Southeastern Region PSEA

Welcome to the Southeastern Region newsletter! Each month, we'll provide updates to keep our members informed, engaged, and empowered to advocate for our profession. We look forward to staying connected. Thank you for being a member!

"Hi, I'm Becky McLain, Chair of the Southeastern Region Minority Affairs Committee. Maybe you have seen me at the House of Delegates, seated at the Minority Affairs Committee - Books, Toys & More Table or at the PSEA Spring Conference. As the Vice-Chair of the statewide Minority Affairs Committee, I work along with other region committee chairs to plan and facilitate the Minority Leadership Training Conference. I am a firm believer in minority involvement in all levels of PSEA. I also serve on the Resolutions Committee for PSEA/NEA.

I am a Special Education Teacher, at East High School, in the West Chester Area School District. This has been very interesting and enjoyable school year for me, since my oldest granddaughter is a student at the High School where I teach."

"Andrew Dixon is a UniServ representative in our Southeastern office, representing the Upper Darby Education Association and the Upper Darby Education Support Professionals Association, the Springfield Education Association and the Springfield Support Professionals Association, the Garnet Valley Education Association and the Garnet Valley Education Support Professionals Association, the Ridley Education Association, the Southeast Delco Education Association, and the Girard College Education Support Professionals Association.

Andrew began his career in organized labor as the elected co-President of his American Federation of Teachers local at Temple University, and spent fifteen years working primarily in New Jersey with the AFT, before spending three years working with PASNAP, a Philadelphia-based nurses union, prior to joining PSEA.

Andrew also teaches as an adjunct professor at Rowan University in the English department; in his free time, Andrew enjoys spending time with his family, following the Phillies, Sixers, and Eagles, reading, and writing."

The PSEA website has a wealth of information for our members. Log in to review this alert prepared by the PSEA Legal Department.

The 119th Congress was sworn in on January 3rd, 2025. Listed below are the phone numbers for our US Senators and for Representatives serving our region. It is important for us to advocate for our students, our schools, and our professions, and that means letting our legislators know how policies they are considering will affect us. By making phone calls, we hold them accountable and educate them on our support or opposition to proposed legislation.

119th Congress Office Contact Information

Senator John Fetterman: (202) 224-4254 Washington, D. C. (215) 241-1090 Philadelphia, PA

Senator Dave McCormick: (202)224-6324 Washington, D. C. (215) 405-9660 Philadelphia, PA

PA-4 Representative Madeleine Dean Glenside, PA (215) 884-4300 Washington, D. C. (202) 225-4732

PA- 5 Representative Mary Gay Scanlon Chester, PA (610) 626-2020 Washington, D. C. (202) 225-2011

PA-6 Representative Chrissy Houlahan West Chester, PA (610) 883-5050 Washington, D. C. (202) 225-4315

Equally important: You can also find information about your legislators in the Pennsylvania General Assembly by clicking here.

"Join NEA President Pringle for an urgent Zoom meeting to discuss the upcoming Trump Executive Order aimed at dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.

With Secretary Linda McMahon pushing her "final mission," it's critical that union leaders like you understand the potential impacts on students, families, and communities. Join President Pringle, NEA General Counsel Alice O'Brien, and others as we break down the stakes and strategize how to protect public education.

Our mission is clear: protect our students, and protect public education."

Registration for the Southeastern Region House of Delegates went out to all local presidents on

February 19th. The registration and delegate certification is due by Friday, March 14th. The

Southeastern Region House of Delegates will be held on Thursday, April 10th at the Springfield Country Club.

Congratulations to the following individuals, elected by the members of our region to represent us at the NEA RA!

• Dean Beckett
• Tricia O'Loughlin
• Rachael West
• Becky McLain
• Jeanette Verdeur
• Jim Kennedy
• Catalina Ottinger-Ovens
• Caitlin Merto
• Rick Goldstein
• Michael Stadnicki
• Davinia Forney
• Jason Messinger

This year's NEA RA is being held in Portland, Oregon from July 2nd-6th.

"It is the primary legislative and policymaking body of the Association and derives its powers from, and is responsible to, the membership. The Representative Assembly adopts the strategic plan and budget, resolutions, the Legislative Program, and other policies of the Association. Delegates vote by secret ballot on proposed amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws. Those delegates with full voting rights elect the executive officers, Executive Committee members, and at-large members of the NEA Board of Directors, as appropriate.

The RA consists of approximately 6,000 educator delegates representing state and local affiliates, student members, retired members, and other segments of the united education profession."

Dolores McCracken, the first ESP member in the history of PSEA to serve as the organization’s President, began her career as a paraprofessional in the Council Rock School District. Dolores was a respected and beloved member/leader who dedicated her life to public education. To honor Dolores’ enthusiasm and celebrate her substantial achievements, the PSEA House of Delegates voted to have the annual award of the ESP Member of the Year bear her name as a tribute to her outstanding service.

ESP members in Pennsylvania have been formally organized since 1972. Each and every year, sometimes several times a year, we at PSEA hear and receive wonderful reports of the outstanding work, community service, and dedication of many of these members. The “Dolores McCracken PSEA ESP Member of the Year Award” is presented to a PSEA member who demonstrates outstanding accomplishments and reflects the contributions of ESP to public education. The recipient of the “Dolores McCracken PSEA ESP Member of the Year Award” will then be nominated for the National Education Association ESP of the Year Award. Find criteria and nomination procedures linked in the application.

There are a lot of benefits to being a PSEA member, and one of them is that your membership saves you money.

The PSEA Member Benefits program offers you thousands of discount and savings opportunities on mortgages, mobile service, insurance, financial services, restaurants, hotels, and more.

Check out the programs and start saving today!

Are you interested in getting more involved in our union work? Would you like to meet other PSEA members from across the region or state? We have a number of open positions to serve on Southeastern Region committees, as well as PSEA statewide committees. To view the list of open positions, please click here and after logging in, navigate to "Elected/Appointed Position Vacancies." If you are interested in one of these positions, please contact your local president for more information.

Per the PSEA Local Treasurer’s Manual, PSEA offers a yearly Membership Rebate in the form of a credit at the end of the year to all locals who:

• Adhere to their approved Dues Remittance Agreement

• Submit their Financial Data Sheet

• Submit a Certification of Local Audit Committee form

The amount that is offered to locals is dependent upon the date in which the above listed documentation is submitted to PSEA. A local that satisfies these requirements by:

• January 31st – will receive a rebate of $3.50/member of their local

• March 15th – will receive a rebate of $3.00/member of their local

• August 31st – will receive a rebate of $2.50/member of their local

Questions? Reach out to Region Treasurer Caitlin Merto at pseaser.treasurer@gmail.com.

The National Education Association (NEA) Legislative Committee invites NEA members to attend the committee's 2025 listening sessions as the 119th Congress begins.

March 24 Registration: https://nea-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PQB5oYx6QEy5jYDsL6QodA#/registration

It is very important that you keep beneficiary information up-to-date to make sure that your benefits are paid according to your wishes. Please visit the PSERS website for more information!

Your PSEA and Southeastern Region officer teams for the 2024-2025 school year are:

• Aaron Chapin, PSEA President, Stroudsburg Area EA
• Jeff Ney, PSEA Vice President, Wilkes-Barre EA
• Rachael West, PSEA Treasurer, Chester Upland EA
• Andrea Fink, Region President, William Penn EA
• Kathy Dunkle, Region First Vice President, Chester County IU #24
• Jessica Keogh, Region Second Vice President, West Chester Area EA
• Caitlin Merto, Region Treasurer, Chester Upland EA
• Mark DeFusco, Region Parliamentarian, Roberts EA
• Carolyn Smith, Region Secretary, Kennett EA

This newsletter is intended for PSEA members and members of their immediate households.