PSEA is a community of education professionals who make a difference in the lives of students every day.
There’s no better time than American Education Week to celebrate our hardworking ESP members. And none more deserving of recognition than Denise Kueny, the 2023 Dolores McCracken PSEA Education Support Professional of the Year.
“Over the past 21 years, I have been fortunate to go to work in a place I love, with people I love. I have met, helped, and been inspired by hundreds of incredible students who have forever impacted my life. I am grateful and humbled by this award. Thank you.”
Kueny works as a special education instructional aide at Tohickon Middle School in the Central Bucks School District. In this role, she assists students in learning skills and lessons, offering plenty of guidance and encouragement along the way.
School colleagues praised Kueny for her dedication, noting that she often spends hours of her own free time reading and preparing to help students during the next day’s lessons.
“Her commitment to our students’ success knows no bounds,” Central Bucks Education Support Professional President Deneen Dry wrote in nominating Kueny. “She goes the extra mile to ensure that each child feels valued and empowered, whether it’s providing assistance during difficult moments, offering words of encouragement, or finding innovative ways to engage and inspire.”
Dry noted that Kueny is a strong supporter of and an asset to her local union, the Central Bucks Education Support Professionals Association.
On Thursday, PSEA President Aaron Chapin testified before Pennsylvania’s Basic Education Funding Commission and argued that the state must address the income and racial equity gaps in public school funding that were revealed as unconstitutional in the Commonwealth Court’s February 2023 ruling.
A PSEA analysis found the 100 districts with the lowest incomes spend 30 percent less per weighted student than the districts in the wealthiest 100 districts. And districts serving BIPOC communities at all income levels spend less per weighted student than their white district counterparts.
“Districts cannot hire more teachers, remodel buildings, purchase new school curricula, or offer better technology and classroom supplies without the money to pay for them,” Chapin said.
Some of the solutions President Chapin offered to lawmakers were:
PSEA delegates elected a new officer team at the May 2023 House of Delegates. President Aaron Chapin, Vice President Jeff Ney, and Treasurer Rachael West officially began their two-year terms on Sept. 1. The three officers have decades worth of classroom and association leadership experience at the local and state levels.
Your new PSEA leadership team is excited to represent you and make your priorities PSEA’s priorities.
Aaron is a middle school social studies and reading teacher in the Stroudsburg Area School District and a longtime local and region leader, serving as Northeastern Region’s president, as a member of the PSEA Board of Directors, and as a member of the NEA Constitution, Bylaws, and Rules Committee.
Aaron was elected PSEA vice president in June 2019. He was elected PSEA president during the May 2023 House of Delegates.
“PSEA is its members, and I am excited and privileged to begin serving all of you as your president on Sept. 1. Whatever challenges you face in your schools and classrooms, and whatever issues you need your PSEA officer team to address for you, we will be there to do it, because we represent you.” - Aaron Chapin
Jeff is an elementary school teacher in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. He has served as president of the Wilkes-Barre Area Education Association, as vice president and president of the Northeastern Region, and as a member of the PSEA Board of Directors.
Jeff began his term as PSEA treasurer in September 2017. He was elected PSEA vice president during the May 2023 House of Delegates.
“I look forward to engaging our members at every level of PSEA. I have made member engagement a top priority in every leadership role I have held, and I will continue to do so as vice president.” - Jeff Ney
Rachael is a secondary math teacher in the Red Lion School District. She has served as a building rep, grievance chair, and president of the Red Lion Education Association and is a member of the PSEA Ethnic Minority Caucus, the PSEA Legislative Committee, and the PSEA Board of Directors.
Rachael became treasurer of the Southern Region in 2019 and was elected PSEA treasurer in 2023.
“I am truly honored to have been elected PSEA treasurer. It will be a privilege to represent my colleagues who teach and serve public school students every day. As a PSEA officer, I look forward to advocating for all of them to make our public schools the very best they can be.”- Rachael West
The PSEA Center for Professional Learning recently relaunched the PEARL online learning system with many updates and improvements. We are excited to invite you to dive into a refreshed learning experience on a new and improved PEARL!
Featured updates to PEARL are described on our brand new PEARL Updates Page where you can learn about the latest improvements including:
You’ll see several other enhancements when you dive into learning on PEARL.
We understand that change can be confusing. That’s why we also improved our member support with an updated FAQ Page and a showcase of videos showing you all the steps you need to make the most of PEARL.
Some of the videos to get you started are linked below:
House Bill 141 – “Grow Your Own”
Approved May 1, this bill will create a program to help paraprofessionals and other school support staff go back to college to earn their teaching credentials. Read more in the Press Release.
House Bill 688 – scholarship program for aspiring educators
Approved May 2, this bill will establish the Pennsylvania Teach Scholarship Program, which will create an affordable pathway for talented, caring people to become teachers while lowering their student loan debt in the process. Read more in the Press Release.
House Bill 299 – extends Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements to public sector employees
Approved by the House on May 2, this bill will extend OSHA protections to school and other public sector employees, ensuring that state and local government entities receive the same occupational health and safety protections as their counterparts in the private sector so that Pennsylvania’s students and school staff members can teach and learn in healthy environments. Currently, public sector workers in Pennsylvania are not covered by federal guidelines for on-the-job safety.
PSEA’s legislative priorities are your priorities. Your hard work yields real results in Harrisburg. These are just four more examples of that.
Patricia Jackson, a Central York School District high school English teacher, is living every “Star Wars” fan’s dream – getting her fanfic published in an officially sanctioned book about the “Star Wars” universe. Jackson was selected as one of 40 writers to be featured in a compendium to celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Return of the Jedi.”
We sat down with Jackson to discuss her latest work and how her uncompromising stance on a key element might keep her from ever writing for “Star Wars” again.
"We laugh a lot and have a good time. When teachers and support professionals are positive, it translates to students. And that’s our goal with TikTok; having a good attitude and bringing positive vibes to kids."
Read more in the November 2022 issue of Voice.
Jermaine Bailey, the first graduate of the Grow Your Own program in York, has worked as a paraprofessional in the York City School District, earning his degree and teaching certificate. He said his experience was wonderful and even more special because his oldest daughter, ShaWanna, also joined him in the program to become a certified teacher.
Bailey acknowledged cost is a barrier for some people who want to teach, but he added with the help of York School District superintendent Andrea Berry, he and his daughter were able to keep their paraprofessional positions, receive their salaries, and continue to do student teaching within their school building while attending the program.
Read the full Public News Service story
York City schools has found a unique way to address the educator shortage — through the “Grow Your Own” teacher preparation program that offers support to help locals earn their degrees and teaching certificates.
Jermaine Bailey, the program’s first graduate, previously worked as a paraprofessional in the district. The 48-year-old and his 27-year-old daughter, ShaWanna, both attended the district’s schools before going to York College to earn their degrees.
Kevin and PSEA President Rich Askey recently joined host Terry Madonna on PA Newsmakers to talk about the Horace Mann Award, engaging families and communities in the work of public schools, and just how much teachers make a difference in their students' lives.
Check it out here.
