President's Message: Taking a Page from Tom Izzo's Playbook
Don Johnson
MARSP President
As the title suggests, I’m a Spartan fan. Michigan fans, you have been warned!
Coach Izzo has won with different rosters, in different eras, against different odds. He built his winning program around the mantra ”strength in numbers.” The idea is that success comes from every player contributing, not just a few. When everyone contributes, the whole becomes stronger than the sum of its parts.
That’s not just a basketball philosophy—it’s MARSP at its best.
You, Me, and 400,998 Teammates
There are 401,000 participants in the Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System (MPSERS). Teachers. Bus drivers. Custodians. Librarians. Food service workers. Administrators. Nearly 229,000 are already retired and receiving monthly benefits. MARSP advocates for every one of them — member or not.
Our membership is what turns MARSP advocacy into influence. When legislators see a large, organized constituency behind an organization, they take its calls. They attend its events. They weigh its input. They think twice before voting against our interests. Membership isn’t a dues payment — it’s a signal that retirees are engaged, informed, and watching.
Hard-Won — and Not Finished
There are 401,000 participants in the Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System (MPSERS). Teachers. Bus drivers. Custodians. Librarians. Food service workers. Administrators. Nearly 229,000 are already retired and receiving monthly benefits. MARSP advocates for every one of them — member or not.
Our membership is what turns MARSP advocacy into influence. When legislators see a large, organized constituency behind an organization, they take its calls. They attend its events. They weigh its input. They think twice before voting against our interests. Membership isn’t a dues payment — it’s a signal that retirees are engaged, informed, and watching.
MPSERS Defined Benefit Plan Membership Data
Retirees and beneficiaries currently receiving benefits:
- Regular 202,842
- Survivor 20,985
- Disability 5,046
Current active members:
- Vested 81,176
- Non-vested 75,060
Vested inactive members:
- Total 16,372
Active members:
- Teachers 49.7%
- Non-teachers 50.3%
Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System Pension Actuarial Valuation Results, Gabriel, Roeder, Smith & Company, (Sept. 2025)
You may be thinking: “My pension is protected by the Michigan Constitution.” You’re right. Article 9, Section 24: …accrued pension benefits cannot be diminished or impaired, and benefits must be funded during the year they are earned.
But a constitutional guarantee and a system’s ability to fund it are not the same thing.
Not long ago, MPSERS was in crisis. Two market crashes, chronic underfunding, and declining contributions compounded into a $24 billion debt. In 2012, Michigan committed to a structured plan to eliminate that debt by 2038. By that time, MARSP had spent decades building the relationships and credibility to advocate for such a commitment — and to hold the state to it.
Today, thanks in part to our consistent voice, retiree healthcare is fully funded and the pension payoff remains on track.
Progress always comes with a new set of challenges. The closer we get to 100% funded, the greater the pressure to change course. Legislators face the temptation to use that money for something else rather than finish the job. We’ve watched it happen in other states, including states with constitutional protections like ours. The pattern is the same: funding gets delayed, the gap widens, and recovery becomes harder with every passing year.
Michigan doesn’t have to follow that path, but staying the course requires us to show up.
Our persistence also contributed to the passage of Public Act 4 in 2023, phasing out the 2011 retirement income tax.
Get in the Game
- Renew your membership before July 1.
- Think of one former colleague who isn’t a member. Reach out this week. Share why you joined. Let them know what’s at stake.
- And contact your legislators. Let them know retirees are engaged, informed, and paying attention.
There’s strength in numbers. Let’s use it.
