PSEA Advocacy Day in Harrisburg for Mideastern Region: Tuesday, June 24th
Spend the day in Harrisburg advocating for public education! Members may choose to drive out just for the day or have accommodations on the 23rd in Harrisburg. We will meet at PSEA headquarters in the morning of the 24th and learn about the legislative issues of the week, receive talking points, and then attend scheduled meetings with our senators and representatives. After the meetings, we provide feedback on how they went and then we are done for the day! It's a great opportunity to begin or strengthen relationships with those making decisions about our schools. And, with the PA state budget due at the end of June, it is always a busy, busy time in Harrisburg as various groups try to bring their ideas across the finish line with legislators.
Costs for this event, including meals, mileage, and hotel, are paid for by PSEA in accordance with PSEA fiscal policy.
We would like everyone from Mideast Region and Division (EA and ESP) who plans on doing this to attend on June 24th and not one of the other dates. Our officials from Bucks and Montgomery Counties do not want to have four different meetings in June that are all about the same thing. Also, if you and three other people attending on the 24th happen to have the same legislators, you will attend your meetings together in a group. We can also send someone with you if you don't want to have the meeting by yourself!
It truly is a great experience - I hope you'll consider joining us to establish or strengthen your relationships with those who are making decisions about our jobs and livelihoods.
To register: https://www.psea.org/news--events/conferences/lobby-day---june-24/
Mideastern Region Night at the Ballpark
Join us for an unforgettable evening of baseball action as the Lehigh Valley IronPigs go head-to-head with the Buffalo Bisons! Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 22nd, and get ready for an electrifying game night at the iconic Coca-Cola Park in Allentown. Tickets are only $13 each! Click here to purchase.
There's a new union in our union!
CONGRATULATIONS to support staff at Upper Merion Area School District who voted yesterday to form a union with PSEA! This is a new bargaining unit of approximately 190 positions including paraprofessionals, secretaries/clerks, security personnel, staff nurses, IT workers, etc.
THANK YOU to all of the organizers in the new unit and our Region Advocacy Coordinator, Adam Clark, who helped to make this happen. Welcome aboard, Upper Merion ESP!
Calling all Early Career Educators!
Are you in years 1-3 in the classroom? The PSEA Summer Leadership Conference at Gettysburg College (Sunday, July 20 through Thursday, July 24) has a special track just for YOU!
This residential program is specifically designed to support new and early career educators (with up to three years of experience), including Student PSEA members, student teachers, and recent college graduates preparing to start their careers in the fall.
Program Highlights:
- Professional Learning Sessions: Gain strategies for effective classroom instruction, student engagement, supporting diverse learners, and navigating emerging educational practices and policies.
- Key Information for Early Career Educators: Get essential guidance on financial planning, tenure, certification, contracts, and the benefits of PSEA membership.
- Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow early career educators, as well as PA Teachers of the Year and National Board-Certified Teachers.
- Meals & Social Activities: Enjoy meals and social events designed to foster connections with others in the program and your regional peers.
If you are interested in this opportunity, free of charge, please email me (bsenavaitis@psea.org) to get the ball rolling. For more information about the conference in general, please visit this website: https://www.psea.org/gettysburg
Get on the Bus to Save Head Start!
On Friday, May 16, Children First has arranged for buses to travel to Washington D.C. to stand up for Head Start. The buses will be leaving at 7am from the Children First office (990 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123) and plan to return by 5pm.
While in Washington, participants will meet with congresspeople from Pennsylvania and speak out for Head Start at a press conference.
We recognize that May 16 is a school day, but given the heightened concerns over the loss of Head Start funding, we wanted to be sure members are aware and can join on the bus trip to Washington if they would like.
Members and other supporters can register here:
https://www.childrenfirstpa.org/event/save-head-start-join-us-in-dc/
Bucks County Book Fest
Author Laurie Halse Anderson will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Bucks County Book Festival! She will be in conversation with author Nisha Sharma at Salem Church in Doylestown on Sunday, May 4 at 4PM for a discussion about her new book. It is a ticketed event, and the ticket includes a copy of her new book, Rebellion 1776, a middle grade novel. Even though the protagonist is a 13-year old, educators of ALL grades would enjoy her event. This event is for all ages (and there are options for adult + child tickets). The Book Fest organizers are hoping that the event will sell out, and teachers could play a role in achieving that goal. If you have seen her speak, you know that Laurie always makes educators feel seen and loved!
The Book Fest is also looking for volunteers to help us staff events taking place the weekend of May 2-4. Volunteer Co-Chair and PSEA member Christy Venters says, "I have been a Book Fest volunteer every year it has taken place in person. I’ve been an author liaison, a book seller, and an author guide for Books N Brew (a fan favorite event). Volunteering at Book Fest is something I look forward to all year.” Volunteer information can be found here.
Honor a Retiree
Do you know a PSEA Mideastern EA Region or ESP Division member who will retire in the 2024-25 school year? If so, we’d love to recognize their years of service and honor them on our social media accounts. Simply complete this form and we will do the rest!
We also have yard signs available at the region office to recognize an EA or ESP member on their retirement and service to our public school. They are a nice surprise for your retiree to find in their yard! Contact the Mideastern Region Office at 215-853-2100 for information on pick up.
PSEA Center for Professional Learning
There are tons of opportunities available this summer through PSEA's Center for Professional Learning! Details are below. If you are looking for a book discussion, webinar, or other activity for Act 48, Chapter 14, or even graduate credit, you've come to the right place!
https://www.psea.org/act48bookdiscussions
Sue Castle Memorial Scholarship
The retired educators in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (PSEA-Retired) offer scholarships to rising college juniors or incoming seniors who have graduated from a Montgomery County public high school and are planning to work towards an education degree for teaching.
For additional information and application instructions, please view this document. The deadline for submission is June 15, 2025.
Delegates, Delegates Everywhere
We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the Mideastern Region House of Delegates at Pinecrest Country Club on May 8 and the PSEA House of Delegates in Pittsburgh on May 16-17! Information about our region house can be found on the region website, while the information for Pittsburgh can be found at www.psea.org/HOD.
PSEA Welfare Grants
The PSEA Education Foundation provides financial assistance to PSEA members who are experiencing dire hardship through illness, disability, and/or financial need. Applications are submitted to the PSEA Retirement & Welfare Committee, which reviews the applications and makes recommendations to the PSEA Education Foundation.
For more information or to apply, please scroll to the bottom of this page.
Hello, May!
You’ve “guac-ed” your way through testing season, field trips, and probably a few surprise fire drills! As your proud PSEA partner, we just want to say: we see you, we appreciate you, and we’re here for you (with policies, not piñatas—though we love those too). Here’s to sunshine, savings, and stress-free coverage in May- this final stretch! As part of your Member Benefit, Liz will make sure you have the best auto and home insurance protection at the best price. Be sure to share your current insurance coverage securely: https://app.usecanopy.com/c/comparion-comparion-newtown-elizabeth-gillman. You may also call her directly on her mobile phone: 267-278-1432.
Minority Affairs Committee
Our final Minority Affairs Committee meeting of the year will be held on Wednesday, May 7th at 5:00pm! Attendees may choose to participate at our office in Montgomeryville or virtually. Be sure to register!
Please join us for the 4th annual MTSS virtual event at MCIU!
Monday, June 23 and Tuesday, June 24 (9:00AM-3:00PM)
Information and registration: https://learn.mciu.org/mtss25/
Keynote speakers:
- Mirko Chardin National Speaker and co-author from Novak Education Consulting
- Dr. Tina Lawson Educational Consultant and former state Co-Lead for the PaTTAN Learning Environment and Engagement Initiative and lead of the PaPBS Network
The event will include 16 breakout sessions from introductory to advanced. If you can’t attend live, you can still register and have access to ALL (recordings and associated presenter resources) until December 31!
Healthcare Consortium Resources
If you are a member of the Bucks and Montgomery County Schools Healthcare Consortium, check out their website and social media for up-to-date information about benefits for you and your family! The also have a brand new wellness guide featuring all the resources available to you and your dependents.
From Fatigue to Empowerment: One Teacher’s Message to Fellow Educators
Diane Manser, a current 19-year veteran high school English teacher in Montgomery County and the founder of Teaching is Emotional™, wanted to be a teacher from the time she was young. Similar to many teachers, Diane joined the profession hoping she would positively influence young students to build confidence, love the content, and grow as people. But like many educators, she has also felt the weight of the emotional fatigue that can quietly accumulate overtime from work overload, increasing demands, student behavior management, and the internal struggle to remain connected to the reasons that brought us into teaching in the first place.
In her recently published book, I Didn’t Sign Up For This: One Classroom Teacher’s Journey Through Emotional Fatigue to Personal Empowerment, Manser gives voice to the often unspoken—yet universal—emotional toll of teaching.
Sincere and rooted in the wisdom of experience, the book explores what happens when the profession we’re passionate about begins to wear us down. However, I Didn’t Sign Up For This is not a story of complaint or defeat. It is a story of transformation, and it is a roadmap to renewal. Drawing from her own experiences and those she has learned from others, Manser invites readers on a journey of intrapersonal awareness that she learned through her own growth to unpack the emotional challenges educators face. The personal narrative shares stories and viewpoints rich with mindset shifts and resilience practices that have helped her reclaim empowerment in her classroom and maintain the enthusiasm she has always had for teaching.
“Too often, teachers are expected to power through challenges that are out of their control,” Manser says. “But we can’t do our jobs effectively or engage in them the way we had hoped, if we don’t have the emotional strength that empowers us to reset.”
New and veteran educators across the state and beyond are finding comfort and inspiration in Manser’s words, which speak to both the hardships and the heart of teaching. Her message is clear: teaching is an emotional profession, but by strengthening our emotional well-being, we improve our own lives, and we become more present and empowered for the students who count on us.
About Diane Manser
Diane Manser is a devoted high school English teacher in Montgomery County, PA focusing most of her teaching career in the ninth grade. She is the founder of Teaching is Emotional™, which encourages educational leaders, current teachers, and emerging teachers to support teachers’ emotional strength as they navigate a challenging profession. Diane loves to be the sunshine in people’s days and to find joy in the simplest of moments. She enjoys spending summer days at the beach with her children, relaxing with her husband over good TV shows, and reading or watching anything nonfiction. Diane and her work can be found at www.teachingisemotional.com where you can get a sample of the book to see if it’s right for you. Follow Teaching is Emotional™ on Instagram and TikTok, and for deeper conversations, join the private Facebook group, Teaching is Emotional.
PSERS Health Options Program
The Health Options Program operates for the sole benefit of participants of the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS), their dependents and survivors. Under the Health Options Program, you have access to comprehensive medical and prescription drug coverage before and after you become eligible for Medicare. Click here for upcoming virtual information sessions on this program to help you decide if it's right for your household.
PSERS Beneficiaries
Two-thirds of active PSERS members do not have a named beneficiary. (Yes, you read that correctly!!) What does that mean? Aside from possible additional uncertainty of your survivors, they could also have a significant state tax liability where there would have otherwise been none. From the PSERS website:
"You should keep your beneficiary information up to date to ensure that benefits are paid according to your wishes. If you do not name a beneficiary or if your named beneficiary predeceases you, your benefit is paid to your estate. PSERS benefits paid to your beneficiary are exempt from state and local taxes if the beneficiary resides in Pennsylvania. Benefits paid to your estate are taxable for state and local purposes upon being distributed from the estate. Both direct payments to your beneficiary and payments to your estate are subject to federal taxes."
There are lots of resources on the PSERS website to assist members with this task.
Reporting Guidelines
These reporting guidelines have been prepared by the PSEA Legal Division and are current as of June 5, 2015. Please review the information in this critical alert to ensure you are properly following the reporting guidelines for the following four laws:
- Child Protective Services, 23 Pa.C.S. § 6301 - § 6386
- Educator Discipline Act, 24 P.S. § 2070.1a - § 2070.18a
- Criminal Conduct, 24 P.S. § 1-111.1(e), (f.1)
- Employment History Review Act (Act 168 of 2014), 24 P.S. § 1-111.1
Each of the guidelines includes a description of the law and definitions of terms appearing within the reporting obligations to ensure complete understanding. If you have any questions about a reporting obligation, please call your PSEA UniServ representative, who will refer you to the appropriate PSEA attorney.
For a complete list of Legal Alerts from PSEA, please visit this website (member login required).
Are You Two Years or Less from Retirement?
Now is the time to start preparing! As part the PSERS Countdown to Retirement Series, view the checklist below to ensure you stay on track to retire.
- Purchase Service
- Submit A Domestic Relations Order (DRO), if applicable
- Foundations for Your Future (FFYF)
- Research
- Set Aside Living Expenses
Learn more:
Retirement Checklist | Public School Employees' Retirement System | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pizza with the President
CAPS wants to thank YOU for your work in our public schools! Provide your information here by 8am on Monday, May 12 and you may be randomly chosen as a winner. What do you get if you win? You and all PSEA members at your jobsite will have pizza for lunch later this month from a local establishment delivered by our region president, Bill Senavaitis.
Region Calendar
Our region calendar has been updated for the second half of the school year - take a look for details on region, state, and national Association events! And, hot off the press, our calendar for the 2025-2026 school year is ready to go, too.
How Much Are You Saving?
Special Program: PSEA Personal Legal Services
PSEA has a Personal Legal Services Program for members and their families. The program provides discounted rates and two 30-minute consultation sessions free during each membership year with the designated law firms below. The areas of concentration are:
- Personal Injury (Cordisco & Saile)
- Workers' Compensation (Cordisco & Saile)
- Domestic Relations (Susan Levy Eisenberg, Esq)
- Criminal Law (Neff & Sedecca)
- Wills & Estates (Martin Herring)
Stay Connected
Mideastern Region PSEA
Bill Senavaitis, President, Central Bucks EA
Bill McGill, President-Elect, Perkiomen Valley EA
Debbie Lee, Vice President, Abington EA
Sue Brown, Treasurer, Wissahickon EA
Nicole Peirce, Secretary, Pennsbury EA
Alan Malachowski, Past President, Montco Retired
Theresa Prato, PACE Director, Bucks County Technical High School EA
Maria Bennett, NEA Director, New Hope-Solebury ESPA
Colleen Brodbeck, NEA Director, Pennsbury EA
Website: www.psea.org/mer
Location: 601 Bethlehem Pike, Building C, Montgomeryville, PA 18936
Phone: 215.853.2100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PSEAMER