Lloyd Knudsen’s speech to STRS Board, January 17, 2008

Good afternoon. My name is Lloyd Knudsen. I was a 30-year teacher in the Woodridge Local Schools of Summit County.

I was not here for the December STRS board meeting to hear the OEA President address this board. But after reading her speech I think it’s fair to say that OEA thinks several members of this board (with their incessant questioning and amending of board policies) are NOT being very good “team players”. You’re supposed to act as a team, right? OEA would tell you there’s no “I” in “team.”

Let me give you one retiree’s opinion on that topic. I have been coming to STRS board meetings for the last three and a half years. There have been more thoughtful questions raised and open and honest discussion of STRS issues by this board in the past six months than I witnessed in the entire three year period prior to that. Please do NOT let last month’s public reprimand by the OEA president quiet your voices or your sometimes “heated” discussions.

OEA would have us believe that a board that sits calmly and politely agreeing on everything or in other words that that “speaks with one voice” is a good thing. I would suggest that prior to SB 133 that’s exactly the type of STRS Boards we had. Boards prior to SB 133 had only nine members -- with five of those members being active teachers who usually enjoyed OEA support. Time after time with one calm, polite and collective voice, our OEA majority Boards agreed to build that magnificent new STRS building; agreed to give virtually every STRS employee a bonus just for doing his/her job; agreed to give access to subsidized day care to all employees; agreed to spend pension money on lavish STRS parties and trips; and even agreed to accept gifts for themselves from our STRS vendors.

The “one voice” Boards didn’t serve us well then and they won’t serve us well now. Each of you has a voice on this board. Use it and don’t let OEA or anyone else try to silence you.

OEA’s President also inferred in her speech that certain recent Board motions “undermine trust and confidence” in STRS. I’m not sure whose trust and confidence OEA thinks is being undermined, but let’s look at the possible candidates. Is it our state politicians? Isn’t that the same group that interfered in our Sudan investments? Isn’t that the same group that demanded Buy Ohio? Isn’t that the same group that continues to siphon money from our public schools to give to charter schools? And, isn’t that the same group that has already declared HB 315 dead without a hearing? It’s like calling the kettle black! Who has a lower trust and confidence score with the public than politicians?

Do our Executive Director and staff feel undermined? I think we’ve heard this “cry wolf” claim before. Not long ago it was rumored our investment staff felt threatened by the reevaluation of their bonus program and that they would leave en masse. It hasn’t happened. It was also rumored that the de-subsidizing of the child care program would cause staff members to leave en masse. It hasn’t happened. I suspect our STRS staff (that day in and day out does an excellent job) realizes that even without some of their prior perks – they work for an excellent employer.

That leaves only the active and retired teachers. Do they feel a lack of trust and confidence in STRS? STRS’s own surveys report member confidence at very high levels. Many actives and retirees I talk to ask, “Things are getting better down there, right?” And I agree with them that they are. And they will continue to get better as long as we have a Board like this one that takes its STRS oversight responsibility seriously.

Do we have a confidence and trust problem at STRS? I believe only in the mind of the messenger – OEA. They see their influence on the STRS board agenda slipping and they don’t like it. So they tell us the sky is falling. Look up, it’s still there.

I will conclude by offering a resolution to OEA much like they offered to our STRS Board last month. Your unwritten motto of “See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil” of STRS is not productive. Your apparent approach of being the STRS cheerleader at these meetings, offering endless praise of STRS without ever offering one iota of constructive criticism is not productive. Your leadership boasts of “representing” thousands of active teachers statewide. If you truly want to represent active teachers (and not just take their dues money) please support this ENTIRE board in making positive changes to STRS instead of trying so desperately to maintain the status quo.

Thank you for letting me speak to you today.