PSEA member Lei Williams has had quite a journey since being airlifted out of war-torn South Vietnam as a 5-year-old. Along with her younger sister, she had to leave her mother behind.

As Williams, a high school English as a Second Language teacher in the Eastern Lancaster County School District, tells her incredible life story, it?s clear she still feels the pain. At times, tears well in her eyes and her voice halts, and as a visitor listening to her, it?s hard not to do the same.

Then a glimmer returns to her eyes, and a beaming smile lights up her face, when talk turns to her work with immigrant students at Garden Spot High School. Read about Lei in the  September issue of The Voice or hear her tell the story on a  recent episode of PA Newsmakers with Terry Madonna. 

Now that we?re officially back in the swing of the new school year, we wanted to give a quick shoutout to all our members who submitted pictures of their classroom setups. These are always inspiring, and we're thrilled to get to share with you all the unique ways your fellow members made their students feel welcome this year.  

You can see the full collection and other back-to-school resources at the link below:

As anyone who has taught it, gone through it, or is currently in it knows, middle school can be a rough time for those perceived as ?different.? That?s what makes reinforcing concepts like acceptance, empathy, and kindness during these challenging, formative years so crucial.

That idea is what drove Annie Granger and Annette Ehly, middle-school educators in the rural Upper Adams School District, to create the Upper Adams Diversity Club five years ago.

Evaluation reform update

As you know, PSEA strongly supports an overhaul of the current educator evaluation system. The system, which has been in place since 2013, has produced several unintended consequences for educators and their students.

Senate Bill 751, which was approved by the Senate in June, changes the evaluation process to place greater emphasis on direct classroom observation, reduce the impact of student standardized test results, and account to some extent for the tremendous effects of poverty on student learning.

The House Education Committee is planning a hearing on Oct. 28. We?re hopeful that the House will see the clear benefits to introducing a fair, comprehensive evaluation system for our educators. We?ll keep you updated. And you can get the latest information on this issue at the link below. 

For over 45 years, Kades-Margolis Corporation and their network of financial advisors have helped more than 35,000 individuals and families properly plan for the important financial events in their lives.

They specialize in serving employees of public education in Pennsylvania, offering guidance, financial strategies, and proven retirement and investment solutions to help meet their needs and goals. Services include everything from choosing retirement investments, to assisting with insurance needs, to full investment portfolio planning. 

Dates to note

Did you know October is...

• Computer Learning Month
• National Book Month
• National Bullying Prevention Month

October 11-12 ? PSEA Committee Weekend

October 11-13 ? Student PSEA Committee Retreat

October 14 ? Columbus Day

October 18-19 ? PSEA Collective Bargaining Conference

October 20 ?  America's Safe Schools Week (begins)

October 31 ?  Halloween