Why have Republican leaders in this state declared war on Ohio’s educators, and what will become of our pensions under their newly appointed control?

 William Boone addressed the STRS Ohio Board on September 19, 2025.

Good afternoon. I'm William Boone, an active teacher, President of the Berea Federation of Teachers, and the proud Chair of the Ohio Federation of Teachers' Retirement Committee. I stand before you reflecting the deep concern and palpable anxiety felt by educators across Ohio. We are asking: Why have Republican leaders in this state declared war on Ohio’s educators, and what will become of our pensions under their newly appointed control?

For decades, the teaching profession was a career built on a promise: despite comparatively lower annual compensation, we were assured a solid pension to provide security in our retirement. After years of tireless advocacy, we, the educators, worked to elect reform-minded members to the STRS Board to restore that promise. And our efforts paid off with tangible results! Our reform-minded board members delivered, bringing much-needed change and stability. After a decade-long drought, retirees finally saw multiple cost-of-living adjustments approved, including a permanent 1.5% COLA effective July 1, 2025, putting more money in our pockets to keep up with inflation. For active educators, the years of service required for full retirement benefits were significantly reduced from 35 years to 32 years. These fiscally responsible reforms also led to the STRS funding ratio improving dramatically and the amortization period for unfunded liabilities decreasing. These actions have occurred while our pension fund expands to 100 BILLION. 

But then, in one "sleazy political stunt in the dead of night," a last-minute amendment was inserted into the state budget bill, effectively "stealing our voice". Without meaningful transparency, without stakeholder input, and without the careful vetting a change of this magnitude demands, they pushed through a structural overhaul of our board. They are gutting our democratically elected majority, phasing out four of our seven elected teacher and retiree seats and replacing them with newly appointed members. By 2028, eight appointees, hand-picked by politicians, will control our pension fund, leaving us with only three elected educator voices. This is a "power grab". Lawmakers justified this alarming move by citing a "chaos-ridden system" while manufacturing false allegations of public corruption schemes and mishandling of funds. Isn’t that ironic?!?

We have every reason to be deeply suspicious. The Ohio Republicans have displayed a pattern of behavior that raises serious questions about THEIR integrity and intentions based on THEIR record. The very Republican leaders who orchestrated this takeover have been accused of being part of a "political scheme" themselves. One of our own teachers openly stated she "doesn't trust DeWine at all" and believes the investigation into alleged corruption at STRS was a "ruse," even suggesting he's "covering up for his Wall Street friends". This contradiction between publicly stated positions and enacted legislation, combined with the fact that this amendment was inserted "in the dead of night" into the state budget, completely demonstrates a shocking lack of transparency and a disregard for democratic process. Given this record of questionable motives and secretive maneuvers, it is clear that we cannot trust our future to those now in control of our "lifeline" pension.

This action was "unconstitutional and discriminatory," as our unions have argued in a recent lawsuit, because it specifically targeted STRS while the other Ohio public pension funds retained their elected majorities. Governor DeWine himself stated in April that he was "not advocating anything change" regarding the board composition, yet he signed this provision into law in July. This feels like part of a larger, systemic "long line of attacks against educators" in Ohio, from underfunding our public schools to rolling back our collective bargaining rights and eliminating our elected State Board of Education. Our pension is not just money; it is our "lifeline". It is our FUTURE. 

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.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak.