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Keeping Connected is an e-newsletter for PSEA members to stay informed during the COVID-19 coronavirus school closures. In each issue, you'll receive the latest legislative and policy updates from your association, helpful links, and inspiring stories of educators going above and beyond to make the best of an extraordinarily difficult time.

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COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic

Our schools and communities are all focused on preventing the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus. 

PSEA, federal, and state officials have created a number of resources aimed at educating members and the public about the virus and advising Pennsylvanians about how we can prevent it from spreading.

Stay Connected

Keeping Connected is an e-newsletter for PSEA members to stay informed during the COVID-19 coronavirus school closures. In each issue, you'll receive the latest legislative and policy updates from your association, helpful links, and inspiring stories of educators going above and beyond to make the best of an extraordinarily difficult time.

Rich's Notebook is a blog intended to periodically update PSEA members on what is on the PSEA President's mind. In each post, you'll read about Rich's priorities, his thoughts on important topics, or inspiring stories of educators going above and beyond.

Latest post: Concerns about the mounting number of COVID-19 cases and school districts following state guidelines

This is Black History Month

February is Black History Month. Why is Black History Month important to you?

Let us know on Facebook or on www.psea.org/bhm#tellus.

Shaler Area SD counselor named top in the state

The pandemic has put an acute focus on mental health, especially for our students. And it’s made the work of our school counselors and psychologists that much more vital. Lezlie DelVecchio-Marks – a member in the Shaler Area School District – was recently recognized as the Pennsylvania School Counselor of the Year by the Pennsylvania School Counselors Association (PSCA).

DelVecchio-Marks has been a counselor for 19 years and worked in the district for the past 14. She currently splits her time between Burchfield Primary and Reserve Primary Schools and has made it her mission with these young students to reinforce notions of kindness, tolerance, self-esteem, and positive body image through a number of schoolwide programs like No Makeup Day (for staff), No Name-Calling Week, Girls Rock, and more. She even hosts schoolwide “Showcase Night” theatrical performances – including a virtual performance this year – that serve to reinforce these themes throughout the school community.

We caught up with DelVecchio-Marks to talk about her experience over the past year for the March 2021 issue of The VOICE. 

Heidi Moll, the 2020 ESP of the Year!

There’s no better time than American Education Week to celebrate our hardworking ESP members. And none more deserving of recognition than Heidi Moll, the 2020 Dolores McCracken PSEA Education Support Professional of the Year.

“I am honored to receive this recognition on Education Support Professionals Day,” Moll said. “Every day, I feel fortunate to work with support professionals and see the direct impact that they have on the lives of our students. Dolores McCracken would be proud of all of our education support professional locals and what they have accomplished this year. I feel privileged to be recognized for this award during a year that was especially tough. My members have made all of the hard work worthwhile.”

As an instructional assistant, Moll works alongside teachers at Berks Career and Tech to provide hands-on assistance to students. Her colleagues say she is known for encouraging students’ creativity and innovation and helping them develop important problem-solving skills.

Delegates to the National Education Association Representative Assembly (NEA RA) have elected Becky Pringle of PA as the association’s president.

Originally from Philadelphia, Pringle is a middle school science teacher on leave from the Susquehanna School District in Dauphin County. She currently serves as vice president of NEA and previously served as secretary treasurer.

“Becky has long been a force for positive change here in Pennsylvania and on the national stage,” PSEA President Rich Askey said. “She is a devoted advocate for social and racial justice, a powerful voice for American educators and support professionals and the students we serve, and a valued friend and respected colleague."

“On behalf of PSEA’s 180,000 members, I congratulate Becky and look forward to continuing to work with her to transform the education professions and improve student learning.”

#ICYMI: Remote Instruction

Did you miss the terrific webinars we offered through PSEA’s Summer Learning Series?

If you did, you can still check them out. We recorded all our remote instruction webinars, and you can view them at your convenience and receive Act 48 or Chapter 14 credit at the link below.

PSEA Vice President Aaron Chapin Rallies to Raise the Minimum Wage

PSEA Vice President Aaron Chapin joined a host of lawmakers, community members, and activists from across the state at a capitol rally on September 17 to demand an increase in the state's minimum wage, which has been stuck at $7.25 since 2009.  The event, hosted by We The People Campaign, was an opportunity to emphasize the importance of this initiative to PSEA members, their families, and to all of Pennsylvania.
 
PSEA continues to work closely with Gov. Wolf and other lawmakers on this important issue, which directly affects a number of support professionals in our public schools. It remains a top priority for our organization going into this new legislative session.

In new poll, large majorities of PA voters view public schools, teachers favorably

Nearly two-thirds of registered Pennsylvania voters expressed satisfaction with the public schools in their communities, and more than 7 in 10 have positive impressions of teachers, according to a poll conducted by Terry Madonna Opinion Research for PSEA and other organizations.

Poll respondents were also more likely to support raising the state’s minimum teacher salary after hearing that Pennsylvania has licensed far fewer new teachers annually in recent years and that raising the minimum salary will allow public schools to recruit and retain the teachers Pennsylvania needs.

Threat Assessment Legislation

In addition to providing continued school safety grant funding in the state budget, policymakers adopted some important school safety initiatives in a separate school code bill. One of these intiatives requires public schools to establish threat assessment teams to assess and prevent violence before it starts.

Establishing threat assessment teams was among the recommendations included in PSEA’s 2018 report “Safe Havens of Learning: PSEA policy recommendations to enhance safety in PA schools.” Read the full report at www.psea.org/schoolsafety.

“These measures will definitely make a difference in our schools,” said PSEA President Rich Askey. “We encourage lawmakers to continue the good work they’ve done on school safety initiatives and send these bills to the governor’s desk.”

Two-thirds of Pennsylvanians favor raising minimum teacher salary, poll finds

Raising the minimum teacher salary will help Pennsylvania school districts attract and retain the best and brightest to teach in our schools and change the lives of students. Pennsylvanians understand that and support a proposal to raise the minimum teacher salary in Pennsylvania from $18,500 to $45,000 per year.

Two-thirds of likely voters in Pennsylvania favor the minimum salary raise and nearly half of respondents “strongly favor” the measure, according to a poll conducted by Harper Polling for PSEA.

View the Feb. 21 memo from Harper Polling.

Show PSEA pride. Save money. Get the PSEA Visa card

PSEA members can now get cash back and earn rewards on every purchase with the PSEA Signature Visa card.

In our Locals

Learning Lessons: VR in the classroom

Flexible teacher remakes classroom

Putting food in hungry young stomachs

Mifflin County educators aid homeless students

Five things I know for sure about teaching

Issues & Action

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