Pennsylvania State Education Association

Week of 9-1-2025

Inside this issue

• Voice preview: Club Hope builds community of grief support
• Why belong to PSEA
• Want to become a PSEA UniServ?
• PSEA’s EA and ESP salary maps show who pays what and where
• PEARL & Center for Professional Learning
• Member Benefits spotlight: GE Appliances Store

Club Hope students enjoy a visit with therapy dog Hank.

When Lisa Lehman started Club Hope three years ago at Moon Area Middle School, she didn’t expect it to become the defining highlight of her 24-year teaching career. But it has.

“It’s turned into this beautiful, best thing ever in my whole career,” she said.

Club Hope is a grief support group for middle school students who have experienced significant loss. It began with just six members. Today, the group has grown to around 20 students and has inspired a high school counterpart to carry the mission forward.

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.

Ever thought of becoming a UniServ representative? PSEA will be holding a virtual UniServ Information Session on Thursday, Sept. 25, at 5 p.m. This session will provide the opportunity to learn more about the nature and demands of this position and how PSEA’s UniServ selection process works.

This session is intended for individuals considering a career as a UniServ representative.

To learn more about this session and how to RSVP (by Sept. 23), visit our website at psea.org/jobs

Increasing salaries and wages for every PSEA member is a top priority. To do that, we need to know what members make across the commonwealth.

Now, this kind of information is available to every PSEA member. At www.psea.org/salarycenter, members can find starting and average EA salaries and minimum and maximum ESP wages in school districts where PSEA has access to this data. 

Interactive maps and tables make the information easy to navigate. 

“Information is one of the most powerful tools we have,” said PSEA Treasurer Rachael West. “Now, we can share key salary and wage information with every PSEA member. They can use it to encourage lawmakers to increase minimum salaries and wages statewide, and support their local associations’ contract negotiation teams.”

Check out the maps at the link below.

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.

Big savings every day!

PSEA members enjoy exclusive access!

The GE Appliances Store is an exclusive shopping website where members can save up to 25% off MSRP on select GE appliances.

• Special savings on Profile, Cafe, GE, Monogram, Haier, and Hotpoint major appliances
• Additional promotional and rebate offers
• Shop their new suite of small appliances
• Convenient in-home delivery, installation, and haul-away services available

Register to access the GE Appliances Store now!

Phone: 1-866-907-6490