The landscape of public education retirement plans is in an upheaval. A variety of economic, demographic, and political factors make it increasingly difficult for defined-benefit pension plans alone to provide educators with an adequate retirement. As a result, for the nearly seven million educators in America's public primary and secondary schools, supplemental options such as 403(b) plans are becoming ever more important. But with all the benefits of 403(b) plans, some administrative practices common in this now-crowded marketplace can harm participants. Most troubling is the fact that, under the banner of offering educators freedom of choice in their retirement plan investments, these practices may actually reduce the amount participants can accumulate and may have a negative effect on their retirement security. Although there is much debate about how 403(b) plans should be managed, one point is above debate: the long-term financial security of educators and retirees should be of primary importance to everyone involved in this significant issue. The decision about how to manage today's vitally important 403(b) plans is up to states, municipalities, and school districts. (Contains 1 table.)