves Madison circa 1992 to pursue superintendent opportunities in other districts. Matthews is still at the helm of MTI. Teachers continue to retire and the district hires new ones, including more than 40 in September.