Pennsylvania State Education Association

Week of 8-18-2025

Inside this issue

• Schools miss $1.75 billion as budget impasse drags on
• PSEA members benefit from their membership
• Share your back-to-school thoughts and photos with us
• Budget delays hit student teachers hard
• PSEA job opportunity: Legal Administrative Assistant – New Castle Office
• PEARL & Center for Professional Learning
• Member Benefits spotlight: Tele-therapy

At a series of press conferences this week, PSEA leaders urged state senators in Bucks, Montgomery, Lackawanna, and Philadelphia counties to pass a real 2025–26 budget that invests in public schools.

Because the budget is more than seven weeks overdue, school entities across the state have already missed out on $1.75 billion in state payments for July and August – funds districts rely on to open schools and serve students.

“Our kids are not bargaining chips,” PSEA President Aaron Chapin said during a press conference in Montgomeryville this week. “Our kids are not pawns in some grand strategy to enact a tuition voucher scheme that will shift taxpayer dollars away from our public schools and send them to private and religious schools.”

Click on the thumbnail above to watch a video from one of the press conferences.

PSEA is 177,000 members strong – a community of education professionals who make a difference in the lives of Pennsylvania’s students every day.

PSEA members are teachers, education support professionals, higher education staff, nurses in health care facilities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become teachers.

PSEA’s strength comes not only from our members, but from our beliefs, our values, and our passion. Every time we speak up for what we believe, we harness the power of collective action.

Across Pennsylvania, PSEA members are getting ready to welcome 1.7 million students back to public schools. Click the thumbnail above to hear how second grade teacher Jenn Fumanti is preparing for the new school year.

Share your back-to-school photos with PSEA!

We know you devote so much time and energy to getting your school and classroom ready for the start of the year, and we want to showcase your hard work in our print and digital publications. Share your back-to-school photos at www.psea.org/BTS.

One group hit especially hard by the state budget delay is student teachers. Because the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), the body that distributes stipends, cannot confirm placements until they know how much has been appropriated to the program, they can’t confirm eligibility, communicate to students about eligibility or payments, or remit any payments to student teachers.

That means student teachers promised stipends for this school year may have to wait until the end of the year – potentially after their student teacher experience is over – to get paid out.  

PSEA is pushing for swift passage of this budget with at least $40 million allocated to the stipend program. Our members pushed hard for this program and deserve to benefit from it.

We’ll keep you updated with new developments as they arise.

PSEA is seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented legal administrative assistant to support the Legal Division in our New Castle office. This full-time, in-person role primarily provides administrative support to the staff attorney and involves a variety of responsibilities including drafting legal documents, managing calendars and deadlines, preparing legal pleadings, and maintaining case files.

Ideal candidates will have strong legal administrative experience, excellent organizational and communication skills, and the ability to handle confidential information with discretion. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and strong grammar and writing skills are essential. Experience with legal procedures and union or public education settings is preferred.

To view the full job posting and description, visit www.psea.org/jobs. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to jobs@psea.org by Sept. 1.

PSEA is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and actively seeks diverse applicants and those committed to working with a broad range of people.

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

• Evaluation of New & Early Career Educators
  
  • Sept. 23, 7-8 p.m.
• Ready, Set, Support: Open Chat for Special Educators
  
  • Oct. 2, 7-8 p.m.
• The PSEA AI Task Force Impact Report: Keeping Education Human with Ethical, Practical, and Professional Guidance for AI Use in Pennsylvania Schools Moving Forward
  
  • Oct. 8, 7-8:30 p.m.

Book Discussions

• Spooky Stories to Read in the Classroom
  
  • Oct. 29, 7-8 p.m.
• Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally
  
  • Nov. 5, 7-8 p.m.
• Educating for Global Competence: Preparing Our Students to Engage the World
  
  • Dec. 3, 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 (micro-credentials) 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