Week of 11-13-2023

Inside this issue

• State House approves COLA bill
• We hope you had a great American Education Week
• Congratulations to 2023 ESP of the Year Denise Kueny
• Mideastern Region honors PSEA Past President Dolores McCracken
• Member Benefits spotlight: GE Appliances Store

On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved legislation that would finally provide pre-Act 9 retirees with a long overdue cost-of-living adjustment to their pensions.

House Bill 1416, if approved by the Senate and signed into law, will provide cost-of-living adjustments to educators, support staff, and other public employees who retired prior to pension enhancements that went into effect under Act 9 of 2001. That includes PSEA members like Vivien Aulenbach in the video above, who came out in support of this legislation at a rally at the state Capitol last month.

Thanks to the advocacy of PSEA members like her, we now have a bill that would provide a COLA ranging from 15 percent to 24.5 percent to roughly 69,000 retired public servants in their 80s and 90s surviving on pensions of less than $20,000 a year on average. The last cost-of-living bill for pre-Act 9 retirees was passed more than 20 years ago in 2002. This is why PSEA has made the passage of a COLA for pre-Act 9 retirees a major legislative priority for 2023.

We’ll keep you updated on any new developments with this bill.

As we come to the end of another American Education Week, we want to take a moment and thank every one of you for the incredible work you do every day in your schools.

Every day, the doors to our public schools are thrown open to children of all backgrounds, abilities, and incomes. Hardworking teachers, paraprofessionals, and support staff work with students to meet their educational goals. And school counselors, nurses, and mental health professionals are there to attend to our students’ mental and emotional health needs.

So, thank you for the work you do with your students, their parents, guardians, and families, as well as elected and community leaders to make Pennsylvania’s public schools among the best in the nation. Our schools couldn’t do all that they do without your support.

For some truly shining examples of the incredible things members are doing every day in our schools, check out psea.org/ourstory.

A huge congratulations to Denise Kueny, the 2023 Dolores McCracken PSEA Education Support Professional of the Year.

Kueny works as a special education instructional aide at Tohickon Middle School in the Central Bucks School District. In this role, she assists students in learning skills and lessons, offering plenty of guidance and encouragement along the way.

School colleagues praised Kueny for her dedication, noting that she often spends hours of her own free time reading and preparing to help students during the next day’s lessons. They also noted that she is a strong supporter of and an asset to her local union, the Central Bucks Education Support Professionals Association.

“Over the past 21 years, I have been fortunate to go to work in a place I love, with people I love,” Kueny said. “I have met, helped, and been inspired by hundreds of incredible students who have forever impacted my life. I am grateful and humbled by this award. Thank you.”

On Wednesday, the Mideastern Region held a dedication ceremony for a new training room dedicated to late PSEA President Dolores McCracken. More than 80 people came out to celebrate McCracken’s life and legacy, including members of her family, current and past PSEA officers, as well as current and past region and ESP officers.

Also in attendance were 2023 Dolores McCracken PSEA ESP of the Year Denise Kueny and 2019 ESP of the Year Maria Bennett.

Across the board, Dolores was remembered for her leadership, strength, and humor. It was clear she was a mentor to many, and her direct and unvarnished communication let you know exactly where she stood. She was an excellent judge of character and was widely remembered for her authenticity.

Dolores’ daughter, Kristin Ellenberger, summed up her mother’s three priorities: her family, public education, and her union. Her dedication to all three was exemplified on the faces and in the stories of those present on this special night.

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