Pennsylvania State Education Association

Week of 3-11-2024

Inside this issue

• PSEA-Retired members: Tell us your COLA story
• Northern Lehigh Middle School SAP team wins top honor
• Upcoming Center for Professional Learning events and PEARL
• Member Benefits spotlight: PSEA Visa Signature card

“Don’t forget about us!”

That’s PSEA’s rallying cry as we tell legislators and Gov. Josh Shapiro how important it is to approve a cost-of-living adjustment for 40,000 educators and support professionals who retired before 2001.

For decades, approving regular COLAs for retired school and state employees was the norm. But legislators stopped authorizing COLAs after 2002, letting retirees’ real buying power stagnate for more than 20 years.

PSEA is trying to get as many retirees as possible to tell their stories and show just how important this is to them.

Are you a retired member with a story to tell? Go to www.psea.org/cola and share it with PSEA so we can tell lawmakers: “Don’t forget about us.”

Each year the Pennsylvania Association of Student Assistance Professionals (PASAP) Board of Directors recognizes outstanding Student Assistance Program (SAP) teams, individuals, and organizations that have demonstrated exceptional effort in developing effective SAP programs, extraordinary vision, and distinguished service in their field. They identify teams that support research-based prevention programs, skilled identification, and also foster positive connections with students, parents, and the community.

The 2024 Distinguished Secondary SAP Team Award winners were from the Northern Lehigh Middle School in the Northern Lehigh School District. The SAP team is composed of Principal David Hauser; teachers Shannon Jones, Jason Reinhard, Amanda Bariana, Kim Filipovits, and Tim Weaber; guidance counselor Maggie Schaffer; and nurse Dawn Tulio.

“While no one does SAP work for accolades, this recognition is well deserved and shows the hard work Northern Lehigh School District teachers demonstrate every day,” said Tim Weaber (fourth from left, above), Northern Lehigh EA president. “The Northern Lehigh Middle School SAP team has worked diligently to support students and remove barriers to learning. The members of this team are truly special and provide a model of teamwork and professionalism.”

PEARL

Visit the new, improved PEARL today and choose from more than 95 asynchronous courses available for Act 48 credit and Chapter 14 verification.

You can find multiple courses that interest you in any of these tracks: 

• Book Studies
• Educational Equity
• Pedagogy
• Policy
• Pupil Services
• Special Populations
• Technology in Education
• SEL & Wellness

Webinars

• Be Prepared: Efficient and Informed IEP Meetings (ECE Series)
  • March 20, 7-8:30 p.m.
• Online Polling for Student Engagement & Assessment
  • April 16, 7-8 p.m.
• Intro to the 3D Science Standards: Coming in Fall 2024!
  • April 25, 7-8:30 p.m.

Book Discussions

• Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day (Revised Edition)
  • April 3, 7-8 p.m.
• Good Different (Poetry)
  • April 11, 7-8 p.m.
• The Grimm Legacy
  • April 24, 7-8 p.m.

Postgraduate Credits

Earn postgraduate credits from PennWest University for $70 each!

More than 150 postgraduate credits are available across a wide range of teaching and learning topics.

These postgraduate credits (microcredentials) can count toward the 24 credits required for a Level II certificate and also may count toward salary advancement.*

For support professionals, these courses may meet Chapter 14 requirements.**

*Check your contract to determine if you can apply standalone postgraduate credits for column movement.
**Seek approval from your employer prior to completing hours to apply toward Chapter 14 requirements.

PSEA has partnered with Commerce Bank to bring members the PSEA Visa Signature credit card offer. With this card, members can earn cash back rewards with every purchase, with no point cap or opt-in required.

• Earn 3 percent cash back on coffee shops, fast food, and ride-sharing services,
• Earn 2 percent cash back on gas and restaurants, and
• Earn 1 percent cash back on all other purchases.

Enroll in the toggle feature and add more flexibility to your PSEA Visa Signature credit card. With the toggle feature, you can:

• Choose to Pay Now by a specific category or purchase amount,
• Choose to Pay Later by a specific category or purchase amount, or unwind a transaction.

Check it out and get the card that rewards you and supports Pennsylvania educators with every purchase.