Pennsylvania State Education Association

Week of 3-18-2024

Inside this issue

• U.S. secretary of education visits Lancaster City school
• PSEA President Aaron Chapin advocates for urgent education funding reform
• PSEA Higher Ed president wins prestigious national award
• Upcoming Center for Professional Learning events and PEARL
• Member Benefits spotlight: Tele-therapy

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks with PSEA Treasurer Rachael West and other educators during his recent visit to Washington Elementary School in Lancaster City.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited Washington Elementary School in Lancaster City on Tuesday to meet with PSEA Treasurer Rachael West and PSEA members and discuss the student loan forgiveness programs President Joe Biden has championed over the last few years.

Members talked about how the loan forgiveness they’ve secured has been life-changing.

The Biden administration’s loan forgiveness programs have ended up cancelling nearly $138 billion in student loan debt for 3.9 million Americans. 

Learn more about student loan forgiveness programs at https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation

In a recent op-ed that was published in newspapers across the state, PSEA President Aaron Chapin highlighted the critical need for increased funding in Pennsylvania’s public schools. Drawing from his personal experiences and those of his colleagues, Chapin underscored the devastating effects of chronic underfunding, including limited resources, oversized classes, and deteriorating infrastructure.

These issues were aired out in a series of hearings before the Basic Education Funding Commission last fall. Fortunately, Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposed budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 aims to inject a nearly $1.1 billion funding increase into basic education.

With Pennsylvania boasting a substantial surplus, President Chapin emphasized the moral imperative to invest in public education, stressing that PA students cannot afford further delay. He underscored the legal obligation highlighted by the Commonwealth Court's ruling, urging policymakers to prioritize educational reform.

“There is no political excuse for inaction, no fiscal reason to spend less than the governor proposed, and no legal rationale for delay,” Chapin said. “Pennsylvania’s students have waited decades for policymakers to take bold action to address the urgent funding needs in their schools. Now is the time to get this done.”

(left to right) NCHE President DeWayne Sheaffer, NEA Vice President Princess Moss, PSEA Department of Higher Education President Michael Hricik, and NEA Planning Committee and Executive Board member Mark Jewell.

This past Saturday, at the NEA Higher Education Conference in Atlanta, PSEA Department of Higher Education President Michael Hricik was named the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) James Davenport Memorial Award winner. The award is for union advocacy and is named after the first president of NCHE, the higher education arm of NEA.

Hricik is the first PSEA Higher Ed member to win the award. In addition to his duties as PSEA Higher Ed president, Hricik is also a professor of English at Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC) and serves as the WCCC Professional Association president. He is in his 31st year of service for the WCCC Professional Association as teacher welfare chair, vice president, and president.

“I am humbled and honored by the NCHE recognition,” said Hricik. “I understand that I could not have ever achieved this without the love and support of my family, especially my wife Vicki who travels with me to many PSEA events. I have to recognize my Higher Ed colleagues in both PSEA and NEA for their guidance and mentoring. You never win any award without lots of help from your colleagues and of course your students.”

Congratulations on a well-deserved win, Mike!

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

• 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.

Enjoy convenient access to therapists and counselors from the comfort of home. Get support for anxiety, depression, stress/PTSD, panic disorder, grief, family and marriage issues, and more. Members, spouses, and any dependents age 18 years up to and including age 25 are covered under one membership. 

Only $25.79 per month for PSEA members

• Consults are always $0 for counseling
• Mental health consults are $25
• No insurance needed
• Designed for educators
• No contracts, cancel anytime
• 30-day money back guarantee