Week of 1-8-2024

Inside this issue

• Listen to PSEA’s new podcast — "Duty Free Lunch"
• Basic Education Funding Commission report
• Soapbox: What’s the best part of your job?
• Upcoming Center for Professional Learning events and PEARL
• Member Benefits spotlight: URL life insurance

This week, we're proud to announce the launch of "Duty Free Lunch," the official podcast of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, where every PSEA member has a seat at the table.

From cutting-edge classroom strategies to thought-provoking policy discussions, if it impacts Pennsylvania's educators, it’s on the menu.

Check out the first episode here, and listen as we get updates on what's happening in the Legislature from PSEA Assistant Executive Director for Government Relations Dan Wiedemer. 

On Jan. 11, the state Basic Education Funding Commission took a significant step toward fixing Pennsylvania’s unconstitutionally broken school funding system, releasing a majority report that provides a foundation for the work that the governor and General Assembly must do in the months ahead.

PSEA has called on Gov. Josh Shapiro and legislators to make fixing our public school funding system a top priority and we have made it clear that the commonwealth shouldn’t divert one cent in state funding that should be committed to our public schools. A Feb. 7, 2023, Commonwealth Court decision found that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and directed policymakers to fix it.

In a public statement about the Basic Education Funding Commission report, PSEA President Aaron Chapin said:

“Pennsylvania’s students have waited decades for policymakers to take bold action to address school funding equity. Today they began to take that action. Today is a good day. The work is not over. This report provides us with the foundation on which to build a lasting solution and gets us one more very important step toward ensuring that Pennsylvania’s public school funding system is adequate, equitable, and constitutional.”

The Commission’s majority report references a number of recommendations that PSEA made during testimony before the Commission in November, including:

• establishing school funding adequacy targets,
• rebuilding the education workforce, and
• providing sustained funding for school facilities improvements.

We will keep you posted as policymakers consider the Commission’s recommendations in the months ahead.

PEARL

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

Here are just a few of the dozens of courses you can explore right now on PEARL:

• Schoology in Practice: Essentials for Beginners
• Time Management and Organization for Online Learning
• Social and Emotional Learning is for Us, Too!

Webinars

• Certification, Tenure, Induction, and Act 48 (ECE Series)
  • Jan. 23, 7-8 p.m.
• Special Education Q&A (2023-24 Academic Year)
  • Jan. 30, 7-8:30 p.m.
• The Future is Happening as We Speak: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Classroom Today
  • Feb. 7, 7-8:30 p.m. 

Book Discussions

• Science Cross-Cutting Concepts Picture Book Study
  • March 5, 7-8 p.m.
• 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.

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.

URL Insurance Group is the life insurance provider for PSEA members and their families. URL understands that it shouldn’t take a lifetime to apply for life insurance coverage. That’s why they offer the ability to get instant-decision life insurance.

PSEA members and family members (ages 18-60) can now get a term life insurance quote in seconds and be insured in minutes, all from a smartphone. Coverage starts at $50,000 and goes up to $1.5 million. No doctors, no hassles, no waiting. If you’re over the age of 60 or have kids and/or grandchildren under the age of 18, URL has you covered as well.

Click the link below to access the instant quote and instant decision life insurance:

Click for a quote

Or, click the link below if you prefer to have a consultation regarding life insurance options:

Click for a consultation with a PSEA Life Insurance Specialist