PSEA is a community of education professionals who make a difference in the lives of students every day.
PSEA’s legislative priorities are your priorities. And the House Education Committee approved them because you advocated for them. PSEA members sent more than 2,000 emails to lawmakers over the weekend urging them to support these bills. That strong response went a long way.
Your hard work yields real results in Harrisburg. These are just two more examples of that.
Gov. Josh Shapiro invited two PSEA members to sit in the state House chamber for his budget address. The governor recognized them both in his speech.
PSEA asked Jess Porter and Stephen Sharp how they felt as educators when Gov. Shapiro asked them to stand and be recognized.
Hear Jess's reaction:
Hear Stephen's reaction:
English learners have unique educational needs, and it takes a unique teacher to meet them. Interboro School District EL teacher Andrea Bitner shows how building and strengthening a sense of community has been the key to her students’ success inside and outside the classroom.
On Dec. 13, members of the Armstrong Education Association delivered nearly 150 bags of books, library cards, and information on community literacy programs to Armstrong County’s ACMH Hospital maternity unit. The bags were intended for families of newborns to promote the importance of reading to and with children as they grow.
“As educators, we understand the importance of students having access to books from an early age,” said AEA President Kevan Landstrom when delivering the books to representatives of the ACMH Maternity and Delivery Unit. “It is our hope having these books in the homes of our newest community members will foster a love of reading.”
The initiative was supported in part through a grant from the PSEA Education Foundation.
"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.
There’s no better time than American Education Week to celebrate our hardworking ESP members. And none more deserving of recognition than Angela Vigna, the 2022 Dolores McCracken PSEA Education Support Professional of the Year.
Vigna has worked as a paraprofessional in the Leechburg Area School District for the past 19 years. In this role, she has served as a classroom aide providing academic support to students with special needs. During her tenure, Vigna had the opportunity to work with one particular student from first grade all the way through to graduation.
School colleagues praised Vigna for her dedication and ability to draw out the very best in her students.
“Mrs. Vigna takes pride in her work and the accomplishments of the students,” Michelle Ferretti, a Leechburg middle and high school learning support teacher, wrote in nominating Vigna for the award. “She works well beyond the school day to ensure that all students are receiving what they need. Mrs. Vigna is a true example of the importance of paraeducators and the critical role they play in children’s academic success, social and emotional development, and sense of belonging within the community.”
“I know without a doubt that teachers cannot do what we do as well as we do without our education support professionals,” wrote Ashley Mondale, a high school English teacher and president of the Leechburg Area Education Association. “Mrs. Angela Vigna is the best of the best. She deserves recognition for her tireless work during the school day, her activism in our community, and her willingness to provide for her family, her association members, and Leechburg as a whole.”
Angela on a recent episode of PA Newsmakers explaining the roles of paraprofessionals and support staff in schools.
There’s a substitute shortage in Pennsylvania’s public schools, and it’s making it harder for kids to learn. Our schools need substitute teachers and substitute support professionals. Badly.
In late 2021, Act 91 was passed into law allowing more Pennsylvanians to support educators, schools, and students as a day-to-day or long-term substitutes. And there are several different pathways to help you get started.
Learn more about how you can make a difference as a substitute teacher or support professional with the resources in our "Subs Wanted!" sections of the site.
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.
