Thank you, Steve Foreman! We "troublemakers" are proud to have you join the club!

Newly Elected STRS "Reform" Board Member Gives ORSC Co-Chair An Earful 

From Steve Foreman

November 10, 2022

Senator Kirk Schuring:

My name is Steve Foreman and I was elected to the STRS board in September of this year.

I attended the Joint Trust Training at SERS yesterday. I believe that when you referred to troublemakers finding their way onto boards, then stated that "we all knew who we are talking about" and used the word "recently", you most likely were referring to me along with two others who unseated OEA endorsed incumbents. If I am incorrect about that, I apologize and would like to know who and what you were referring to. Otherwise, I will tell you that your advice is concerning.

Rather than encouraging all the pension systems that were present yesterday to stack the deck, perhaps you should encourage them to act with integrity, transparency, and honesty. By doing so, members would not have to rise up to elect "troublemakers" to the board to chip away at a system that has eaten away their retirement, raised their contributions, and denied them a COLA, all while touting the success of their system and providing bonuses for losses that exceed 3 billion dollars.

If I am among the "troublemakers" to which you refer, let me say that I am proud to be one. Also, let me spell out to you that there are MANY of us and I only represent them but am honored to do so. They are called "members" and at STRS they are funding exorbitant spending and salaries.

I suggest you take time to educate yourself on the matter and would be more than happy to speak with you at any time to help you to better understand the plight of STRS members. You depend on many of them to elect you to District 29, and they should receive the courtesy of your due diligence with regard to doling out advice that affects their future.

Steve Foreman is Assistant Superintendent of the Zanesville City Schools. He also serves on the Zanesville City Council as an elected councilman, chairing the city's Crime and Violence Committee. Not one to sit still, he is active in many other service capacities, local and state. Currently he is serving as a member of the STRS Board, having been elected in 2022 to fill a seat of one of three incumbents who were voted out in spring of 2022. Steve, along with four other STRS Board members, represents thousands of teachers working to bring long overdue reform to their pension system.