Pennsylvania State Education Association

Week of 12-8-2025

Inside this issue

• Bill prohibiting mobile phone use in schools advances in state Senate
• Congratulations to the 2026 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Madeline Loring!
• Congratulations to the 2025-26 Dolores McCracken Education Support Professional of the Year Ann Monaghan!
• Poll: Pennsylvanians strongly support public education
• PEARL & Center for Professional Learning
• Member Benefits spotlight: URL life insurance

On Tuesday, the state Senate Education Committee unanimously amended and approved legislation that would require public schools to prohibit student use and restrict student possession of internet-connected smartphones and mobile devices during the school day while on school property.

Senate Bill 1014 would require school districts to adopt “bell-to-bell” policies that prohibit student use and restrict student possession of internet-connected mobile devices during the school day beginning in the 2027-28 school year. If the bill becomes law, Pennsylvania would join 27 other states that currently have laws restricting student mobile device use in schools, including 18 that have enacted “bell-to-bell” bans.

Here’s what this bill would do:

• Prohibit student use and restrict student possession of mobile devices from the first bell of the day until dismissal while on school property.
• Leave the specific parameters around how possession is restricted up to individual school districts.
• Include limited exceptions for students with medical conditions, IEPs, or 504 plans, students who are English learners and require translation services on mobile devices, and in the case of limited, pre-approved circumstances where a personal mobile device is used as an instructional tool.

“Your average teenager gets 237 texts per day. Think about just how distracting that is during a seven-hour school day when students are supposed to be focused on their learning,” said PSEA Vice President Jeff Ney. “This legislation takes a smart approach to smartphones and mobile devices. And it goes beyond smartphones to include any internet-connected device, including various types of smartwatches, personal laptops, and tablets.

The full Senate may consider this bill in 2026.

On Monday, Madeline Loring, a fourth grade teacher at Jefferson-Morgan Elementary School in Greene County’s Jefferson-Morgan School District, was named the 2026 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year.

“Madeline is an advocate for building a stronger teacher pipeline, promising as Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year to uplift the profession and encourage the next generation of educators,” said PSEA President Aaron Chapin. “We have every confidence that Madeline will make Pennsylvania and PSEA proud as she works to support public education, teachers, and the 1.7 million students we serve.”

Wallenpaupack Area High School administrative assistant Ann Monaghan has been named the PSEA Dolores McCracken Education Support Professional of the Year for 2025-26. The honor was announced during American Education Week.

Monaghan has served the district in several roles, including registrar, homeless liaison, and attendance officer. Her work with students experiencing homelessness led to the launch of Hawley Forward, an after-school space that now aims to expand into temporary housing for students in need.

She has also served on Hawley Borough Council for 12 years, advocates for a regional homeless shelter, and is a trustee on the PSERS Board. Monaghan is president of her local union and PSEA’s Northeastern ESP Division.

Monaghan is now in the running for the National Education Association’s 2026 Education Support Professional of the Year.

Click the thumbnail above to watch a video of PSEA leaders presenting Ann Monaghan with her award.

With so much news coming in about how public education is under attack, we want to remind you of some good news. According to a recent poll of Pennsylvania voters that PSEA commissioned in September, the majority of Pennsylvanians share our values and support teaching and learning focused on the needs of our students.

Here are some of the Susquehanna Polling and Research poll’s key findings:

• 58% rate the quality of Pennsylvania’s public schools as excellent or good.
• 86% believe that the federal government should increase or keep funding the same for free and reduced lunch programs.
• 82% believe that the federal government should increase or keep funding the same for Title 1 programs for economically disadvantaged students.
• 92% believe that the federal government should increase or keep funding the same for students with special needs.
• 67% oppose closing the U.S. Department of Education.
• 56% oppose tuition voucher programs.

Your work matters. You make a real difference in your students’ lives every day. And it doesn’t go unnoticed.

PEARL

Visit 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

• Elementary Behavior Reboot: From Chaos to Calm
  • Jan. 28, 7-8:30 p.m.
• Understanding and Implementing Behavior Support Plans
  
  • Feb. 3, 7-8:30 p.m.
• Tools, Strategies, and Resources to Help New and Early Career Educators
  
  • Feb. 11, 7-8:30 p.m.

Book discussions

• Learning by Mistake: 12 Strategies to Turn Student Errors into Opportunities
  
  • March 3, 7-8 p.m.
• Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card
  
  • April 14, 7-8 p.m.
• See Me After Class: Advice for Teachers by Teachers (2024 edition)
  
  • April 22, 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.

PSEA Member Benefits offers members and their families big savings on brand-name contact lenses through Contact Fill.

Program Benefits:

• Dependable service to your home, school, or office
• Free standard shipping and handling on all orders (use promotion code “PSEA”)
• Convenient 24/7 online ordering
• Personable customer service
• No hidden charges
• PSEA members must log in to take advantage of this discount program
• NVA vision insurance accepted as a form of payment