Voice preview: The power of mentorship in education
Mentors can come in any form and at any time. Whether it was a favorite teacher growing up, a cafeteria worker you confided in, a family member, or an inspiring colleague, most of us would never have made it where we are without following in the footsteps of someone we admire. This is especially true for educators and support professionals, who, more than most professionals, are expected to be both seekers and sources of inspiration.
Click below to read accounts from PSEA members calling out the mentors who made the biggest impact on them, and often inspired their careers as educators.
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Shapiro signs state budget with historic funding increases for public education
The FY 2024-25 state budget that landed on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk on July 11 continues a multiyear trend of historic funding increases for K-12 public education.
In the aftermath of the Commonwealth Court’s February 2023 decision finding that Pennsylvania’s public school funding system is unconstitutional, these funding increases are even more critical, and elected officials have responded to PSEA’s repeated calls for decisive action to fix the broken system.
“There’s nothing more important than investing in Pennsylvania’s public school students and the educators and support professionals who teach and serve them every day,” said PSEA President Aaron Chapin. “This budget continues a series of historic funding increases, which we absolutely need to fix our unconstitutionally broken school funding system.”
Here are the key FY 2024-25 K-12 funding increases:
- Total basic education funding increase
- Adequacy and Equity Funding (through Ready to Learn Block Grants)
- Basic Education Funding. (through Fair Funding Formula)
- Hold Harmless Funding
- Reimbursements for Cyber Charter School Payments
- Special Education Funding
- School Safety and Security Fund (Physical Safety and Mental Health)
- Career and Technical Education Funding
This budget continues four years of historic increases.
Since FY 2021-22, these cumulative increases have added a total of $2.4 billion to K-12 public schools.
“Increasing public school funding and fixing our broken funding system have been PSEA’s top priorities for years,” Chapin said. “This work is clearly paying off, and we have more work to do.”
Other state budget highlights:
- In addition to a historic funding increase, this budget also uses a new, more equitable public school funding formula using the Basic Education Funding Commission’s majority report as a guide.
- $25 million is earmarked for the new Grow Pennsylvania Scholarship Grant Program, which will make Pennsylvania students who are enrolled in approved courses of study, including education, eligible to receive a $5,000 grant in exchange for agreeing to work in Pennsylvania for 12 months for every year a student receives a grant.
- In-state tuition incentives through the Grow Pennsylvania Merit Scholarship Program.
- $20 million for the new student teacher stipend program, which is a good start, but is still less than halfway to the amount needed to cover the cost of stipends for every student teacher.
For a full breakdown of the budget and what it means for Pennsylvania, check out our analysis in the latest issue of Voice below.
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We won’t stop fighting for a COLA
Twenty-two years is 22 years too long. That’s what PSEA has been telling lawmakers and Gov. Josh Shapiro about how important it is to enact a cost-of-living adjustment for more than 40,000 educators and support professionals who haven’t had a pension COLA since 2002.
While a COLA bill didn’t become law prior to the General Assembly’s summer recess, legislation to enact a COLA made it further than it has in years, setting up a debate that could end up making a COLA a reality in the coming months.
PSEA made a full court press this year to finally get this issue over the finish line, with PSEA-Retired members leading the charge. Members sent thousands of postcards and emails to lawmakers, appeared on news programs, attended rallies, and supported our Government Relations team in their direct work with lawmakers.
Thanks to that advocacy, lawmakers listened, and in November 2023, the state House passed a bipartisan COLA bill for state and school employees who retired before 2001.
“PSEA won’t stop fighting for a COLA for pre-Act 9 retirees until we get this done,” said PSEA Treasurer Rachael West. “It’s frustrating that some elected officials are standing in the way of getting a COLA bill done. But we’re not going to stop advocating for this. Not for one second.”
Are you a retired member with a story to tell? Go to www.psea.org/cola and share it with PSEA.
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PEARL & Center for Professional Learning
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
· Aug. 6, 10-11:30 a.m. Effective Classroom Management for Today’s Teacher: What Does the Research Tell Us Works?
· Aug. 7, 7-8:30 p.m. The Future is Happening as We Speak: Technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Classroom Today for Early Career Educators
·Aug. 14, 7-8:30 p.m. Tools, Strategies, and Resources to Help New and Early Career Educators Prepare for the Start of the New School Year Ahead
· Aug. 13, 7-8 p.m. Educating for Global Competence: Preparing Our Students to Engage the World
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.
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Member benefits spotlight: Tele-therapy
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.
- 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
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