Trina Prufer: Was ruining the financial lives of retired teachers just the collateral damage in this much larger plan?

From Trina Prufer

May 16, 2025

The big lie in the anonymous letter …

Actually, there many lies and distortions in the letter; however, the BIG one is the FRAMING of a free and fair election as a HOSTILE TAKEOVER.

As I have said before, STRS cannot be taken over by private interests. WHY? Because the composite of the board is specified in the ORC. Of its 11 members, 7 are to be educators.

Over the past three years (usually in May, after an election), there have been some pretty dramatic, theatrical, duplicitous power moves coming out of the Governor’s office. First it was the illegal firing of Wade Steen… then when he was reinstated, Price’s illegal ending of a board meeting… and last year, the anonymous letter accusing two board members of having profited from their interest in changing the investment strategy to an index-based approach.

Now we have the ORSC using the anonymous letter as the basis of taking total control of the STRS governing board. Does anyone see a pattern?

Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, educators have always had the power to control their own destiny. They just did not know how to use their ruby slippers…. it‘s called voting for candidates who truly represent their interests.

What do members want? Retirees only want what was obligated by the State of Ohio in the defined-benefit plan in effect at the time of their retirement…. financial security. All teachers require a fair benefit that does not diminish over time, leading to poverty in old age.

Our reform board members have worked tirelessly in using their newfound majority in ways that are ethical, reasonable and always within the guidelines set forth in STRS polices and the ORC. Contrast this to the underhanded power plays coming out of the DeWine administration.

The big lie in the anonymous letter is really about something much larger than an imaginary “hostile takeover”. When viewed in the context of BOTH the Governor’s nefarious actions AND the actual laws passed by the Ohio Legislature, the intent of the anonymous letter becomes pretty murky. Was it just another ploy in diminishing the role of public education in the lives of Ohio’s children? I hate to pose this question… but it must be asked. Was ruining the financial lives of retired teachers just the collateral damage in this much larger plan?