DEAR EDITOR:

The State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio provides pension benefits and healthcare coverage to over half a million current and retired public educators. To ensure a continuing pension for retirees now and in the future, STRS Ohio must be guided by exceptional financial performance.

As a seven-year member of the Ohio Council of Higher Education Retirees (OCHER) and as its current president, it is my belief that STRS Ohio is well-run and does everything possible to ensure that pensions are secure.

OCHER meets on a regular basis with senior leaders at STRS Ohio and an OCHER board member attends the monthly STRS Board meetings and reports back to the OCHER board. It is through these interactions that I believe the criticism directed toward the leaders and investment staff of STRS Ohio is misguided and not based on the facts.

One incorrect fact is that contrary to many claims, retirees were never “promised” a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). While regular COLAs would be ideal, no pension system can guarantee this. Based on external audits conducted on the STRS Ohio fund, the system has experienced excellent investment operations that ensure pensions are ongoing and dependable for everyone, for a lifetime.

I urge all of Ohio’s STRS members to get the facts about STRS Ohio (check out www.strsoh.org). No system is perfect, however, there is a lot that the system does very well (as confirmed by outside auditors) and does so for the good of our hard-working educators.

MARIANNE ANDERSON

president,

Ohio Council of Higher Education Retirees

Poland