Robin Rayfield to STRS board: Recognizing that there will be years in the future that the amount of money available will be less than what was available this year, it is important that the priority of protecting STRS members (active and retired) be prioritized over satisfying politicians that have little regard for our retirement system.

Robin Rayfield's comments to STRS board

May 20, 2026

Although ORTA is appreciative of the effort to bring consensus to the board on the reform process, I hope that the current decision matrix is the first phase of this pathway to benefits restoration. 

Good morning. My name is Robin Rayfield. I am a member of STRS and Executive Director of ORTA.

I want to congratulate the STRS board on your development and implementation of the recent ‘SBP decision matrix.’ This template provides what ORTA has been requesting since 2018. In dozens of my comments to the STRS board we have asked for a pathway to restoration of inflation protection, or a specific plan for restoring the COLAs promised by STRS and guaranteed by Ohio law.

The SBP decision matrix details the conditions that must exist for restoration of benefits lost since 2017. Although the restoration process is far behind what was promised, the policy in place now does outline the restoration process.

And although ORTA is appreciative of the effort to bring consensus to the board on the reform process, I hope that the current decision matrix is the first phase of this pathway to benefits restoration. I am hopeful that the matrix will continue to evolve over time. Specifically, when conditions allow for benefit restoration, I hope that the three competing allocations for SBP funds will be revisited. 

ORTA agrees that all three competing interests are important; restoration of benefits lost through prior pension reforms, addressing the years of service concerns, and strengthening the pension are all important. In the current matrix, strengthening the pension is valued over any benefits to retirees or active contributors. We acknowledge that retirees did receive a larger allocation of the available SBP than the active contributors received, however the amount set aside for benefits restoration is less than ORC 3307.67 calls for. 

ORTA believes that using 50% of the SBP money available for strengthening the pension needs to be reduced. In round figures an additional $200 million paid toward restoring benefits to retirees and $200 million less dedicated to strengthening the pension would have fulfilled STRS’s obligation to follow ORC 3307.67 and still allowed $1 billion for strengthening the pension.

Recognizing that there will be years in the future that the amount of money available will be less than what was available this year, it is important that the priority of protecting STRS members (active and retired) be prioritized over satisfying politicians who have little regard for our retirement system.

Dr. Robin Rayfield

Executive Director, Ohio Retirement for Teachers Association

May 20, 2026

The State Teachers Retirement Board approved a strategic decision-making framework in March 2026.

Trina imparts more of her infinite wisdom to STRS board; too bad the truth doesn't make us proud to be members of such a weak pension system

Trina Prufer's speech to STRS board

May 20, 2026

"Should STRS even be called a retirement system if it does not meet even the most minimal standards of adequacy?"

My name is Trina Prufer, and I was a School Psychologist for 20 years.

The question I would like to address is:

Should a public retirement system, in a non–Social Security state, like STRS, EVER NOT have the funding architecture to support the payment of a COLA?

The pension literature repeatedly refers to “benefit adequacy” as the ability to provide a lifetime benefit, of about 70% replacement, throughout a 30 year retirement. At 60% replacement, members are able to adapt, but by 50%, and below, retired classroom teachers are in grave danger of not being able to meet basic needs. Many pre-2012 retirees, who retired at 66% more than14 years ago, are already at this stage.

The longer retirees live, the poorer they become in real terms. That is especially devastating for those who taught in low wealth districts, survivors, and the disabled, many of whom cannot return to the workforce to offset inflation losses.

Does STRS even track benefit adequacy? Of course it does, although members would never know this from what is presented at public meetings. However, I have no doubt that everyone here knows exactly what happens to retired teachers over time. That is their job.

Is STRS unique in its callousness? Most certainly. But why? Because it is the only public teacher retirement system in the nation, without Social Security, that removed the COLA after retirees were already in retirement status. It did so by claiming the system always had the legal right to reduce or eliminate the COLA for those already retired, but never acknowledged that members were led to believe that the COLA was an integral part of the benefit.

If this claim had been true, shouldn’t members have been provided with full disclosure? Of course. That would have been the obligation of STRS acting as a fiduciary. Because this was not revealed in benefit estimates, plan booklets or the ORC, members had inaccurate information in choosing whether to take the PLOP or not, as the risk of inflation was not a known factor.

Attaining 100% funding is nothing to be proud of if the system does so by impoverishing its most vulnerable members. The true measure of a retirement system is not whether the fund survives, it’s whether the people who devoted their lives to public education can survive along with it. That’s a pretty low bar. Should STRS even be called a retirement system if it does not meet even the most minimal standards of adequacy?

Suzanne Laird delivers some words the STRS board and director needed to hear

Suzanne Laird's speech to STRS board

May 20, 2026

"Beginning with the very first page, where it states, “this budget is to protect service continuity, institutional knowledge and operational resilience.” NOTHING about the members! Nothing about the fiduciary responsibility to our active and retired beneficiaries. Page after page of word salad: “budget bridge,” “major initiatives matrix” — sounds like a lazy student relying on ChatGPT."

Good Morning, Members of MY Board, and welcome to Joan Bellner:

You may start your timer now.

This document, the STRS budget for 2027, must not be adopted as proposed.

Beginning with the very first page, where it states, “this budget is to protect service continuity, institutional knowledge and operational resilience.” NOTHING about the members! Nothing about the fiduciary responsibility to our active and retired beneficiaries. Page after page of word salad: “budget bridge,” “major initiatives matrix” — sounds like a lazy student relying on ChatGPT.

But buried in the nonsense are the dirty little details: $150,000. for vehicles, a 25% increase in travel expenses, a two hundred percent increase in copy center equipment, bloated dental and life insurance benefits for staff and their families, and education assistance? If the staff are not already qualified for the job, they should not have been hired.

Which brings me to the small print on page 4, “continuity planning for 3 to 6 months.” What were you thinking? Even the guys at ORSC were flabbergasted at hiring full time employees to shadow current employees. I will not compare this to student teachers working beside current teachers, because, (a), student teachers are, unfortunately, unpaid; but (b), they have no experience. You claim to hire the best and brightest. Are they that inexperienced? You already have assistants to the assistant to the administrative assistant: why would they not be capable of acclimating new employees?

We spent big bucks paying the current Executive Director to shadow the previous one, yet the performance we all witnessed at last week’s ORSC presentation was a debacle, and proves that no amount of shadowing can replace doing your homework.

This document is a pathetic attempt at institutional entitlement for the benefit of the employees, at the expense of our members’ hard-earned money.

As Cathy Steinhauser would say, do your fiduciary duty! That duty is to the MEMBERS, first, last, and always.

Robin Beebe and her "crickets" with more suggestions for the STRS board and the executive director

Robin Beebe's speech to STRS board

May 20, 2026

     My name is Robin Beebe. You know me by now. Master's Degree Elementary Teacher. 35 years. Retired for 17 years.

I want to start with what may be the most infamous quote of the year! At this very podium, Executive Director Toole stated "This is not our money. The money, belongs to the people behind me." Well.....the people behind me today DO NOT want to see a 9.8% budget increase of which 9.2% is an increase for personnel salaries and wages, NOR a 25% increase for the Travel Budget.      PERIOD.

                                                      Now for "Crickets Part II"

 Why are the number of staff constantly increasing? How many titles and assistants are truly necessary??? Where are the ROBUST discussions about reducing staff numbers? Just......[crickets].

    One of the STRS Retiree Series Webinars is titled "You Don't Know What You Don't Know. Change That."

Could that be because STRS is NOT upfront and transparent with teachers? Yeah, guess we don't know what we don't know if things are withheld from us! Things like....What are the fees? We are waiting.... [crickets].

    Two Ohio Legislators from the House and Senate came to STRS and proceeded to "mansplain" the merits of the Defined Benefit Plan. Instead, they SHOULD have addressed the real pressing issues like the need for our promised 3% COLA, or the need to keep our elected STRS Board seats in place, or an explanation for the appalling and unethical "Midnight Massacre" shenanigans. Hello???? [crickets]

    ORSC. Oh, ORSC. In 2025, 5 out of 12 scheduled meetings were cancelled - almost 50%. So far in 2026, 3 out of 5 meetings have been cancelled - over 50%. But ORSC still gets paid $325,000 for the year, regardless!!! Is not the ORSC chairman the very same mansplaining legislator who accused teachers of NOT WORKING VERY MUCH???? ORSC...Where Art Thou?    [crickets]

    STRS provides staff and employees Educational Assistance. Part timers can have a lifetime amount of up to $21,000 for tuition. Full timers can receive a max of $42,000 for tuition. Gee, that would have been nice when I was getting my Master's Degree. Instead, we get.....[crickets]

    Lastly, let's talk about the Death/Burial Benefit and the DISPARITY between the staff and stakeholders. Staff get a minimum of $7,500 up to $30,000. We teachers  get.................$1,000. That won't even cover my cremation. Wait, I have a crazy idea. You most likely remember the movie, "Weekend at Bernie's" where after Bernie's demise, his expired body was carted all around Hampton Islands?  Hmmmmm.... maybe my cancer survivor, warrior husband should make plans to cart my remains to the Hampton Islands with these items on me....

(put on sunglasses, floppy beach hat, flamingo drinking glass).

    It shall be known as "ROBIN'S EXCELLENT BEACH ADVENTURE FINALE". Just how far will that $1,000 go?
                                                                        [crickets]

Karen Loeffler to the STRS board: When information is not forthcoming, when we feel.....

Karen Loeffler's speech to the STRS board

May 20, 2026

"When information is not forthcoming, when we feel that our questions are not recognized as valid, when we feel that we are treated with arrogance and condescension, when we feel that we are not given an equal seat at the table, we end up feeling angry and frustrated."

Bob Buerkle does it again! Check out his new one: the STRS COLA PUMP!

Bob Buerkle's speech to STRS board

May 20, 2026

Rudy Fichtenbaum: The Myth of STRS Overperformance; Why Is It So Hard to Beat an Index (Part 1 of 2)

Rudy Fichtenbaum: The Myth of STRS Overperformance; Does Active Investing Outperform Index Investing (Part 2 of 2)