Join us for a deeper look at the issues facing public education in Pennsylvania! Whether your interest is in education policy or issues related to classroom practices, the Professional Issues School has something for you!

Choose from two engaging Professional Issues Tracks: one focused on understanding and engaging with education policy and the other focused on professional learning in the areas of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and classroom practice. Both tracks feature joint session opportunities where all Professional Issues School participants come together to explore the intersections of policy and practice around some of the year’s hottest topics in public education.

Professional Earning Hours/Credits:

• Act 48 hours are available for most sessions in the Professional Learning Track.
• Act 48 hours are not available for sessions unique to the Education Policy Track; however, up to 20 Act 48 hours or one (1) post-graduate credit can be earned through the activities completed during the sessions. These activities allow participants to either complete or plan for seven of the eight submissions required to complete the NEA/PSEA Policy Implementation Micro-credential.^[1]
• Chapter 14 hours for paraprofessionals may be available in either track with prior employer approval.

Participants ARE encouraged to bring laptops/tablets to the sessions.  Handouts and accompanying resources will be available electronically, and all micro-credential activities must be submitted electronically to receive credit.

[1] NEA/PSEA Microcredentials provide 15 Act 48 hours for completion or 20 Act 48 hours for earning a micro-credential. In lieu of the 20 hours, participants can opt to receive one post-graduate credit from Penn West University for a fee of $70.

This track is designed to meet the professional development needs of a wide range of PSEA members and focuses on curriculum, instruction, assessment, and classroom practices.  The target audience for this track includes educators seeking to hone their craft and practice as an educator, those mentoring new professionals, and educators seeking to engage in discussion, collaboration, and the sharing of strategies and resources related to students and classroom practice.

There will be sessions on topics such as:

• Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in the Classroom Today
• Critical Race Theory, Multiculturalism, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, and Social Justice for Equity in Schools Today
• Equity Audits and Curriculum Audits for Equity in Schools Today
• Effective Instruction: What does the research tell us are the most effective instructional approaches, strategies, and techniques?
• The Science of Learning and the Brain to Optimize Teaching and Instruction
• Effective Classroom Management for Today’s Teacher: What does the research tell us works?
• Technology’s Shifting Role in Education Today: Blended and Hybrid (Synchronous and Asynchronous) Learning Best Practices and Resources for Today’s Modern Educator
• Socratic Seminar
• Fostering a “Growth Mindset” in the Classroom Today: Shifting the Focus to Growth and Development with Assessment & Grades Rather than Measurement
• and much, much more!

Participants will come away with immediately actionable information, strategies, and a myriad of “take-away” tools and resources that educators can immediately actualize into their practice and will be highly encouraged to share information and resources they receive with members in their locals back home.