Toledo
Federation of
Teachers
Our Mission
Toledo Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that advocates for the social and economic well-being of our members and the children and families in our community. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining, political activism, and especially through the work of our members.
𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐷𝑎𝑙𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑠𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 Ohio Federation of Teachers 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 Melissa Cropper regarding STRS:
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Last week we emailed you a short summary of the Ohio budget that was signed by Governor Mike DeWine. Today I’m writing to you with more details about one of the harmful policies that was slipped into the budget – changing the composition of the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) Board.
Currently, the STRS Board has seven members who are elected by the STRS membership (five contributing members and two retirees) and four appointed members. The other four public employee pension systems in Ohio also have boards where the majority of seats are held by elected representatives. In the very final stage of the budget process, Republican leadership, under the direction of Speaker Matt Huffman and Senate President Rob McColley, inserted a proposal from Rep. Adam Bird that changes the STRS Board to add four new appointed positions and remove four elected positions, creating a board that will eventually have eight appointed members and only three elected members. This policy was not in the Governor’s budget, the House’s budget, or the Senate’s budget, which means it was passed with absolutely no hearings and no public participation. This provision affects STRS only. It is a targeted attack on educators that follows a long campaign of misinformation, anonymous allegations, and politicized investigations against elected members of the STRS Board. The root cause of these attacks is that entrenched administrators and politicians want STRS to keep doing business as usual, while STRS members have elected board members who challenged the status quo by questioning STRS’s investment policies and decisions about member benefits. As a reminder, the status quo was that retirees were not receiving regular cost of living adjustments and active members needed 34 years of service for a full retirement (and that was on the verge of being increased to 35 years). Thanks to the work of the board members that you’ve helped elect, including OFT members Julie Sellers, Liz Jones, and Pat Davidson, progress has been made on both of these issues while still keeping the system fiscally sound. Board members pledged to keep fighting for more COLAs and more reductions to the years of service requirement. Disenfranchising STRS members and taking away our elected representatives, will hurt our ability to keep making improvements. While Ohio’s other pension funds are not directly affected by this policy change, legislators are sending a very clear message to those funds: if you elect representatives who make decisions we disagree with, we’ll take over your pension fund. In 1952, bank robber Willie Sutton was famously quoted as saying he robbed banks “because that's where the money is." With STRS holding more than $90 billion in assets – and the other Ohio pension funds holding billions and billions more – it is no surprise that legislators want to exert more control over these funds. But it’s our retirement, not theirs. We are outraged by this politician takeover of our pension and we won’t accept it without a fight. We are in discussions with our national partners at AFT to explore our legal options. We’re also looking into a proactive legislative strategy to defend our elected STRS Board seats. Additionally, prior to this budget passing, we’ve been working with the Ohio AFL-CIO to start a public pensions coalition to defend the rights and retirement security of all Ohio public employees – work that is even more urgent now. We’ll also be fighting like hell to hold each and every representative who voted for this budget accountable, not just in general elections but in primary elections too, and not just in the next election year but for the rest of their political careers. If you are interested in staying up to date on OFT’s political mobilization efforts, you can opt-in to regular email updates here: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSd844lq13v.../viewform... Finally, I want to highlight exactly which board seats are being eliminated. The timeline below shows how the composition of the Board will change over time. First, four new appointed positions will be added on September 28, 2025. Then, four elected positions will be phased out when the current terms expire. That means that in 2028, when all changes are complete, the only elected representatives will be the most recently elected Board members. That will have the effect of eliminating the board seats held by all three female board members, the only Black board member, and all three OFT members on the board. The three remaining board members are also members who we’ve supported in elections, including AAUP-AFT retiree Rudy Fichtenbaum. STRS Board Timeline
In Solidarity, Melissa Cropper, President Ohio Federation of Teachers |
2025 TFT Golf Outing!
Despite the cold and rain, our members had a great time at the annual TFT Golf Outing. There were smiles all around as everyone celebrated the end of another school year and the start of a well deserved summer break!
Checking out Erie St. Market...
"Thanks to Knitz's Greenhouse for the awesome flowers! They are making the office look great!"
-President Kevin Dalton
-President Kevin Dalton
Congratulations to the 2025 TLP!
The 2024-2025 TLP cohort had an inspiring and successful day presenting their research projects. An abbreviated title of their research is listed below. Check out the TLP page to read their research papers and learn more!
TLP Research Spotlights
Read a synopsis of their research below. Then, join us on Saturday, May 10th while TLP presents their findings from their research projects!
Deanna Rice
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Black Educator Recruitment and Retention
This project centers the voices of Black educators in recommending ways urban districts can increase recruitment and retention efforts of Black educators. All students benefit from diversity in the teaching staff but the presence of Black educators is especially important for the large number of Black students that are usually found in urban schools. Studies show that recruiting Black educators is not enough but systemic changes must be made to encourage the teachers to continue teaching. The project not only addresses the reasons why Black teachers leave but proposes solutions to encourage educators to stay. |
Catherine Sadowski
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AI Website Access Protocol Project for the Urban District: Catherine Sadowski
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Look Who's Retiring!
To all of our truly amazing teacher leaders and dedicated mmebers: From all of TFT, wish you a sweet and peaceful retirement!
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Note: If you have a photo of a 2025 TFT retiree, please email it to tft250website@gmail.com so we can appreciate and celebrate them here, too!
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Margaret Mead was right. She once said:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.” |
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MERCH ALERT
Check out our merchandise for TFT members designed by MrEmblem!
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TFT Headquarters
Hours: M-F 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Closed Saturday & Sunday 115 S. St. Clair St. Toledo, OH 43604 Phone: 419-535-3013 |
CONTACT TFT
Reach out to TFT here:
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infotft@tfed250.com
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115 S. St. Clair | Toledo, OH 43604
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P: 419.535.3013
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www.tft250.org
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