Dan MacDonald's comments to STRS board October 22, 2026: Our retirement security has become a political issue but should be a matter of dignity, fairness, and trust. As always, we need to enhance retirement for the actives and return an annual 3 percent COLA to retirees.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:  PROMISES KEPT 

Mr. Chair and members of the Board, good morning. I am Dan MacDonald, an STRS retiree with 38 plus years of service and Executive Director of Local 279R, Northeast Ohio AFT retirees, regularly attending Board meetings since 2014.  

STRS teachers spend their careers educating Ohio children, serving Ohio communities, and preparing the next generation for success. Throughout those years, they contribute to this retirement system with the expectation that our benefits will be managed responsibly and that our years of service will be respected. 

Unfortunately, STRS Ohio has faced serious concerns involving transparency, oversight, and cost-of-living adjustments.  

First, transparency must be a priority. When presentations push one story line, and reporting creates another, there is a problem.  Get rid of ACA and GIPS.  Let an outside final end of the year audit determine incentives. Teachers and retirees deserve clear, understandable information, not numbers that change from verification to audit.  

Second, retirement security matters. For retirees living on fixed incomes, inflation is not just a statistic. It means higher grocery bills, gas bills, increased housing costs, and now concerns over health care coverage. When pension increases fail to keep pace with rising costs, retirees lose purchasing power year after year. Serious consideration needs to be given to protecting retirees while maintaining the long-term financial health of the system.  

Third, the retirement system must put its members first. Board members and decisionmakers have a responsibility to act prudently and in the best interests of the people whose retirement security they oversee. The politics of Ohio and the personal interests of STRS need to be removed. 

Finally, as STRS's Director has pointed out, we need constructive cooperation among educators, retirees, board members, staff, and state lawmakers. We cannot afford endless conflict while the people who depend on this system worry about their future. 

Ohio's teachers have kept their promises to our students and communities. Now, we must insist that those responsible for our retirement system honor their responsibilities in return. 

Our retirement security has become a political issue but should be a matter of dignity, fairness, and trust. As always, we need to enhance retirement for the actives and return an annual 3 percent COLA to retirees.