March 2022 OEA Retirement Systems Update
VICTORY: STRS Board Votes to Pay a 3% COLA, Improves Retirement Eligibility
On Thursday, March 17, 2022, the STRS Board voted to approve a 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to eligible retirees for the 2022-2023 fiscal year and remove the age 60 requirement for retirement eligibility with full benefits that was scheduled to take effect in 2026. OEA members on the STRS Board championed these changes and OEA and its members have advocated for them. OEA welcomes this action that benefit both active and retired teachers in the system.
After the Great Recession, the STRS fund was projected to run out of money. This required changes for both active and retired members to improve the funding status of the plan so that reliable benefits would continue to be available for all current and future retirees. Because of the stewardship of OEA members on the STRS Board, the fund is in a healthier financial position, enabling the restoration of some benefits now.
The cost-of-living adjustment of 3% will be calculated on a retiree’s base benefit and will be added to each monthly payment beginning on their anniversary date during the next fiscal year (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023). Under Ohio law, STRS members who have been retired for 60 months are eligible for the COLA. STRS Board member Rita Walters proposed costing out a COLA amount of 3% rather than 2%. The STRS actuary stated that this change coupled with the change in retirement eligibility would not materially impair the fiscal integrity of pension leading to its approval by the Board.
The change in retirement eligibility will provide some needed relief to teachers who saw their possible retirement date pushed out by seven or eight years by pension reform legislation. Under current law, in addition to being eligible to retire at age 65 with at least five years of service, STRS members are eligible to retire with 34 years of service at any age. On August 1, 2023 through July 1, 2026 eligibility will be 35 years of service at any age. Prior to this change by the Board, a requirement of having 35 years of service and being at least age 60 was set to go into effect August 1, 2026 and thereafter. The Board removing the age 60 requirement means that the eligibility for full benefits with 35 years of service and beyond will be in effect from August 1, 2023 and thereafter.
STRS Board Election is Approaching: OEA Recommends McFee, Rhodes and Walters
There is an important election for the STRS Board coming up. OEA’s recommended candidates are Robert McFee and Jeffrey Rhodes for two seats on the Board representing active members and Rita Walters for a seat representing STRS retirees. Each of them currently serve on the STRS Board and are seeking re-election. As demonstrated by their time on the Board and by their recent vote on benefits, they are committed to ensuring the long-term stability of our pension plan as well as restoring benefits for active and retired teachers when finances of the fund allow.
Rita Walters, Robert McFee, and Jeffrey Rhodes were selected as OEA’s member-recommended candidates for the STRS Board seats based on a screening interview by OEA active and retired members and a vote of the OEA Board of Directors. They are proven leaders who are looking out for the best interests of their fellow educators. Ballots will be mailed out in early April, with all active employees – those currently paying into STRS – eligible to vote for the active seats; retired OEA members are eligible to vote for the retired seat.
OPERS Reports 15.3% Investment Return in 2021
The Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) received an investment return of 15.3% for the pension fund during the 2021 calendar year. The pension fund ended the year with $109.3 billion in assets.
OPERS has an annualized investment return of 14.9% for the past three years, 11.4% for the past five years, and 10.1% for the past ten years.
The investment return for the OPERS health care fund was 14.3% for calendar year 2021. The health care fund has a different asset allocation than the pension fund based on taking on less risk due to the expected solvency of the fund. The health care fund ended 2021 with $14.5 billion in assets.–
Click here to download a copy of this March 2022 Report to the OEA Board of Directors. Previous Retirement Systems Updates can be viewed under the Affiliate Resources tab on the OEA website.
OEA condemns latest version of House Bill 327
[February 16, 2022] The Ohio Education Association (OEA) stands with the majority of Ohioans who believe all children deserve the opportunity to receive an honest and reflective education that empowers them to become critical thinkers and strong future leaders.
OEA is appalled by the continuing efforts of certain politicians to force through House Bill 327, which would force educators to whitewash our history and distract from the real issues facing Ohio’s schools. OEA calls on the Ohio House of Representatives to end consideration of the bill.
The revisions included in substitute HB 327, as introduced Wednesday, do nothing to address the irreparable harm this legislation would cause to Ohio’s students. And it actually makes the potential dangers to educators and administrators more confusing. The current version replaces the bill’s original and undefinable “divisive concepts” language with vague references to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, apparently requiring Ohio educators to become constitutional law experts in order to understand what the bill’s sponsors don’t want them teaching.
“Make no mistake, this latest version of HB 327 is just another exercise in smoke and mirrors by some state leaders to deflect their constitutional responsibility to fully fund all of Ohio’s public schools and provide Ohio’s children with the resources they need to succeed,” OEA President Scott DiMauro said. “The lawmakers behind this horrendous bill can dress it up anyway they want as they continue to do the bidding of a national network of extremists who are looking to control the political narrative at any cost. But this new version is just as outrageous and inexcusable as the prior version. And in some ways, it’s worse.”
OEA will continue to stand up for honesty in education and against government censorship in the classroom. Ohioans must come together and call on their elected leaders to do better for Ohio’s students.
“Educators and parents know children must have the opportunity to reckon with the mistakes of our past in order to create a better future for all of us,” DiMauro said. “Instead of anti-freedom state censorship laws, let’s work on pro-student policies like fair funding and better access to learning opportunities for all students.”
Backpack Bill would come at enormous cost
“Ohio lawmakers have a constitutional responsibility to fund Ohio’s public schools and ensure a high-quality education for all of Ohio’s kids. HB 290 would force local communities to rely even more heavily on local property taxes to fund schools for the 90 percent of Ohio children who attend public schools. There’s evidence under our current voucher system that public schools out-perform the private schools,” OEA President Scott DiMauro said, citing a Cincinnati Enquirer investigation that found nearly 90% of all voucher students do worse on state tests than students in traditional public schools in the same zip codes.
“Dumping precious resources into a universal voucher system that provides zero auditing requirements for the private schools that would rake in the taxpayers’ cash is just wrong,” DiMauro added. “This is especially true now, when Ohio finally has a public school funding system worth investing in after the adoption of the Fair School Funding Plan in the last state budget. Our lawmakers must hold up their end of the deal to fully fund that system before going off on yet another ideological misadventure with our hard-earned tax dollars. Taxpayers don’t need another ECOT-level disaster and scandal.”
Disturbingly, even with these vouchers, most families still couldn’t afford tuition at the private schools in their communities, and this exponential expansion of a vouchers system in the state would only further contribute to racial segregation in our schools. In Ohio, only about 50% of the subsidies currently being taken are being taken by non-white parents, even though the communities where about 95% of the vouchers come from are nearly 70% non-white. Only 37% of students in Lima City Schools are white, yet Temple Christian School gets $242,000 in taxpayer tuition subsidies and took 100% white students. Likewise, Lima Central Catholic takes more than 70% white students, St. Gerard and St. Charles take about 80% white students. Simply put, these private schools do not reflect the racial makeup of the communities that are forced to pay their bills.
“Ohio taxpayers can’t afford to shell out more money for voucher programs that weaken the public schools that serve the vast majority of Ohio’s kids,” DiMauro said. “We’ve been down this road before and we know it is a dead end in Ohio’s budget. When only 74% of students were eligible for government subsidized private school tuition in 2017’s SB 85, the non-partisan Ohio Legislative Service Commission estimated the cost as high as $1.2 billion. And that was with lower subsidy amounts. This bill will cost (conservatively) two or even three times that amount. Asking Ohioans to pay for that at the expense of their neighborhood public schools is irresponsible and wrong.”
OEA applauds court decision striking down gerrymandered maps
“The Ohio Education Association (OEA) applauds the wisdom of the Ohio Supreme Court in striking down the gerrymandered maps that would have denied Ohioans a real voice in the Statehouse. This is a huge victory for Ohio voters and for Ohio schools, which are greatly impacted by the decisions of the state’s elected lawmakers.
OEA looks forward to seeing newly drawn, fair maps that will reflect the will of the two-thirds of Ohio voters who demanded an end to Ohio’s broken mapmaking process. Ohio voters deserve to choose their politicians, not the other way around. Today’s Ohio Supreme Court decision represents a major step toward making that a reality.”
December – January 2022 Ohio Schools
- COVER STORY: Stepping Up for Schools
- Educator voice key to successful school board races in Ohio
- NOTEBOOK
- OEA Local Associations Stand in solidarity for Members and Students
- MAKING THE GRADE
- Findlay Paraprofessionals Form OEA’s Newest Local Association
- OEA Members Receive Top Educator Awards from Martha Holden Jennings Foundation
Moved recently? Contact the OEA Member Hotline to update the address on file at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or email, membership@ohea.org. Representatives are available Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. | OhioSchools — Past Issues
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The Benefits of Shopping with NEA Member Benefits
HOLIDAY SHOPPING USING NEA MEMBER BENEFITS
NEA Members can really make their membership pay this holiday season using their NEA Member Benefits! Want to learn how? Join us through ZOOM on any of the dates and times below using the same zoom link for any and all. Give us 30 minutes and we just might change the way you shop now and after the holidays. No pre-registration is required.
December 6 starting at 4:30 P.M. Eastern and REPEATED again at 5:05 and 5:40
December 8 starting at 7:30 A.M. Eastern and REPEATED again at 7:35 and 8:10
December 9 starting at 6:00 P.M. Eastern
These events have ended.
ESP Educator Voice Academy
Overview
In 2019, the NEA created the Educator Voice Academies (EVAs) to help build an understanding of opportunities within ESSA and the power of lifting and amplifying educator voices for state and local affiliate members. This effort was led by NEA Education Policy and Practice in partnership with NEA’s Center for Organizing, Center for Social Justice, Center for Advocacy, Center for Great Public Schools, and Center for Governance. The first cycle featured in-person learning opportunities that brought state and local teams together to brainstorm, collaborate, and create plans of action to help continue this work in their school communities. Ohio’s 2019 team chose to organize around improving our state’s school accountability system, and that work helped lead to the successful passage of HB 82, which eliminated the A-F school report card and instituted an OEA-sponsored “student opportunity profile” which will be implemented after the 2022-23 school year.
After the success of the initial Educator Voice Academies, the NEA collectively and collaboratively sought to continue moving this work forward to leverage the voices of our members as partners in delivering equitable opportunities for all students across race, ZIP code, background, and ability. These efforts moved us into the next phase of our work: highlighting educator-created plans to improve public education focused on specific priority issues.
In 2022, OEA formed state Educator Voice Academy teams to address issues related to Teacher Recruitment & Retention and Social & Emotional Learning. From that process, OEA has laid out a comprehensive set of recommendations for addressing the growing educator shortage crisis. (Click here for details.) One of the signature recommendations of the team working on the teacher shortage was establishing a new team to focus specifically on the need to recruit and retain education support professionals (ESPs) in Ohio’s public schools. Acute shortages of bus drivers, paraprofessionals, cafeteria workers, school secretaries, and other essential workers have significantly disrupted student learning, strained school working conditions, and highlighted the need to invest in our ESPs. The OEA Educator Voice Academy cadre for Education Support Professionals will develop advocacy and organizing strategies to ensure every student in Ohio is served by caring, qualified support professionals who are respected, given the resources they need to be successful, and reflect the diversity of our population.
Process
OEA is currently building a team of ESP members from a diverse mix of races, genders, job classifications, experience levels, and education settings from across Ohio. Applications may be submitted using the form linked on this page. This Educator Voice Academy team will be facilitated by an OEA officer with support OEA staff and will draw on resources from NEA. The schedule and format of meetings will be determined by the team, but it will involve a combination of virtual and in-person meetings held between January and the summer of 2023. Members will not be required to meet during normal working hours.
October-November 2021 Ohio Schools
- COVER STORY: Empowering Students
- 2022 Ohio Teacher of the Year Kurt Russell, a social studies teacher at Oberlin High School, wants his students to be authentic, confident, and know their potential.
- NOTEBOOK
- 2021 NEA Representative Assembly Looks Ahead to New Challenges and Opportunities
- MAKING THE GRADE
- OEA Member Receives National Award for Teaching Excellence
Moved recently? Contact the OEA Member Hotline to update the address on file at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or email, membership@ohea.org. Representatives are available Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. | OhioSchools — Past Issues
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2021-2022 OEA Member Resource Guide
Use this guide as an overview to help you make the most of your OEA Membership. Within, you’ll learn more about:
- Ways to Become Involved
- Fighting for Public Education
- OEA Staff, Leadership, and Board of Directors
- OEA Higher Education Benefit
- Awards and Scholarships
- Valuable NEA Member Benefits and Services
Throughout our more than 150-year history, OEA members have been involved in every struggle and effort to advance the finest of America’s dreams: a quality public education for every child.
If you have additional questions, contact us at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or send us an email to: membership@ohea.org.
Moved recently? Contact the OEA Member Hotline to update the address on file at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or email, membership@ohea.org. Representatives are available Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. | OhioSchools — Past Issues
Oh Yes, We’re Social — Join the Conversation!
2020-2021 OEA Member Resource Guide
Use this guide as an overview to help you make the most of your OEA Membership. Within, you’ll learn more about:
- Ways to Become Involved
- Fighting for Public Education
- OEA Staff, Leadership, and Board of Directors
- OEA Higher Education Benefit
- Awards and Scholarships
- Valuable NEA Member Benefits and Services
Throughout our more than 150-year history, OEA members have been involved in every struggle and effort to advance the finest of America’s dreams: a quality public education for every child.
If you have additional questions, contact us at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or send us an email to: membership@ohea.org.
Moved recently? Contact the OEA Member Hotline to update the address on file at 1-844-OEA-Info (1-844-632-4636) or email, membership@ohea.org. Representatives are available Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. | OhioSchools — Past Issues
Oh Yes, We’re Social — Join the Conversation!