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Ohio Retirement for Teachers Association
Fighting for Ohio's teachers since 1947!
ORTA advocates for the pensions and benefits of Ohio's active and retired educators; demands accountability from the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio; and lobbies Ohio's legislators to provide a strong and sustainable retirement system for all Ohio educators, Pre-K through higher education. We rely on membership dues to continue our work.
Weekly Update: December 6, 2025
The transcripts from the Ohio Attorney General's lawsuit against former STRS Ohio Board member Wade Steen and current Board Chair, Dr. Rudy Fichtenbaum, were delivered to their attorneys this past week. This triggered the date by which closing arguments are due to the Judge. The date is December 12. That is the point at which the Judge will begin reviewing the facts to determine the ruling. There is no deadline for this process.
As you are already aware, the illegal attempt by Representative Adam Bird, Ohio Retirement Study Council Chair (ORSC), to alter the composition of our STRS Board was thwarted by the courts. This, however, does not mean STRS members are, by any means, out of the woods. Recall that Senator Mark Romanchuck, the former ORSC Chair and still current member, filed Senate Bill 69.
Currently, Senate Bill 69 is considered placeholder legislation because its language has not yet been finalized. Currently, here is what the legislation states. “Section 1. The 136th General Assembly declares its intent to enact legislation to reform the law governing the Public Employees Retirement System, School Employees Retirement System, State Teachers Retirement System, Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund, and State Highway Patrol Retirement System. This legislation will make necessary changes to the law to ensure the health and sustainability of the state's public retirement systems.”
ORTA has contacted Senator Romanchuk’s office to schedule a meeting. As of this update, Senator Romanchuk’s office has responded to ORTA that he is unavailable to meet at this time but will reach out if anything changes.
ORTA will continue to fight for Ohio’s educators and is fully aware of the attacks on public education in Ohio, which will impact our pension.
Judge grants preliminary injunction in lawsuit over Ohio teachers retirement system
On October 15th, the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas issued a preliminary injunction preventing changes to the composition of the STRS Board while litigation is in progress.
ORTA wishes to thank the organizations and individuals who have engaged in our fight to retain elected teachers on the STRS Ohio Retirement Board.
The Ohio Federation of Teachers, Ohio Education Association, and Ohio Conference of American Association of University Professors funded the injunction to stop the removal of elected teachers to the STRS Ohio Board. They released this statement:
“We are thankful for Judge Aveni’s ruling to grant a preliminary injunction. This determination confirms what retired and active members of STRS have known since June: this is an unconstitutional power grab by the legislature. Educators, just like all other public employees in Ohio, deserve a meaningful voice in our pension plan.” — Statement from OEA President Jeff Wensing, OFT President Melissa Cropper, and OC AAUP Executive Director Sara Kilpatrick.
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Colleen Marshall, NBC4 Columbus, has reported factually and without bias on STRS Ohio since the Governor's failed attempt to remove Wade Steen from the STRS Board in May 2023. Watch her report on Judge Aveni's decision to support the preliminary injunction.
David Pepper has dedicated many of his Substack articles to the state's ongoing attack on members of the STRS Ohio Board.
"I have detailed the saga of how Ohio’s always lawless lawmakers have spent years attempting to steal the power of teachers and retirees over their own ($100B) pension fund. And how a number of their attacks have been in clear violation of Ohio law and the constitution." - David Pepper
And above all, we want to thank all of Ohio's teachers who contacted their legislators, asking them not to support this attempt by a small group of politicians to remove democratically elected members from our pension Board.
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ORTA Pension Defense Fund
Lawsuits are expensive. OFT, OEA, and OC AAUP are paying the legal fees for the lawsuit to retain our democratically elected members on the STRS Ohio Board.
ORTA is continuing to collect donations for our Pension Defense Fund to pay for the ongoing lawsuit brought against current Board Chair Rudy Fichtenbaum and former Board member Wade Steen by Ohio AG Yost.
Please consider making a donation to the Pension Defense Fund to help pay legal fees to defend and protect our pension and retirement benefits from current and future legal attacks.
Preparing for the Holidays!
Exclusive Member Discounts & Benefits
The holidays are here, and your member perks are ready to spread a little cheer. Whether you're shopping for the perfect gift, planning a getaway, or treating yourself, we’ll show you how to unlock savings to make it all a little sweeter.
And here is something extra festive. When you register, you will be entered to win prizes, including a hotel stay and free rental car days.
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Every AMBA webinar begins with an ORTA Update by Dr. Robin Rayfield, ORTA's Executive Director.ā
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We'll post the recording of this webinar here when it is available.
Join ORTA today! Take advantage of all of our member benefits!
ORTA County Chapters
Join your local county chapter of ORTA for social, educational, and volunteer activities, as well as presentations about STRS Ohio and your retirement benefits. Check our list of county chapters for links to chapter websites and Facebook groups. If your county doesn't have an active chapter, contact ORTA about starting one!
Free AMBA Webinars
ORTA has partnered with AMBA to offer a series of short webinars about important topics like long term care, Medicare, medical transportation, and more. The talks are educational and informative. Join us for the next one, and invite a friend! āā
Each webinar begins with an ORTA update by Dr. Robin Rayfield, Executive Director.āā
ORTA Facebook Group
We created this new Facebook group to make Ohio's retired and active teachers aware of all of the opportunities available to them through our county chapters throughout the state. Chapters can submit posts about monthly meetings, classroom grants and student scholarships, volunteer opportunities, events and activities.
AMBA Benefits
ORTA has partnered with Association Member Benefits Advisors, to offer our members exclusive group rates on health, Medicare supplement, life, dental, vision, and professional liability insurance. AMBA focuses on providing customized coverage through top-rated insurance providers, with options often available to members who may not otherwise qualify for group rates. ā
ORTA Video Library