Toledo Federation of Teachers

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.

"Don't forget to vote! Your STRS election ballot should be in your mailbox soon! You can do it over your phone, you can do it online...It's quick, it's easy, and its IMPORTANT!"

-Dan Fray, Member Engagement, Retention, and Development | TFT

Vote Chad Smith and Michael Harkness for STRS Board

TFT proudly endorses Michael Harkness and Chad Smith for this year’s election to the STRS Board.
Michael and Chad support OFT’s member-focused priorities for STRS, including:

Improving transparency and accountability.
Moving the requirement for full retirement as close to 30 years as possible, as soon as possible.
Restoring a reasonable annual COLA that allows retirees an increase in purchasing power, as quickly as possible.
Creating the financial conditions to make those changes by shifting away from high-fee private equity investments and reducing unnecessary spending.

About our endorsed candidates:
Michael Harkness is the First Vice President of the Akron Education Association. He has been with Akron Public Schools for 14 years, starting in the classroom as an Intervention Specialist. Before teaching, Michael spent many years in insurance and investment sales and estate planning, giving him a solid base for understanding how investment vehicles work. Michael has served on the STRS board since being appointed in the Fall of 2024.
Chad Smith is a 27-year veteran teacher in Columbus City Schools with leadership experience as a faculty representative for the Columbus Education Association, Electives Department Chair and negotiations team member. He has also served as president of his local Civic association where he has chaired meetings, forecasted budgets and overseen capital improvement projects.

Ballots were mailed from STRS this week. Please keep an eye out for this ballot so you don’t accidentally discard it.
You can return it by mail (postage is prepaid) or you can also vote by phone or online.
If you don’t receive a ballot by Wednesday, April 9, or if you misplace or accidentally discard your ballot, you can still vote! Email the Election Services help desk at STRSOHHelp@electionservicescorp.com or call 866-276-1506. Share this information with your colleagues or other STRS contributing members!
Please look for your ballot in the mail and vote as soon as possible.

Take a Look!

The 2025 TFT Teacher Leaders Program cohort is well on their way to shaping their literature reviews and collecting research for their final projects. If you're interested in attending the showcase, please join us on Saturday, May 10th, 2025 at 9:30am. For more information in the meantime, reach out to Dan Fray at dfray@tfed250.com. Interested in being in the 2026 cohort of the TFT Teacher Leaders Program? Contact Dan Fray about that, too!

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.”