Election 2024
As we approach another historic national election on November 5th, remember you can always check and share PSEA-PACE recommendations at www.SchoolHouseBallot.com. Once you enter your information, it will display recommended candidates for races for which you may cast a vote. If a particular race is not displayed, no recommendation was made.
PSEA December House of Delegates - Philadelphia
Calling all local presidents: the PSEA House of Delegates mailing should have landed in your USPS mailbox within the past two weeks. For additional information about the event, please visit www.psea.org/hod
Our room block is being held until November 12 -or- until it sells out - make your reservations NOW! Delegate rosters are due back to headquarters by November 22.
Mideastern Region House of Delegates
Calling all region House of Delegates attendees! If you are submitting New Business or making a PACE contribution, please be sure to do so before Wednesday, November 6 at Noon. Additional details and links can be found in your personal email from Kim McCormick (kmccormick@psea.org).
Celebrating Excellence
Do you know a friend, colleague, or community member or organization who you think deserves special recognition for their contribution to public education? PSEA is now accepting nominations for the Celebrating Excellence “Adler Friend of Education” and “Human & Civil Rights” Awards.
For more information and to make a nomination: Celebrating Excellence (psea.org)
PSERS Beneficiaries
Two-thirds of active PSERS members do not have a named beneficiary. (!!!) 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.
Career and Technical Education Corner
As we proceed through the beginning years activities to include industry and testing certification readiness, a major part of this process includes data collection. One way CTE 's do this is by administering a pre-NOCTI (National Occupational Competency Testing Institute) test to seniors. This is a scaled-down version of the Spring test and gives instructors a means to use the data collected to develop focus areas within their programs where students need individualized or group remediation. CTE, thinking proactively about student success!
African American Museum of Bucks County
To all current and retired teachers of all disciplines and grade levels 4-12, here’s an invitation to get involved with an exciting new museum!
For ten years, the African American Museum of Bucks County (AAMBC) has been a pop-up,
mobile museum, doing temporary installations and giving presentations in schools, libraries,
and other public buildings throughout the county. The museum’s focus has always been to
tell untold stories and reveal hidden Figures of the African American experience to raise
awareness and build respect within the local community. In 2025, AAMBC will move into its
permanent home: a historic 1716 farmhouse in Middletown Township that is being
renovated for its new purpose. The new museum will have permanent and rotating exhibit
spaces, a community room for meetings and lectures, a library, a media room for video
viewing, and an Education Center with materials and exhibits for all ages. The Education
Center will contain art supplies for creative activities, musical instruments for playing along
with African rhythms, a library of books related to the African American journey, A/V
equipment for interactive lessons (such as Kahoot!), and a charging cart of tablets loaded
with exploration activities. The museum will also offer grade-level teacher guides to continue
the learning experience in their classroom. A docent will be available during field trips to
assist the teachers in using the resources in the room.
As you can imagine, the African American Museum of Bucks County will be a popular field
trip. To engage and educate our student visitors, we want to be able to present teaching
materials on African American history, of course, but also on art, music, literature – the
possibilities are endless, but we need to start somewhere. This could involve making new
materials and lessons from scratch and finding engaging videos and lessons available online
that would be suitable for a 30-45 minute session for half the class in the student room while
half the class tours the museum. To accomplish this for Day 1 of the museum, we need the
help of experienced and enthusiastic educators.
If you think you might be interested in volunteering some time to create short lessons, videos,
quizzes, and/or take-away teacher guides, please email me at
pmervine@AAMuseumBucks.org and put “AAMBC” in the subject line. Tell me about your
specific area(s) of interest. Are you interested in history, art, music, literature? At what grade
level? Do you have skills in interactive quiz software? Are you experienced in creating short
educational videos? Is creating a standards-based teacher’s guide something that interests
you? Do you have talents in graphic arts? How could you envision yourself helping with this
project? Don’t worry if you don’t have much experience with African American history. I can
provide all the amazing history you need to get started, all connected to Bucks County, and I
can promise you that this will be a rewarding experience for you.
Please reach out to me by Tuesday, November 19. I will be scheduling an informational Zoom
meeting to discuss possibilities in more detail on Wednesday, November 20, at 7 PM, and will
send the link to all who send me an email. If you are interested but not available on November
20, I’ll let you know about a second Zoom, date TBD. You can learn more about the museum
Thank you for your consideration!
Patricia L. Mervine, M.A. CCC-SLP-R
Member, PSEA-R
CAPS Theater Sponsorships
Is your school planning a drama or musical for this school year? CAPS would love to help support you and your students! Simply complete this form for consideration of a $500 sponsorship. Funds are limited and restricted to one production per school per school year. If you have questions, please reach out to the person indicated on the form. Break a leg!
Save Money!
Stretch your dollars with the MyDeals app from PSEA Member Benefits! You can use the program to search by location - take a look at the deals currently available:
15% off a purchase of $100 or more at Kohls
20% off one entree at the Bay Pony Inn
10% off entire purchase at Men's Warehouse
10% off a trial package at Doylestown Rock Gym
10% off at Domenic Graziano Flowers
To access savings, download the MyDeals app on your mobile device, or visit the website below. To register, use 8875 + your PSEA member number (found on the back of your membership card). If you don’t know your member number, contact your local president or call 1-800-944-7732 x3001.
Minority Affairs Committee
The Minority Affairs Committee (MAC) is a BIPOC-led space where allies are welcome. We explore the unique experiences and priorities of our members of color and work in concert to improve cultural responsiveness and representation in our unions.
The Mideastern MAC meets on the dates listed below at 5pm - members may join us at the region office in Montgomeryville or remotely via Zoom. Click here to register for the November 13th meeting - and be sure to "check out" at the end of the process even though the cost is zero.
2024-2025 Hybrid Meeting Dates:
- November 13th, 2024
- January 8th, 2025
- February 12th, 2025
- March 5th, 2025
- April 2nd, 2025
- May 7th, 2025
Retirement Estimates
PSERS can calculate your retirement estimate to show the potential monthly benefit you would receive at retirement through the normal, early, vested or disability benefit. Staff-prepared estimates are available to all members within one year of retirement. Fill out the Request for Estimate Form today!
Liz Will Shop Insurance Rates for You!
WE SEE SAVINGS IN YOUR FUTURE! Liz doesn’t need a crystal ball to look into your insurance to make sure you have the best coverage as part of your PSEA Member Benefit. Share your current insurance coverage securely: https://app.usecanopy.com/c/comparion-comparion-newtown-elizabeth-gillman. You may also call Liz directly on her mobile phone: 267-278-1432.
2024-2025 Pre-Retirement Workshops
If retirement is on your horizon, our pre-retirement workshops are a must! In-person sessions are held at our office in Montgomeryville beginning at 5pm and virtual sessions are hosted via Zoom and also begin at 5pm. Registration for ALL sessions is now open!
November 12 – in person
December 9 – virtual
January 7 – in-person
February 6 – virtual
March 11 – in-person
Scripps Regional Spelling Bee sponsored by CAPS
Elementary and middle schools in Bucks and Montgomery Counties are invited to participate in our 2025 Scripps Regional Spelling Bee taking place on Saturday, March 22nd at Wissahickon High School. Participants may be in any grade through and including eighth. For more information, please view this document. The winner from our regional bee will move on to the national bee in Washington, DC!
Pizza with the President
CAPS wants to thank YOU for your work in our public schools! Provide your information here by 8am on Monday, November 11 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.
PSEA Center for Professional Learning
There are tons of opportunities available this fall through PSEA's Center for Professional Learning! Details below.
https://www.psea.org/act48bookdiscussions
CAPS Year in Review
If it feels like you have seen CAPS all over the place - it's probably because you have! We had an amazing 2023-2024 school year supporting the work of our students and members. Check out this brochure for a wrap up of all the ways we are proud to be a partner with all public school entities in our region.
Region Calendar
Our region calendar for the 2024-2025 school year is now available - take a look for details on region, state, and national Association events!
Update Your Information with PSEA
Is it time to update your PSEA profile? Consider taking a minute to provide your updated information if:
PSEA emails are going to your school email and not your personal email (huge )
PSEA emails are going to an old email address that you no longer check regularly
Issues of The Voice magazine are going to your parent's house or a former apartment because that's where you lived when you first began working for a public school
The landline you got rid of six years ago is still listed as your primary phone number
You're at a different school or teaching in a different subject area than you were when you began working
To update your profile, go to www.psea.org and follow these steps:
- Click on "My PSEA Log In"
- Log in using your credentials
- Scroll down and click "My PSEA"
- Click "Edit" on your profile and confirm it's you
- Update anything that is need of an update
- Click "Update"
Thanks for taking the time to make sure your information is accurate and up-to-date!
PSERS Active Member Newsletter
The PSERS Active Member Newsletter, Volume 3 - 2024, is a publication of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Public School Employees' Retirement System. This issue includes topics such as:
- Retirement exit counseling may save you costly errors
- Six-step action guide to secure a future paycheck
- PSERS Health Options Program
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.
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, 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