Suzanne Laird lays it to the STRS board: "This Board has a very serious problem. Mr. Saperstein was merely the messenger."

Suzanne Laird's speech to STRS board

April 16, 2026

Good Afternoon, Members of MY Board:

You may start your timer now.

Red flag.

Yesterday, I listened with interest as Mr. Saperstein patiently explained the results of the member survey to this Board.

Survey says: no one, active or retired, trusts or has confidence in STRS. Survey says: no one believes STRS manages expenses prudently.

Fiduciary, fiduciary, fiduciary (thanks, Cathy Steinhauser).

And yet, some Board members pushed back, asking if the comments were “cherry picked” or claiming “When I’m out in the field, I only get positive feedback.” We have to “educate them.” “The number one misunderstood issue is the PBI.”

How insulting! We understand all too well projecting 12 MILLION dollars in PBIs, while we get a 1.6 percent projected COLA. We understand hiring another communications person when we have demanded a freeze on hiring. We understand when you agreed yesterday to hand employees airline points for their own personal use, earned while on business trips for STRS. We understand someone blithely mentioning an 8 and a half percent INCREASE in the budget, but we just “can’t manage a 2 percent COLA” again this year.

Almost as insulting as last month, when guest speakers, Tweedledum and Tweedledee claimed vouchers are a “complicated” process we teachers, “who don’t work as many days as others,” can possibly understand.

We understand our pathetic COLA doesn’t stand a chance against last month’s 3.3% inflation. Or the cost of gas to drive here. We understand that, and yet are able to complete a survey about STRS while focusing only on STRS. It is arrogant to claim the survey takers were confused by other issues, and I thank the 3 of you who were honest enough to call out staff members on using the “misunderstood” terminology and admit that the fault, dear Brutus, lies within.

This Board has a very serious problem.

Mr. Saperstein was merely the messenger.

Don’t shoot us for speaking truth.