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Ohio Retirement for Teachers Association
Fighting for Ohio's teachers since 1947!
The mission of ORTA is to monitor, advocate for, and protect the pensions and benefits of its members. ORTA demands accountability from the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio andlobbies 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 - February 15, 2026
While we are still waiting for a decision from Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Karen Held Phipps in the Wade Steen and Dr. Rudy Fichtenbaum case, ORTA received some good news. Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein’s office publicly announced that neither Steen nor Fichtenbaum would be charged for accepting money from ORTA. An investigation of charges submitted to the Ohio Ethics Commission determined that all parties acted in good faith after seeking legal counsel.
Of immediate concern is the upcoming STRS Board election and what we shared with you last week. “To be on the ballot, a candidate needs 500 petition signatures, including at least 20 from at least 10 counties. The signed petitions must be submitted to STRS by February 27." Elizabeth Jones has approached ORTA for help to be sure she has the required signatures.
Of concern, is that the weather has likely impacted the collection of signatures that we usually rely upon at our local chapter meetings. I want to thank many of you who have responded to our “call to action” for Elizabeth Jones last week. That said, we cannot yet confirm that we have the required 500 signatures.
Download the attached petition then print, sign, and send. If you have difficulty printing the petition, call ORTA at (614) 431-7002 or send an email message to publications@orta.org. We will send you a petition.
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Nomination petitions must be received by STRS by February 27. If you are worried that you signed petition(s) won't be delivered to STRS by the deadline, contact ORTA. We will work with you to get your petition(s) delivered in time.
My Best and Thank you,
Dean Dennis, Chair
ORTA Executive Councilā
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Question: Where do I send signed petitions?
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Answer: Send signed petitions to Elizabeth at the address on her petition or to ORTA at 250 E. Wilson Bridge Road, Suite 150, Worthington, Ohio 43085.
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Question: Can I send a petition with only one signature?
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Answer: Yes. Every signature counts toward the required 500 total signatures.
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Question: Can I sign a petition if I am retired and living in another state?
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Answer: Yes. Although your signature won't apply to the required number of county signatures, it will help Elizabeth reach the required 500 total signatures.āāāā
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ORTA Pension Defense Fund
Please consider making a donation to the Pension Defense Fund to help pay legal fees and expenses to defend and protect our pension and retirement benefits from current and future legal attacks.
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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Join ORTA today! Take advantage of all of our member benefits!
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 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!
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 at 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