Karen Loeffler to STRS board: "I’m tired...of wondering when we will receive the benefits we were promised. When, if ever, will we receive the COLAs we were told would be ours." (and more.)

Karen Loeffler's speech to STRS board

March 19, 2026

STRS Board Meeting 03/19/2026

My name is Karen Loeffler. I retired in July 2012 from Pickerington Local School District, with 30 years experience as a high school classroom teacher and as a middle school counselor. I also spent countless hours as a volunteer in Pickerington, in a variety of capacities.

I’m fortunate that I can be here. That I’m healthy enough, and live close enough, that attending a board meeting simply costs me gas money, and my time. Not everyone has that opportunity, and I am grateful that I do. And so I feel an obligation to be here, to represent in some way, and advocate for, those retirees and active teachers who cannot be here, either physically or virtually.

But I’m tired. Tired of wondering when we will receive the benefits we were promised. When, if ever, will we receive the COLAs we were told would be ours.

I’m tired. Tired of legislators and politicians who seem to think they understand our profession better than we do, and who simply give us lip service about how important teachers are, how much we matter, until it’s time to come up with the funds to compensate us.

I’m tired. Tired of those same legislators and politicians, who sneak legislation into bills in the middle of the night, legislation aimed at taking away our voting rights, to keep that power for themselves, and a governor who saw fit to veto any number of items in that bill except that one item which restructured our board and reduced our voting power to next to nothing.

I’m tired. Tired of feeling helpless as I watch our elected board members try to advocate for us, only to be targeted and even prosecuted due to accusations made in an anonymous letter.

I’m tired of some members of the media, those who sensationalize and misrepresent our efforts to protect our pensions, portraying us as troublemakers and malcontents, because we dare to ask hard, uncomfortable questions.

But I’m grateful. Grateful that I can be here. Grateful for the dedicated people sitting in these seats behind me, who show up here month after month. Grateful for those same people, and many others, who are members of advocacy groups, who donate their time, expertise, and funds for the benefit of all of us. And I’m grateful for the board members, those elected by the members, who are taking on the difficult and often thankless task of trying to ensure that STRS is there for its members. We appreciate you, and stand with you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.