Educators deserve a voice in their retirement: Sean Patrick Brennan

Recently, a Franklin County judge issued a temporary restraining order halting a budget provision that would reshape the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) board. As someone who spent three decades in Ohio’s classrooms, I welcome this pause and stand with the educators and unions who challenged the change.

The provision would remove four elected seats from the STRS board, replacing them with political appointees. Over time, the number of members directly chosen by educators would shrink from seven to just three. That means teachers, professors, and education staff — the people whose retirement security is at stake — would lose much of their voice in the system they spent their careers paying into.

This is not a small change. It represents a major shift in who controls the pensions of tens of thousands of Ohio educators. The STRS board exists to protect retirement benefits that teachers have earned over decades of service. Those who contribute to the system should not be sidelined in favor of appointees who may not share the lived experience of dedicating a career to education.

Even more troubling, this change risks politicizing the STRS board. Retirement security should never be treated as a partisan issue. Decisions about teachers’ pensions should be guided by sound financial stewardship and the long-term well-being of retirees — not by shifting political winds. Appointees chosen by politicians risk undermining confidence in the board and eroding the trust educators must have in their retirement system. Board members should be accountable to retirees and active contributors, not to elected officials seeking influence.

The way this measure was adopted is equally concerning. It was not the product of open debate or careful study. Instead, it was tucked into the state budget at the last minute, avoiding the scrutiny and transparency Ohioans deserve. Major policy changes with far-reaching consequences should be discussed in the light of day, with full public input. Sneaking provisions into a massive budget bill undermines trust in both the process and the outcome.

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Andy Miller’s decision to issue a temporary restraining order recognizes the serious constitutional concerns at stake — including equal protection under the Ohio Constitution. It also acknowledges the potential harm if these changes were implemented before the courts had their say. A shift of this magnitude deserves careful legal review, not a rushed rollout.

Some argue these changes will bring “stability” to STRS governance. I disagree. True stability comes from accountability, transparency, and trust. Replacing elected educators with political appointees undermines all three. Teachers know what is at stake for their retirement, and they deserve a direct role in shaping policies that safeguard it.

I applaud the Ohio Education Association, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, and the Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors for standing up for educators’ rights and for the integrity of the retirement system. Their lawsuit is about more than technicalities — it is about fairness, democratic representation, and keeping politics out of pension management. I also applaud Judge Miller for pressing pause on this misguided measure.

Ohio’s educators kept their promise to our state’s children. They did so under challenging circumstances, often with limited resources, and always with the best interests of students at heart. Now it is our turn to keep our promise to them. We must ensure a secure retirement, a meaningful voice in their system, and protection from politicization. The court’s order is a step in the right direction.

State Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan represents Ohio’s 14th House District, which includes Parma, Parma Heights, and parts of Cleveland. He is a retired public American Government teacher who serves on the House Public Pensions Committee and the Ohio Retirement Study Council.