Mary Ronan to STRS Board: Ohio teachers need their COLA restored ASAP, not in 2034 at 100% funding, when many of them won't be alive to see it, as the 4,000 teachers who passed away this past year

Mary Ronan's speech to the STRS Board

May 16, 2019 

My name is Mary Ronan. I retired as the Superintendent of the Cincinnati Public Schools. Today I want to share my observation of the changes that went into effect July 1, 2013, while I was still the Superintendent. 

At the end of the 2012-13 school year, my district, as well as others, experienced a mass exodus of our best and brightest experienced teachers (over 300 in CPS alone). As we all know, one of the incentives was retire before July 1, 2013 or go without a COLA for 5 years. This exodus was triggered by STRS changes. 

This incentive for leaving, when many would have continued to keep teaching, is a testimony to how important a cost-of-living raise is to teachers. As you are aware, you don't go into teaching to become rich. According to the Economic Policy Institute, teachers earn 19% less than those in comparable professions with similar education. Teachers cannot afford to not have a COLA.   

We are now wrapping up the 2018-2019 school year. The teachers who retired after July 1, 2013 have now served their 5 years without a COLA. From what I heard this morning, some members on this Board are now considering withholding a cost-of-living increase until the year 2034. 

Let me ask you this: is it fair for a teacher who retired in 2014 and had been promised a COLA their entire working life to go 20 years without a cost of living increase? 

How are Ohio's superintendents going to be able to sell future college students on the idea that they should consider teaching as a career? How are we going to recruit the best students coming out of colleges to come to Ohio and teach? When current and new teachers understand what can happen to them after they retire, why would any teacher put their trust in Ohio's Defined Benefit Plan? 

My fear is years from now we will be wondering what we can do to attract teachers to Ohio classrooms because of how we are treating our teachers today. I also wonder if this is happening because 77% of our teachers are women, and [because of that] you are assuming you can get away with it. 

The elimination of the COLA was done quickly and without warning, in hopes that Ohio teachers would not realize the huge impact over time this cut would have to their standard of living. Ohio teachers need their COLA restored ASAP, not in 2034 at 100% funding, when many of them won't be alive to see it, as the 4,000 teachers who passed away this past year. 

Thank you for Board members who are considering to review the restoration of the COLA at 85% funding.