Does your vote matter?

"My opinion doesn't matter, so why should I vote?" 

Whether or not you like politics, it is a huge part of our every day lives. It is the largest influence in deciding public policies, economic investments, and societal infrastructure. As we know, each one of these factors heavily influences educational policies. Politics are what guide our country in the direction we desire it to move. Politics interpret citizens' interests and values, connect these with current realities, influences from the past, and builds power through action.
Voting is at the heart of our democratic body; it is a direct message sent to the United States government about how you, as a citizen want to be governed. We have this unique opportunity to represent ourselves, our voice, and our opinion, yet only about about 60% of the eligible voting population votes during presidential election years and about 40% votes during midterm elections. Young people, from ages 18-29 are much less likely to vote than older individuals. From 1972 to 2012, this age group has turned out at a rate 15- 20 points lower than citizens 30 and older.


 
Voter turnout is a fundamental process to a healthy and representative democracy. With this in mind, why don't people vote? People first and foremost feel their vote is not representative of their beliefs, therefore, why should they bother? They feel registration is too difficult or time consuming.  The difficulty of obtaining an absentee ballot can deter people from voting on a given election day. Elections taking place on weekdays, namely the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Most people find it difficult to get off work, find transportation, and make time in their hectic days to get to the polls. A low turn out means citizens feel their voice and opinion is not properly represented. How can we change that?

With all these valid excuses, why am I asking you to vote? It is because it is your duty as an educator and advocate to get your vote, a vote for public education to be seen, heard, and to make a difference this year and every year in public policy. As future educators and leaders in society, we are the voice in public policy. We, as Student PSEA members can be the change; we can be the advocates not only for today, but for the future. Though you may feel your voice is lost in the shuffle, you taking an active stance is direct representation of your interests. Every year, we must vote for valid candidates who support public education and are willing to invest in our future generations.

In Pennsylvania this year, we have some vitally important positions to elect. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court race is providing a unique opportunity for its voters. This is the first time there have been 3 simultaneous vacancies on the bench since 1704. This is the first chance Pennsylvanians have an opportunity to change the make-up of the Court. This importance cannot be downplayed, the outcome of this election will directly affect key issues coming before the court like: school funding, school vouchers, pensions, collective bargaining rights, civil rights, voting rights, and gerrymandering. PSEA has recommended: Judge David Wecht, Judge Kevin Dougherty, and Judge Christine Donohue for their stances on these issues.

A majority of positions this year are held at the municipal level, voting for school board officials, and various other local positions which will directly affect our positions in the near future. Though it may not seem important to you now, three years from now, when you are applying for jobs, a school board will be a key factor in deciding your position or lack thereof. These elections will have a huge impact in your life.

Please, don't delay in registering to vote. Sign up online or in person, following the steps at www.votespa.com.

I commend you for your continued dedication and commitment for public education. I look forward to seeing you in the polls on this election day, Tuesday November 3rd. Get out there, make your voice heard, and vote for what you believe in. 

-Ashley Muscarella

Student PSEA State President

 (Ashley, left; Chris Clayton, PSEA Assistant Director for Education Services; Lauren Williams, former Student PSEA State President)

Countdown to Conference

Springing Towards Conference

       The best part about spring approaching is all of the good feelings that come with it. The feeling of the windows down, the grass gaining its vibrancy back, the feeling that in a few short weeks you’ll have the summer to celebrate all of your semester’s accomplishments. While it can be a crazy time, especially for those of us student teaching, it is a time to be excited. I am most excited for our Student PSEA Annual Conference and Convention in conjunction with our Student PSEA House of Delegates; it is less than a month away! The student executive committee has spent numerous hours planning for this conference to be one of the best yet. I am going to spotlight some information that you should know before making the trek to the good ol’ Harrisburg Hershey Holiday Inn in Grantville, PA!

#SPSEA15

Achieving Professional Excellence

         Student PSEA members do amazing things in their community, work towards personal growth and professional development, and are political activists in our locals. Once a year, we bring these accomplishments to share with the other students in Pennsylvania. The APEX is your chance to showcase your hard work, put your chapter on the pedestal and brag! Whether you compile your APEX into a binder, a website, or another creative way, you will be able to share and submit this to win cash prizes. You can set up your APEX (we will inform you with the location when you arrive) when you register on Thursday night or Friday morning. They must be set-up before lunch (by 11 a.m.) on Friday. Members can take some minutes during lunch to check them out!

Learning Centers

        Have you been working on your learning centers? Learning centers can be submitted as a chapter or as an individual. The registration form must be completed and postmarked by Tuesday, March 31^st, 2015. Bring 2 copies of this form to conference for each learning center. The forms must be turned in to the PSEA office before the first breakout session begins on Friday. Guidelines for the learning centers can be found on the website (www.psea.org/students) under Student PSEA Conference and Convention.

        We are looking forward to seeing your creations displayed at conference. They always make the conference center look and feel more like home. J

        We will be announcing the APEX and Learning Center winners during the second business session on Saturday.

Outreach to Teach: Meet Levi

         With our second year doing a beautification project as our Outreach to Teach comes another chance to make a positive difference in the lives of students and the community in which they live. This year we will be at Camp Curtain Academy (CCA) in the Harrisburg Area School District. Harrisburg is one of PSEA’s financial recovery districts and we truly feel that we are putting our energy in the right place. I will save the story of CCA and the perseverance of the faculty, staff, and students for the principal to share with you at our OTT kickoff. In short though, their school has undergone many changes in the past two years. Our projects range from painting walls and murals to the big project, renovating the library.

        With cuts in educational funding to the district, came the removal of the school librarian. The library is locked during the day because there is no one to monitor it. As a student teacher this semester, I see the enthusiasm my students have for visiting the library during (every possible) free time. I cannot imagine students not having the ability to visit the library. Bigger yet, I can’t imagine students not having a large assortment of… books. Book donations can be brought from your chapter or you as an individual. This library project is more than just coloring the library with new bulletin boards and murals; it is coloring the library with organized, Lexile-leveled books. I believe I’m most excited to see this location come to life again. No matter which project you sign up for, this OTT is sure to be meaningful and memorable for everyone involved.

        Lastly, I want to introduce Levi to you – the Camp Curtain Academy mascot! You are sure to see this face being added to the walls all over the school. We can’t wait to get started!

Let’s Get to Business

         As the ONE time our state’s student members gather together, the conference weekend is… eventful. Packed. Maybe even a tad overwhelming. There is just simply not even time in two days to share all of the meaningful information and collaborate with students from other universities. Therefore, there is less time to tell you what is happening.

        Am I a delegate? My nametag says I’m a delegate… what does that mean? I would like to run for a region leadership position, what does this entail? These student rep positions on the PSEA committees seem like something I’d be interested in, but what are they exactly?

        There, we already asked some of your questions. Now, we are going to make sure you have answers.

        We have worked hard to structure the schedule with various breakpoints and transitions. The schedule has also been planned with some opportunities for you to learn about what it means to be a delegate, what it means to be a leader, and what opportunities you have to get involved locally, regionally, statewide, and even nationally.

        Friday morning during breakfast, Vice President Dave Ramaley will provide a “New Delegate Orientation.” He will discuss the basic procedures of nominations, elections and what it means to be a delegate.

        Saturday afternoon during Business Meeting One, student members will be given the opportunity to run for the various leadership positions available. If you’re a local leader, an active member, and/or someone who would like to get more involved, you should consider running for a leadership position. What are the positions you might run for?

State Executive Board:

President

Vice President

Secretary

PACE (Political Action Committee for Education) Liaison

Student Executive Committee:

All those listed above

& Region Presidents

Student PSEA Representative to the PSEA Committees:

The PSEA Committees with student representation are,

·      Special Education Committee

·      Minority Affairs Committee

·      Resolutions Committee

·      Communications Committee

·      Intergroup Relations Commission

·      Professional Rights & Responsibilities

        You can also run to be a Student Delegate at the PSEA House of Delegates, which take place twice a year, once in December and again in May.

        Lastly, you can run to be a Student Delegate at the National Education Association’s Student Leadership Conference and Representative Assembly. This is occurring this summer in Orlando, Florida from June 26 to July 6, 2015. You can read more about this moving experience in the first Shout Out included in this blog!

        During Business Meeting One, the floor will be open to everyone for nominations for each of the listed positions above. Your nominator must head to the microphone nearby and nominate you. Voting will take place on Saturday morning for the State Executive Committee (Board and Region Presidents). Election results will be shared at the second business meeting Saturday afternoon. Positions on the PSEA Committees and Delegates to the NEA-RA will be announced at a later date.

        On behalf of the entire executive committee, we look forward to seeing everyone in Grantville on April 9^th!

Lauren Williams

Student PSEA President

Still have questions?

Contact Lauren Williams at LWilliams@psea.org

Or

Chris Clayton at CClayton@psea.org

Student Representatives

Student PSEA provides ample opportunities for students to get involved and hold a leadership position. Students serve on the state executive board, region executive boards, and at their local university.  Each year at our SPSEA Conference and Convention’s House of Delegates, students are elected to serve in these positions. At the House, students are also nominated to apply for a position serving as the student representative on one of the eight PSEA committees. As the student representative you are representing all of the student members in our state. It is an incredible networking opportunity and a chance for your voice to be heard.

The committee with a student position available each year are:

Communications Committee

Leadership Development Committee

Minority Affairs Committee

Resolutions Committee

Intergroup Relations Committee

Legislative Committee

Professional Rights & Responsibilities Committee

and the Special Education Committee

Tiffany Yeiser shared her experiences at the Communication Committee meeting. She was able to hear about and share her input about what our members want to see in The Voice and how to gain a larger audience of readers. She enjoyed hearing about the activities happening in regions across the state.

“The experience was great and it was interesting to see how the other committee members felt and the problems/ things they've encountered versus how I as a student felt and things I did not even know about yet.”

-Tiffany Yeiser,

Communications Committee, Student Representative

Gabrielle, the Resolutions Committee student representative, had the opportunity to be a part of the discussion on upcoming resolutions. The resolutions were on tax relief, standardized tests, pupil personnel services, child abuse, statewide health care, safeguarding the resolution's process, and student teacher evaluation. She shared her voice on a new resolution concerning student teaching.

“I was excited because I came up with a resolution concerning student teaching, and it may be published in the new book of resolutions for next year! It was a very busy and successful meeting.”

-Gabrielle Gombos

Resolutions Committee, Student Representative

At the Minority Affairs Committee meeting, Jennifer Searfoss was involved in conversation regarding NEA Bylaw 3.1g “Counting Beyond the Numbers” which is about “achieving ethnic minority delegate representation at the Representative Assembly that equals to the proportion of identified ethnic minorities in each state.” They also discussed and planned the Minority Leadership Training Conference in Grantville this upcoming March.

“It was a very productive meeting and everyone on the committee was very friendly, welcoming, and more than willing to help me and answer any questions I had. I found it interesting to hear about other people’s concerns and viewpoints on minorities and to learn about current events occurring in Pennsylvania that I was unaware of.”

-Jennifer Searfoss

Minority Affairs Committee, Student Representative

Alex Nietert represented the students on the Leadership Development Committee. They discussed the Gettysburg Summer Leadership Conference that was held this past July. They heard each of the Gettysburg schools report what went well and what could use improvement. The also discussed demographics and survey results. Alex will be a part of the LDC crew in the summer 2015; this committee is known as the “red shirts” of Gettysburg – running around and ensuring that everything goes smoothly! Gettysburg is the annual summer leadership conference where teachers from all over PA gather for professional development and collaboration.

“This was a great and enthusiastic group of people and I am really looking forward to spending a week with them in Gettysburg! The Gettysburg Leadership Conference is July 19th to the 24^th , 2015.”

Alex Nietert

Leadership Development Committee, Student Representative

Think about where your passion would be most valued and consider a position in the 2015-16 term!