October 2023 OEA Retirement Systems Update
SERS Board Approves 2.5% COLA for 2024
At its September meeting, the SERS Board approved a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase for eligible retirees in 2024. SERS bases its COLA on the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) over a twelve-month period.
This year’s CPI-W was 2.3%. However, the Board’s actuary stated that a slightly higher COLA amount would not materially impair the funding status of the pension plan. With that in mind, the Board unanimously voted to approve a COLA of 2.5%, which is the highest amount permitted by statute.
Payment of the 2024 COLA takes effect on a retiree’s anniversary date. Those who retired on or after April 1, 2018, are not eligible for a COLA increase until the beginning of their fourth year of SERS retirement.
OPERS and STRS to Pursue Increased Employer Contributions
On Tuesday, October 17, the OPERS Board voted 7-2 to pursue legislation that would increase the percentage of payroll that employers pay to support OPERS benefits for public employees. The current employer contribution amount is capped at 14%.
OPERS plans to seek legislation that would increase the statutory maximum employer contribution limit from 14% to 18%. The increase would be phased in over time. Further, OPERS recommends allowing an additional increase of up to 1% every 10 years if needed to fund benefits.
Likewise, the STRS Board voted in 2022 to seek legislation to allow for an increase in employer contributions to the pension fund. Although the Board did not put forth a specific proposal, legislation was introduced in the last session (HB 601) which would have increased the employer contribution cap from 14% to 18% over an eight-year period. A similar proposal may be introduced this session. The STRS Board has established a legislative committee which will begin discussing potential legislative recommendations in November.
Ohio pension plans are hamstrung by a fixed employer contribution rate that has been unchanged for decades. Ohio public employees do not pay into Social Security and therefore are more reliant on their pension benefits. Total contribution rates in Ohio are lower than in other non-Social Security states. Further, Ohio pension systems are mature plans that pay out far more in benefits to retirees than they receive in contributions. This puts tremendous pressure on investment returns to adequately fund future benefits. When investments take a downturn, this puts member benefits at risk as we saw in pension reform in the wake of the Great Recession.
OEA believes that an increase in employer contributions is warranted. It would help improve the long-term solvency of the plans and support needed benefits for current and future retirees. However, proposals to increase employer contributions face a difficult path in the legislature. During pension reform, Governor Kasich refused to consider such an increase. Employer groups will be opposed to such legislation. Increases in employer contribution rates may also have an impact on the ability of OEA local associations to negotiate higher salaries.
OEA will keep members updated when legislation is introduced and there is an opportunity for member advocacy on this issue.
Actuarial Valuation Shows Slight Improvement in STRS Funding Status
On Thursday, October 19, the STRS Board received a report on its annual actuarial valuation. This report shows the financial status of the pension plan as of the end of the fiscal year (June 30) and how it has changed in the past twelve months.
The valuation shows a slight increase in the funded status of the plan. The STRS pension plan is 81.3% funded, compared to 80.9% last year. The amount of time needed to pay off the unfunded liabilities of the pension plan decreased slightly to 11.2 years from 11.5 years.
The Board’s actuary, Cheiron, also provided a valuation for the STRS Health Care plan. This plan continues to be fully funded with a funded ratio of 168%. The healthy financial status of the plan has allowed the Board to make benefit improvements to the plan and provide premium rebates to retirees in recent years.
Click here to download a copy of this October 2023 Report to the OEA Board of Directors. Previous Retirement Systems Updates can be viewed under the Affiliate Resources tab on the OEA website.
OEA stands with the United Auto Workers
“The Ohio Education Association Board of Directors recognizes the critical role that the UAW plays, along with the commitment of its’ members who have shaped the auto industry and set standards for worker’s rights across the state. We express deep support and solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the United Auto Workers as they work for fair contracts with the American car manufacturers,” OEA President Scott DiMauro stated.
The Ohio Education Association passionately believes that a fair and equitable workplace is the foundation for a thriving economy and better communities. We encourage everyone to show their support for the United Auto Workers and join the fight to make things right at the Big Three.
Finally, the OEA Board of Directors urges the automotive industry stakeholders to engage in productive and fair negotiations that lead to a mutually beneficial resolution. “It is our hope that an agreement can be reached soon, and UAW members can return to their jobs with fair treatment and improved working conditions,” states Mr. DiMauro
Celebrate Educators with the Columbus Blue Jackets!
Join the Columbus Blue Jackets for special Educators ticket offers!
The Columbus Blue Jackets have partnered with The Ohio Education Association again this year to celebrate all Ohio Educators for the following game dates. Use discount code EDUCATOR at checkout to unlock your Buy One Get One Free offer today! | #ThankATeacher
- Monday, December 23 – CBJ vs Montreal Canadians
- Tuesday, December 31 – CBJ vs Carolina Hurricanes
This special ticket offer includes a CBJ Gift exclusively for EDUCATORS, and a $5 concession credit on ALL tickets.
If you have more than one educator in your group, or any additional questions, please call Alec Rivers at (614) 246-3852 or email arivers@bluejackets.com.
Groups of 10 or more will also qualify for even more savings on tickets!
OEA celebrates Student Opportunity Profile metrics in state report cards
“We know our students are much more than just their scores on high-stakes standardized tests, and the quality of teaching and learning in our classrooms is much more than what an overall star-rating can reflect. The new Student Opportunity Profile information in the state report cards goes a very long way toward providing a fuller, more useful picture of what is actually happening in Ohio’s public schools,” said Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro. “Especially as our schools and students continue to make up for pandemic-related disrupted learning, the Student Opportunity Profile reports can also be important tools to direct specific supports and resources to specific schools that need them, so every child can receive the excellent public education they deserve – no exceptions.”
The Student Opportunity Profile reports include metrics like the student-to-teacher, student-to-counselor, and student-to-librarian ratios; percentage of early career educators and principals in the workforce; percentage of students participating in advanced placement or honors courses; the percentage of students enrolled in career technical education courses; and much more. OEA members voted unanimously at the OEA Representative Assembly in December 2019, to call on the General Assembly to overhaul the state report card system and include a Student Opportunity Profile in the new version. OEA’s advocacy helped lead to the adoption of the state report card changes, beginning with last year’s release. The Student Opportunity Profile section was included for the first time this year as part of the phase-in process.
“This is the information that’s most helpful to parents and caregivers who are trying to determine whether a school is a good fit for their child. Class sizes and the availability of learning opportunities to meet their child’s individual needs carries far more weight in parents’ decisions than a dissection of standardized test scores,” DiMauro said. “It is unfortunate, though, that parents still can’t make apples-to-apples comparisons with these report cards, because private schools taking public tax dollars through the state’s near-universal voucher expansion scheme still aren’t held to the same academic or financial transparency standards as public schools. It’s time for Ohio’s lawmakers to fix that.”
OEA congratulates 2024 Ohio Teacher of the Year Mark Lowrie
“Mr. Lowrie demonstrates clearly why public education matters so much in Ohio,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro, who attended Thursday’s event at Gahanna Lincoln High School to surprise Lowrie with the news of his award. “Great public schools open a world of opportunities for students from all walks of life, and exceptional educators like Mr. Lowrie make that possible.”
“His dedication to building outstanding broadcast journalism programs for his students – in both his current role at Gahanna Lincoln High School and previously at Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst – exemplifies the incredible work Ohio’s public educators do every day to help their students learn valuable life skills so they can follow their dreams,” DiMauro added. “Mr. Lowrie’s students over the past two decades are so lucky that he followed his own dream and found his calling in the classroom.”
Lowrie worked for 12 years in the broadcast television industry before returning to school to earn his master’s degree in education to become a teacher. He then spent 18 years in Amherst schools before coming to Gahanna Lincoln High School four years ago. The live newscasts he produces with his broadcast journalism students have earned many prestigious honors, including three National Student Production Awards, better known as the ‘Student Emmys’, in 2022 alone.
“The award-winning broadcast journalism programs that Mr. Lowrie has built over the years are a testament to his expertise in the field – not only from his valuable experience in his first career, but even more importantly from his commitment to embracing opportunities for professional growth and innovation in his career as an educator. Mr. Lowrie’s passion for education and for serving his students should be applauded,” DiMauro said. “Being named 2024 Ohio Teacher of the Year is a very well-deserved recognition for Mark Lowrie.”
OEA/NEA Member Back-to-School Guide
Educator-tested tips, advice, and resources for a successful start to the school year
Students may still be enjoying their summer vacations, but for educators, the beginning of the next school year is just around the corner.
NEA Experts have compiled a list of tools, tips, and resources to connect with every student.
Sections Include: Professional Excellence from Members, for Members | School Me Podcasts | Classroom Management
Additional Reading & Related Resources
- 2024-2025 OEA Member Resource Guide
- ONE — Ohio’s New Educators’ Resource Guides: New ESP & New Teacher Guide
- Protecting Our Schools and Communities with Mental Health Supports — You can’t always avoid stress, so learn how to counteract it.
- Suggestions to make schools a welcoming environment – Mad River Local Schools works to address chronic absenteeism (WDTN)
- U.S. Department of Education Back-to-School checklist for parents
- Read Across America — Create and celebrate a nation of diverse readers with 12 months of recommended books, authors, and teaching resources that promote diversity and inclusion
- Save Those Receipts — Educators can claim up to a $300 deduction to get money back for classroom expenses!
- Know Your Rights: A Back-to-School Guide – An NEA resource on your rights as a patchwork of state and local censorship and anti-LGBTQ+ rules have created doubt among educators
- Teachers: take care of your voice – A resource from the NIDCD, which supports research into the nature, causes, diagnosis, and prevention of voice disorders
- Resources from the The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on providing essential health care coverage:
August 12, 2024
OEA, Summit County reveal new historical marker
“The Ohio Education Association is so proud of its 175 year history as the voice for Ohio’s public school educators and students, and OEA is grateful for this partnership with Summit County that allows us to share our history with the community as we continue to fight for the excellent public schools every child deserves now and into the future,” said OEA President Scott DiMauro, who took part in Thursday’s unveiling ceremony alongside former OEA presidents Becky Higgins and Patricia Frost-Brooks, as well as educators from around the region.
“The legacy of public education in Ohio lives in accomplishments of our students, who become inventors, actors, scientists, athletes, engineers, public servants, firefighters, astronauts, and, of course, teachers,” said Summit County Executive Chief of Staff Brian Nelsen, “Congratulations to OEA on celebrating 175 years serving our teachers and students and we are proud to recognize the start of your story right here in the heart of Summit County.”
The full text of the new Ohio Historical Marker erected in Summit County is as follows:
“On December 30, 1847, six educators met at the Summit County Courthouse to organize the first convention of the Ohio State Teachers’ Association, now known as the Ohio Education Association (OEA). The organizers Josiah Hurty (Richland County), Thomas W. Harvey (Geauga County), M.D. Leggett (Summit County), Lorin Andrews (Ashland County), William Bowen (Stark County), and Marcellus F. Cowdery (Lake County) hoped to “elevate the profession of teaching” and “to promote the interests of schools in Ohio.” In 1853, the General Assembly enacted the new association’s entire slate of proposals into law, thus ensuring free, universal, public education in Ohio. For 175 years, the Ohio Education Association has advocated for fair terms and conditions of employment for Ohio educators and for the betterment and improvement of public education for all students.”
Photos of the new historical marker and the ceremony unveiling it outside the Summit County Courthouse are available on the Ohio Education Association’s Facebook page.
OEA thanks Ohioans who defeated Issue 1
“This all started last November with a bad idea from some special interests and politicians in Columbus, but something great came out of it. More than 200 organizations brought together tens of thousands of volunteers and over a million voters to say NO WAY are we letting Issue 1 pass,” Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro said during a gathering with other member organizations in the One Person One Vote coalition Tuesday night. “You did it. We did it. Ohio did it. And now we will continue to stand together because we’re only getting started.”
The Ohio Education Association was proud to take an active and leading role in the One Person One Vote campaign to ensure that critical public education issues can continue to be addressed through the citizen-led constitutional amendment process when necessary to ensure every student can receive the great public education they deserve – no exceptions.
“As we experience continuing legislative attacks, ongoing battles to secure constitutional public-school funding, teacher recruitment and retention challenges, local school board takeovers, the expansion of unaccountable private school vouchers, and difficult learning and working conditions, OEA is fighting for the respect and dignity of its members, and for supports and resources for all public schools, because Public Education Matters,” DiMauro said. “With a united voice, we will continue to stand up to the attacks from extremist politicians and their well-funded out-of-state backers who are using fear to divide our communities based on race, place, and gender identities and are working to break the public’s trust in Ohio’s public schools. Issue 1 would have made our work much harder to do.”
“OEA applauds the tireless work of the educators across the state who did what they do best over the last few months: educating their friends and neighbors about Issue 1 so they could make an informed decision to defeat it at the ballot box,” DiMauro added.
Fear and Power: What Really Drives Issue 1
By Julie Holderbaum, Minerva EA/OEA
A teacher tells his students that phones are not allowed in class. One day, a student points out that the teacher is often on his phone. The teacher replies that the rule doesn’t apply to him, only to them.
A student turns in a research paper a day after it is due. The student knows that 10% will be deducted from the final score, which is the teacher’s late work policy established at the beginning of the year. However, the paper is returned with 50% deducted from the grade. When the student questions the teacher, the teacher simply says that she changed the rules.
A teacher decides to allow students to vote on whether to have homework assignments during the school year and 59% of the students vote not to have homework. When the teacher shares the results, a majority of the students rejoice! But then the teacher announces that since the NO votes didn’t reach 60%, homework is going to stay.
Any credibility these teachers had would be damaged at best and quite possibly destroyed by these actions. Not following their own rules? Changing the established, fair policies to much harsher ones? Eliminating majority rule? These teachers would be viewed by their students as hypocritical, manipulative, and untrustworthy…which is exactly how we should view the Ohio legislators who support Issue 1.
Ohio Legislators are failing to follow their own rules
In December 2022, the Ohio General Assembly voted to eliminate August elections in most cases. But now those same lawmakers argue that the rule they enacted doesn’t apply to them; it only applies to small, local elections.
Why the change of heart? Because a grassroots group of Ohio citizens has submitted petitions to get an amendment on the November ballot that would protect reproductive rights in Ohio.1
Many Republicans, who hold a supermajority in Ohio, do not want to see the citizen-based reproductive rights amendment pass in Ohio. Look, reasonable people can have reasonable disagreements on reproductive rights. But changing the rules to rig the democratic process is not what Ohioans want, and that is exactly what corrupt politicians did when, in spite of banning special elections in August less than a year ago, they put Issue 1 on the August Special Election in an effort to preempt the November election and make it more difficult for a citizen-based amendment to pass.
Ohio Legislators are changing well-established, fair policies.
Proponents of Issue 1 say its purpose is to defend the Ohio Constitution against frequent attacks of special interest groups. What legislators are really trying to protect is their own power and take freedoms and rights away from the citizens of our state. When Ohioans made it clear that we are willing to exercise our rights to try to amend the Constitution when legislators fail to represent our values, the legislature put an issue on the ballot that would make it difficult for citizens to ever again affect a change in the Constitution.
It is already extremely difficult for a citizen-led group to get an amendment to the Constitution on the ballot. There are multiple steps that require signature gatherers to obtain certification from the Ohio Attorney General, the Ohio Ballot Board and meet signature thresholds both at the statewide level and in 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties. Since 1913, only 71 citizen-based amendments have made it to the ballot, and of those, only 19 were approved by the voters. This is most certainly not an overused tactic to change the Ohio Constitution.
If Issue 1 passes, instead of meeting the signature requirement in 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties to move a proposal to the ballot, the threshold would need to be met in all of Ohio’s 88 counties, giving a single county the ability to thwart the will of the remaining 87. Issue 1 also eliminates the 10-day period petitioners have to gather more signatures if not enough of the original signatures meet the requirements. These harsher demands make getting a citizen-led proposed amendment to the Constitution extraordinarily unlikely and cede all ability to amend the Constitution to deep pocketed special interest groups (some of whom may not even be in Ohio) and the Ohio General Assembly.
Ohio Legislators are ending majority rule.
In the unlikely event that an amendment makes it to the ballot, Issue 1 would require that 60% of Ohioans must approve an amendment in order for it to pass, as opposed to the current standard of a simple majority, 50% + 1. (Ironically, Issue 1 only needs a simple majority to pass). Majority rule has been the default threshold for victory in Ohio elections for more than 100 years, but fearful of losing their power to ordinary (and organized) citizens, the legislature decided to change what determines a winner mid-game, handing the ability to veto the will of the majority of voters to a minority of the vote. Issue 1 is an attack on our voting rights, plain and simple.
It’s crucial to remember, however, that Issue 1 is not about abortion.
Issue 1 is about all citizen-proposed amendments to the constitution, not just one, as Secretary of State Frank LaRose says. He stated (rather disrespectfully, I would argue): “(Issue 1 is) 100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution. The left wants to jam it in there this coming November.”2 Jam it through? Is that how he views Ohio citizens who exercise their democratic rights by following the legal (and lengthy) process to make changes to the state constitution?
Let’s be real. The move to protect reproductive rights is simply the catalyst causing our legislators to fear losing their unilateral power.
They’ve managed to largely protect their own power by gerrymandering the state, but citizen-based amendments to the constitution represent a threat that there is no easy way to quell, short of changing both the rules that have been well- established for years, and the rules they set themselves less than a year ago.
Regardless of the outcome of Issue 1 in August, the reproductive rights amendment is heading for the November ballot. I urge you to base your vote in November on your feelings about abortion and reproductive rights.
But I beg you, don’t base your vote in August on your feelings about abortion and reproductive rights. Issue 1 has nothing to do with that. Issue 1 has everything to do with an already powerful legislature trying to further silence their constituents. Their gerrymandered supermajority affords them the ability to pass a myriad of laws with impunity, but that’s not enough for them. They want to take away one of the only guardrails we have left as citizens to determine the future of our state when one party gains a trifecta of dominance in our state government and stops listening to the desires of we, the people of Ohio.
It’s worth noting that the egregious consequences of passing Issue 1 would impact BOTH parties.
Republicans and Democrats alike have the same rights to get a proposed constitutional amendment on future ballots, about any number of issues. Issue 1 makes this more difficult, regardless of the political leanings of the citizens who begin the process.
I wonder if the legislators who support Issue 1 are more afraid of losing power or of the Ohioans who refuse to remain silent and allow the legislature to set the course for our state without our input?
As educators, we must be vigilant in using our voices to advocate for change when laws are manipulated to reflect personal agendas instead of the will of the people. With the recent expansion of universal vouchers, the state will spend billions of dollars, with little oversight, funding private and charter school tuition and homeschooling for families, regardless of how wealthy those families might be. Furthermore, the legislature has stripped power from the elected State School Board and given much of the decision-making authority in education- related issues to an appointed partisan official.
With legislators making moves like this, we can ill afford to lose any of the tools we have as citizens to make changes that better reflect the interests of Ohio’s educators, students, and families.
Ohio legislators who support Issue 1 might well be motivated by a fear of losing power. But there is great power in losing the fear of standing up to those who ignore our interests.
Fear, I predict, will fail. Because just like the teachers in the scenarios above would quickly lose credibility, our legislators are playing games that will cost them the trust of Ohioans.
Join me in voting NO on Issue 1 this August and send the message to politicians and their special interest backers that we, the people of Ohio, will fight for our freedom and right to determine the future of our state.
1 The full text of the proposed amendment can be found here: https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/getattachment/cf27c10f-b153-4731-ae9e-e3555a326ed9/The-Right-to-Reproductive-Freedom-with-Protections-for-Health-and-Safety.aspx
2 https://signalcleveland.org/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-august-vote-on-issue-1/
July 2023 OEA Retirement Systems Update
SERS Anti-Spiking Provision Included in State Budget
The recently passed state budget, House Bill 33, included an anti-spiking provision that impacts the School Employees Retirement System (SERS). Referred to as a contribution-based benefit cap (CBBC), the change in law had been sought by the SERS Board. The CBBC was previously passed by the Ohio House in separate legislation before ultimately being included in the budget.
The CBBC will impact future retirees and go into effect on August 1, 2024. It is expected to only affect a fraction of retirees who have abnormally large increases in salary that are not supported by retirement contributions over their career. When a member’s final average salary in their pension calculation is well above what would be expected from normal salary increases, their benefits are effectively subsidized by other members of the system.
The CBBC calculation annuitizes member/employer contributions and then multiplies it by a factor that will be identified by the SERS Board. A member’s pension is capped at the lower of the formula benefit or the CBBC benefit. Again, this is designed to only impact a small fraction of SERS members and not typical OEA members. More details about the implementation of the CBBC will be available in the coming months as the SERS Board determines the multiplier to be used in the calculation.
Click here to download a copy of this June 2023 Report to the OEA Board of Directors. Previous Retirement Systems Updates can be viewed under the Affiliate Resources tab on the OEA website.