Teach Plus PA

Teach Plus Policy Fellow alum Kyle Bender & Nikki Dinofrio joined advocates for Start Strong PA Capitol Day! 🏛️ They met w/ lawmakers to push for early childhood investments, & Kyle spoke at the PA Early Childhood Caucus press conference! 🎙️👶 #TeachPlusPA

With the PA budget deadline approaching, the PA Literacy Coalition delivered hundreds of postcards to legislative leaders in Harrisburg urging increased literacy funding! ✉️🏛️ Collected at Roots Picnic w/ @FreeLibrary, Philly’s voice is clear. 📚 #TeachPlusPA

Fresh off a $50M local win to save 340 Philly school jobs, @TeachPlusPA joined Mayor Cherelle Parker in Harrisburg to push for state funding! 🏛️ ED Laura Boyce spoke on adequacy & facilities needs. 📺 Watch: facebook.com/share/v/1NZZ8t… #TeachPlusPA

We celebrated the 3rd year of the Philadelphia Affinity Group Network (PAGN) at Temple University! ✊🏾 Our "We Are Rising" event honored the power of affinity spaces in supporting educators of color, celebrating a network that has engaged 250+ teachers this year. 📈 #TeachPlusPA

The PA Literacy Coalition converged on the State Capitol to tell lawmakers: PA's children cannot wait! Advocates pushed for a $15M budget investment in evidence-based literacy & presented the inaugural Keystone Literacy Leadership Award to Rep Ortitay & Rep Fleming! #TeachPlusPA

At our Teach Plus June Showcase, Teach Plus PA Policy Fellows from 5 working groups celebrated a year of impact, sharing campaign strategies & major policy wins! Thank you to the 2025–26 cohort for lifting educator voices to shape student-centered policy in PA. #TeachPlusPA

The first year of teaching is a whirlwind, but these Pittsburgh educators are just getting started! As Executive Director Laura Boyce says, "Getting through Year 1 is a big milestone." Read why student teacher stipends are vital to keeping them: post-gazette.com/news/education…

The BEAM Network recently gathered for a beautiful, Juneteenth-inspired celebration full of joy, connection, & community! We welcomed new participants, honored our facilitators, & shared what a “Freedom to Thrive” looks like for educators. We are stronger together! #TeachPlusPA

🌟 Teacher Spotlight: Ginger Thompkins! Ginger is an ELD teacher at Pittsburgh Arsenal & 25-26 Teach Plus PA BEAM Teacher Leader. From coaching Battle of the Books to leading family engagement, she is a powerhouse advocate for literacy, equity, and student success. #TeachPlusPA

🌟 #TeacherSpotlight: Dr. Donna L. Ervin🌟 Donna is a 1st-grade teacher at Pittsburgh Miller & 2025-26 BEAM Teacher Leader! 🌟 From leading district equity initiatives to mentoring in the classroom, she’s a powerhouse for student success & educator voice. 🍎✨ #TeachPlusPA

Teach Plus PA leaders Sharaé Curd & Dr. Andrea Terrero Gabbadon joined the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading national webinar to discuss a critical priority: retaining our educators, especially teachers of color. Watch the insights here: youtube.com/watch?v=-SxCMW… #TeachPlusPA

The PA Literacy Coalition hosted a legislator roundtable at Middletown Area SD to celebrate their incredible reading growth! 📈 Featured in our new Proof Points Report, leaders & educators discussed how to scale this vital literacy work across the Commonwealth. 📚🏛️ #TeachPlusPA

Reading took center stage at the Roots Picnic! 🎶 Attendees wrote postcards & explored zines at literacy activities organized by Teach Plus PA Coalition Manager Rachael Garnick & partners working to boost student reading scores. Read more: phillytrib.com/news/local_new… #TeachPlusPA

Teach Plus PA alum, board member, & 2026 National Teacher of the Year Leon Smith headlined Sen. Hughes’ Men Making a Difference event! Leon spoke on the power of mentorship, building student confidence, & drawing strength from resilience. Read more via: phillytrib.com/news/local_new…

PA's teacher supply is modestly rising, but Teach Plus PA ED Laura Boyce warns the shortage isn't "equally distributed." With "ed-prep deserts" & a loss of candidates of color, targeted solutions are urgent. 📊 Read more via @905wesa: wesa.fm/education/2026… #TeachPlusPA

#TeacherSpotlight: Tamika McGee! 🌟 A 25-26 Literacy Forward Network Teacher Leader & 2nd-grade teacher at Turtle Creek STEAM Academy, Tamika centers her leadership on culturally responsive teaching & piloting cutting-edge classroom robotics initiatives. #TeachPlusPA

Pennsylvania’s new adequacy supplement is changing what’s possible for students & educators. Join @PASchoolsWork on June 3 at 12PM ET for a timely webinar unveiling their new Adequacy Report & a look at what’s at stake in budget negotiations. Register: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

#TeacherSpotlight: Dalashay Williams! 🌟 A 25-26 Belonging Empowerment and Mentorship Network (BEAM) Teacher Leader & a 2nd-grade teacher at Ehrman Crest Elementary, she serves on the Instructional Cabinet & is a LEAD Rep. With an M.Ed in Ed Administration, she is a true leader!

Our May Literacy Forward Network meeting focused on fallback readiness for instructional leaders! Cohort members used the "Sphere of Influence" framework to navigate professional resistance & ran a high-stakes PLC simulation to master data-driven literacy growth protocols.

Huge congrats to Kim Tesluk! The Scranton SD Title I Reading Specialist received the "Transforming Children's Futures" award from the local United Way. Kim is a former Teach Plus PA Fellow & Coalition member whose work was featured in our 2026 Proof Points Report! #TeachPlusPA