You asked why a member of the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) cannot receive retirement credit for teaching summer school or intersession courses at state institutions of higher education.

Connecticut law defines "annual salary" for teacher retirement purposes as "not including ... extra duty assignments" (CGS § 10-183b(3)). The Teachers' Retirement Board (TRB) regulations specifically exclude any payment for summer school work from the definition of a member's annual salary (Regs. of CT State Agencies § 10-183l-25(d)(7)). These provisions demonstrate legislative and agency intent to prohibit teachers from receiving credit for teaching outside of the standard academic calendar.

According to TRB administrator Bill Sudol, these measures ensure that the same rules apply to state employees working in public colleges and universities as to K-12 classroom teachers, for whom the annual salary includes only service during the school year. Intersession courses also fall into the category of "extra duty assignments" not required as part of a teacher's duties during the school year. In order to maintain parity with classroom teachers, faculty at institutions of higher education who choose to participate in TRS do not receive credit for this service. (Teachers may participate in TRS, the privately administered Alternate Retirement Program, or the State Employees Retirement System. )

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