James Carr: As far as I'm concerned, any Board member who voted in favor of these raises is a criminal and any employee who accepts these raises is a criminal.

From James Carr

Friday, November 10, 2023

There is a difference in receiving a justified raise and outright theft. When you look at the scope of the raises recently handed out by STRS to employees who are already receiving 6-figure salaries, the word "outrage" comes to mind. How can raises of 20%, 30%. 40% and even higher be justified? There are exhausted teachers being drained of 14% of their incomes paying for these raises! There are retirees who are being denied their promised annual COLAs paying for these raises!

As far as I'm concerned, any Board member who voted in favor of these raises is a criminal and any employee who accepts these raises is a criminal. No, they might not have broken the law, but not all crimes are encoded in the law books. Some crimes are based on moral deficiency and these raises are criminally immoral.

James Carr: A suggestion to STRS. If you really want your "Reflections" series to be realistic and relevant, replace Ed with Fred, an 83-year-old STRS retiree who had to go back to work because he could no longer make ends meet.

From James Carr

November 9, 2023

Just a suggestion to STRS. If you really want your "Reflections" series to be realistic and relevant, replace Ed with Fred, an 83 year old STRS retiree who had to go back to work because he could no longer make ends meet. Just ask for volunteers, there's plenty of people like Fred out there.

Let him talk about the some of the difficulties he had to deal with after he went 5 straight years without a cost of living adjustment. You might even ask him to mention how grateful he is for the one time, 1% COLA he was recently "granted" by STRS.

ORTA Blog: Lavish unearned bonuses and ridiculous salary increases at STRS Ohio

From Robin Rayfield, 

Executive Director of ORTA

November 9, 2023

https://www.orta.org/post/lavish-unearned-bonuses-and-ridiculous-salary-increases-at-strs-ohio

Lavish unearned bonuses and ridiculous salary increases at STRS Ohio 

While retirees have watched their purchasing power erode by nearly 25% over the last 7 years, and while active members continue to pay more in retirement contributions than the value they receive in benefits, the people responsible for the problems at STRS continue to receive lavish unearned bonuses and ridiculous salary increases.

After the STRS budget was passed in August 2023 by a 6-5 vote (Fichtenbaum, Sellers, Jones, Foreman, and Davidson voting NO), Executive Director Neville increased the salaries of the investment staff by an average of 17%. Several of the ‘fattest cats’ received salary increases of over 45%!

Talk about tone-deaf leadership.

It is time for major change at our pension!

Click here to view the PDF version of the list of STRS Ohio investment staff raises in 2023. (Partial list below)

ORTA's Blog: For Your Knowledge and Enlightenment About the Continuing Shenanigans at STRS Ohio

Find it here:

Ohio Retirement for Teachers Assn. (ORTA) Blog

https://www.orta.org/blog

Or go to ORTA'S Home page: https://www.orta.org/

Your Glorious Pension System As They Have Proudly Referred to Themselves Over the Years (updated to reflect the current status)

 Click for better view 

Congratulations to Michelle Flanigan for a well-deserved honor!

 

James Carr: While the Fat Cats who inhabit the Palace on Broad Street are living the high life, thousands of our most vulnerable members ran out of time waiting for help that never came from an STRS that doesn't care.

From James Carr

November 6, 2023

As Fall approaches Winter and the year draws near its end, I look back fondly at many of the veteran teachers I had the privilege to know when my career first began in 1974. Some are still around, but sadly, many are not.

I am reminded that some, near the end of their lives, were forced to survive without the COLA they were promised. Those that retired in the 1980's and 90's were elderly by anyone's standards.

I hope our hijacked annual COLA will be reinstated by the Court, or perhaps returned through the efforts of a new Reform-dominated Board in the future. Regardless, too many of our fellow teachers will not be around to see it happen. While the Fat Cats who inhabit the Palace on Broad Street are living the high life, thousands of our most vulnerable members ran out of time waiting for help that never came from an STRS that doesn't care.

From ORTA

November 6, 2023

Michelle Flanigan: ORTA Member of the Month

ORTA is proud to honor Michelle Flanigan, ORTA's first Member of the Month!

Michelle has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the field of education and a true passion for inspiring the next generation. Her contributions to the Ohio educational community have not gone unnoticed, and it is only fitting that we recognize her exceptional work. Beyond her remarkable dedication to teaching, Michelle has also emerged as a steadfast leader in safeguarding our pension funds at the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS).

Michelle's tireless efforts to protect the financial security of Ohio's educators have been truly commendable. She has been a vocal advocate for transparency and accountability within the STRS, ensuring that the hard-earned pension money of Ohio's educators is managed with the utmost care and responsibility.

Still photos below; click here for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2HCkLUbhUg

Trina Kay Prufer: The Current Strategic Goals - How they Harm Teachers and Damage Public Education

From Trina Kay Prufer

November 5, 2023

The Current Strategic Goals - How they Harm Teachers and Damage Public Education

Neville is very good at choosing words to hide the ugliness of intent. One of his favorites is “sustainability” or “sustain”, which means propping up the STRS system by harming teachers. Every one of the STRS goals contains platitudes, which sound fine, but in reality support the excesses and basic rot of the STRS system. 

Below is my interpretation of what the goals really mean. 

1) Financial Health - This means STRS, not teachers. To STRS, benefits are a zero sum game. We lose, they win. Their aim is 100% funding… which is absurd, because it is not needed, will take another 11 years, and puts many retirees into poverty. There is no sense of fairness or a modicum of caring about the well-being of teachers. 

2) Engaged Customers - This means more money pumped into the  Department of Propaganda. Given goal #1, there are, and will be, an ever increasing number of very unhappy, desperate retirees. Best to try to convince them that all is well, and their loss of buying power does not exist. This is the very definition of gaslighting. 

3) High Quality Workforce - The sky is the limit in terms of number of hires, their salaries, bonuses and perks, and having a facility that outshines the statehouse and many Fortune 500 companies. Nothing is too good for employees … brick pavers, waterfall, heated sidewalk, vast building and expensive artwork. 

4) Operational Excellence - This seems to me just another rationale for spending vast sums of money on the STRS system. They can hire lots of consultants, lobbyists, investment experts to write impressive reports and give presentations at board meetings supporting the lie that STRS is a premiere retirement system. Yes, they do provide benefit counselors…  but it now takes 3 months to get an in-person appointment 

What‘s missing from the goals?  Anything that has to do with providing financial security for teachers. The entire point of a solid retirement system is to bring the children of Ohio a high quality workforce. Why would the best and the brightest want to become teachers? Just read the goals...they tell us the answer.