New & Early Career Educators
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New & Early Career Educators

What is PSEA?

PSEA is an association of 177,000 educators, support professionals, nurses, students, and retired school employees that fights for, protects, and speaks out for our members – working to secure the best salaries, benefits, pensions, and protections on the job every, single day.

PSEA’s goal is to support members at every step of their careers, providing representation, legal protections, discounts on goods and services, and free continuing professional education opportunities you can access online.

Whether members are just starting their careers or have years of experience, PSEA is here to help.

Comments or Questions?

Professional Development Programs

Did you know ...

PSEA has teamed up with PennWest University to offer you graduate credits including Master of Education in Advanced Study in Education concentration areas.

Start your Masters of Ed. journey with PSEA/NEA Micro-credentials 

Members who complete and submit specifically aligned NEA/PSEA Micro-credentials are able to receive PennWest credits for those, and then continue their coursework to a Master of Education directly with PennWest. 

Choose your concentration and corresponding Micro-credentials below and start your journey!

 

New & Early Career Summer Program

Join us for a week in July at Gettysburg College and participate in the New & Early Career Educators School. This residential program is designed to meet the unique needs of new and early career educators with up to three years of experience; this includes Student PSEA members and recent college graduates planning to start their career in the fall. Highlights include:

  • Professional learning sessions including strategies to engage students with effective classroom instruction, support all learners, and navigate emerging issues in educational practice and policy.
  • Essential information pertaining to early career educators such as financial planning, tenure, certification, contracts, and the benefits of PSEA membership.
  • Networking with other early career educators as well as PA Teachers of the Year and National Board Certified Teachers. 
  • Meals and social activities to meet others in the program and from your region.

Learn more about the Summer Leadership Conference at Gettysburg College.

Career Toolkit: Map Your Future

Pennsylvania is a great place to be an educator. And PSEA wants to help you to map your future.

Use the resources at www.psea.org/mapyourfuture to see the starting salaries in each of Pennsylvania’s school districts compiled from the most current data available and connect directly to school websites so you can see who is hiring.

Job and Professional Development Opportunities

Where are the jobs?

It’s not always easy to find your first job. Right now, a lot of schools are hiring. But where are they?

To find out which schools are hiring right now, check out the link below.

It lists all of the job openings in Pennsylvania school districts.

You can make a difference as a substitute teacher

There’s a substitute teacher and support professional shortage in Pennsylvania’s public schools, and it’s making it hard for kids to learn. Our schools need substitutes. Badly.

There are many Pennsylvanians who would make excellent substitute teachers and support professionals.

The resources below describe new rules that make it easier for someone to become a substitute teacher. For potential substitute teachers and support professionals, the map and contact information make it easy to connect with any school entity in Pennsylvania and inquire about opportunities to become a substitute.

Continue your professional development with PSEA's Center for Professional Learning

Members get access to free professional development.

PSEA’s center for professional learning offers a wide range of online and in-person courses eligible for Act 48 and Chapter 14 hours, along with a searchable library of publications on professional issues, teaching and learning, and education policy.

Sessions such as, "Educator Evaluation in 2021 and Beyond,""Rethinking Grading," or "Taking care of the teacher self to prepare mentally for the gaps in student ability/learning next year" are just a few recent examples of what you could add to your knowledge base.

 

Benefits of membership in PSEA

Become a PSEA member today

Now, it’s easier than ever to join PSEA.

New employees can sign up using PSEA’s new online enrollment process. It only takes a minute to complete the online form. 

💰 STUDENT LOAN DEBT 💰

NEA is working to cancel student debt and improve loan forgiveness programs for educators. That's why you have access to NEA's Student Debt Navigator, a free online student loan evaluation tool to help you manage your debt that offers: 

  • Easy-to-use software that automatically determines repayment options and any loan forgiveness programs
  • Student loan experts ready to help

NEA's Student Debt Support

NEA's Student Debt Navigator

Members get great benefits

PSEA membership saves you money. The PSEA Member Benefits program offers thousands of discounts, savings opportunities, and resources on things like:

  • School loan debt
  • Tele-therapy
  • Fiber optic internet/TV/phone service
  • Insurance
  • Financial services
  • Hotels

Check out the Member Benefits options for yourself. 

Certification Information

Pennsylvania teachers and educational specialists must be certified to work in public schools.

PSEA is here to help educators understand the state's certification regulations and how they affect rights and responsibilities in the workplace. 

PSEA offers a "You and Your Certificate" guide to address:

  • Obtaining Your Certificate
  • Testing Requirements
  • Converting to a Level II Certificate
  • Act 48 Requirements
  • Resources to Answer Frequently Asked Questions

Induction Resources

PA Dept. of Ed. Certification landing page

PA Dept. of Ed. Induction plan information

Resources made easy

PSEA has many resources that describe the benefits of membership. Check them out here.

Why Belong?

Benefits of Membership

Gear up and show your PSEA pride!

Grab your PSEA apparel and gear today. 

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