Pennsylvania State Education Association

Week of 2-15-2021

Inside this issue

• Tuition voucher scheme will be introduced soon
• PSEA’s legislative priorities
• York teachers talk pandemic frustrations
• Black History Month
• Earn Act 48/Chapter 14 credits right now!
• Member Benefits spotlight: California Casualty’s Music and Arts Grant

Tuition voucher scheme will be introduced soon

Here we go again.

Even as schools struggle to educate students during the COVID-19 pandemic, some lawmakers want to make tuition voucher schemes their priority.

In the coming weeks, we expect to see legislation introduced in the state Senate that would create a voucher program and expand tax credits for businesses that contribute to private school scholarship funds. PSEA opposes these ideas, because they don’t match our priorities, and because they will funnel much-needed funds away from public schools.

When bills like this are introduced, PSEA members will need to act fast to tell lawmakers that we oppose them.

So, stay tuned for updates on this and be ready to speak out.

PSEA’s legislative priorities for the new year

What are PSEA’s legislative priorities?

Our goals for this year are to support legislation that invests in safe, healthy schools, respects educators and support professionals, and helps students learn. Specifically, our goals are to:

1. Make our schools safe, healthy places to work and learn;
2. Provide the resources our schools need to navigate the COVID-19 crisis;
3. Value and respect educators;
4. Reduce overtesting and create a student-centered education culture; and
5. Allow schools the freedom to address their individual needs in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis.

Check out the March edition of Voice magazine to learn more or view it online.

York teachers talk pandemic frustrations in York Dispatch profile

A recent story in the York Dispatch on York teachers reflects the toll this pandemic is taking on educators everywhere.

The article profiles PSEA member Ellen Connelly (pictured above), a gifted education teacher in the Dallastown Area School District, who splits her time between middle and high school classrooms in a hybrid format. She candidly talks about a level of exhaustion she hasn’t felt in her 29 years of teaching.

Balancing the unique COVID-related demands of in-person teaching like social distancing and PPE, quarantining in the event of a positive test, and staff shortages with the technological hurdles of virtual teaching has severely strained seasoned teachers and first-year educators alike. And it’s a story that’s unfortunately widely relatable across our membership.

These kinds of stories are what drive this Association to do everything in its power to protect you and ensure we can get you back to your classrooms and back to normalcy as quickly and as safely as possible.

Just remember that your tireless work on behalf of your students and your schools during this extraordinarily difficult time does not go unnoticed. You’re doing incredible things every day. And the generation of young minds you’re helping to shape will never forget it.

Black History Month

Black History Month isn’t just about looking backward but also forward to the leaders of tomorrow. Leaders like National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, who captivated the nation at President Biden’s inaugural address and whose words have quickly become a beacon of hope and inspiration for a new generation of Black youth.

How are you inspiring the next generation during Black History Month? Let us know at https://psea.org/bhm#tellus

Earn Act 48/Chapter 14 credits right now!

Here’s what’s coming up at PSEA’s Center for Professional Learning:

Webinars

• Using HyperDocs for Online Learning
  • Feb. 23, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Schoology in Practice: The Essentials for Intermediate users
  • March 2, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Formative Assessments
  • March 9, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Math at a Distance: Best Practices
  • March 16, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Phenomena-Centered Science in your (virtual) Classroom
  • March 23, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Maximizing Google Classroom for Remote Learning
  • March 30, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Leveling Up Seesaw
  • April 13, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Google Classroom (Advanced)
  • April 20, 6-7:30 p.m.
• EdTech Pedagogy in Early Childhood
  • April 27, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Screencasting: Loom, Screencastify, Google Meet
  • May 4, 6-7:30 p.m.

Book Discussions

• Book 1 - John Lewis & Andrew Aydin
  • March 10, 5-6 p.m.
• Refugee - Alan Gratz
  • April 7, 5-6 p.m.
• Out of My Mind - Sharon Draper
  • May 5, 5-6 p.m.
• New Kid - Jerry Craft
  • May 19, 5-6 p.m.

Wellness Sessions

• Mindfulness for Members 2021-IV – This session includes mindful practices for feeling connected to others.
  • Feb. 22, 5-6 p.m.
• Mindfulness for Members 2021-V – This session includes mindful practices for experiencing joy.
  • March 8, 5-6 p.m.
• Mindfulness for Members 2021-VI – This session includes mindful practices for experiencing calm in the chaos.
  • March 22, 5-6 p.m.
• Mindfulness for Members 2021-VII – This session includes mindful practices for preventing burnout.
  • April 12, 5-6 p.m.
• Mindfulness for Members 2021-VIII – This session includes mindful practices for experiencing gratitude.
  • April 26, 5-6 p.m.
• Mindfulness for Members 2021-IX – This session includes mindful practices for healthy minds.
  • May 10, 5-6 p.m.
• Mindfulness for Members 2021-X – This session includes mindful practices developing awareness.
  • May 24, 5-6 p.m.
• Mindfulness for Members 2021-XI – This session includes mindful practices for experiencing calm, joy, gratitude, self-compassion, and resilience.
  • June 7, 5-6 p.m.

Member Benefits spotlight: California Casualty’s Music and Arts Grant

California Casualty’s Music and Arts Grant program is back and will award individual members with a $250 grant for their classroom or program. Apply today for this very popular association member benefit. 

Applications for this year will be accepted through June 30, 2021.