The Board’s consultants are consistently telling the STRS board, the STRS staff, and STRS members that the main problem is the Ohio Legislature. Simply put, Ohio legislators are, and have been, underfunding the pension system.

We are left feeling isolated, unheard, and deeply troubled. We cannot afford to be silent. We will stand together, demand transparency, and fight to restore our voice in how our hard-earned retirement is managed. This is about our dignity and the respect we deserve as Ohio's educators.

This fight has morphed from a ‘fight for inflation protection’ for retired teachers to a fight for what is right and just for people. Instead of eliminating opposing points of view, our elected officials should develop solutions or better responses to the challenges we face.  

The Ohio Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, joined the Ohio Federation of Teachers and the Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors in filing the lawsuit. “Educators and teachers should be treated like every other retirement board," OEA President Jeff Wensing said in an interview. "Every other retirement board has the majority of those on the board that are in the system. Why are you treating us differently?”

"Ohio puts less into its teachers pension than any other state in the union, and by a large margin." - Dr. Robin Rayfield, ORTA Executive Director

This leads back to our pension plan, and to the STRS staff allegation that there is a “hostile takeover of a public pension system” taking place. Oddly, the STRS staff got that right too. However, it isn’t ORTA, it’s the Ohio Legislature. We’re working to prevent this from happening. And where is the STRS legal staff in allowing it to happen? It’s our pension plan. Please help us in this fight.

Life insurance can play an important role in retirement planning, but choosing the right type of coverage can be confusing. Join us for a live webinar designed to help you better understand your options and how they fit into your retirement goals. We’ll walk through the basics of Term, Whole, and Universal Life Insurance and explain how each option may fit into your retirement plans.

In today’s information economy, education is the key to Ohio’s future. Attracting and retaining the best and brightest to become teachers is in the interest of every Ohioan. This can only be accomplished if those who choose to become teachers know they can enjoy a dignified retirement. If other states can afford to have their employers pay their fair share of their teachers’ pensions, Ohio can too.

Write to your state lawmakers today to voice your opposition to this change. Tell them that you want to have a meaningful voice in the direction of your pension system. Tell them that you resent this attack on your voice as an educator in Ohio and demand that they take immediate steps to reverse this action.