PA Learners Online votes to become nation's first organized cyber charter school

PSEA welcomes the PA Learners Online - a regional cyber charter school with facilities in Homestead, PA - to the PSEA family. The teachers voted for PSEA representation in a June 15 election conducted by the state Labor Relations Board. The election marks the first time in the nation that a public cyber charter school faculty has voted to unionize.

“We are proud to welcome the members of the PA Learners Online Association to PSEA’s family of over 1,000 local affiliates,” PSEA President Jim Testerman said. “It is clear these public school employees desire the same voice in their working conditions as other school employees across the Commonwealth.

“We intend to provide the same type of strong representation and advocacy that PSEA’s members have come to expect from their association.”

PA Learners Online serves students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade, and is managed by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. Any student between the ages of 5 and 21 and is a resident of Pennsylvania may apply for enrollment to PALO.

The school is chartered by several western Pennsylvania school districts, including: Allegheny Valley; Baldwin Whitehall; Bethel Park; Chartiers Valley; Deer Lakes; Moon Area; Shaler Area; South Allegheny; West Allegheny; and Woodland Hills.