Teach Plus PA

We are excited to honor Leon Smith at Empowered to Lead, Driven to Succeed. The 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year & a 2026 National Teacher of the Year finalist, Leon has been a powerful voice elevating the voices of educators & students! Register here teachplus.org/empowered-to-l…

🌟 #TeacherSpotlight: Dr. Aisha A. Eubanks 🌟 A Special Educator & Consulting Teacher for High Schools in the School District of Philadelphia, Dr. Eubanks brings 20+ years of experience & expertise in special education, culturally responsive teaching, & trauma-informed practices.

In Pennsylvania, only 1 in 3 fourth graders reads proficiently. We can change that. Empowered to Lead, Driven to Succeed is more than a celebration. It is a call to action. Register here: teachplus.org/empowered-to-l… #EmpoweredToLead

PA Literacy Coalition Manager Rachael Garnick highlights districts responding to declining literacy scores with urgency & reform. Their attitude is “the opposite of ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ Instead, ‘It’s broken; we’ve got to fix it.’” 🔗 the74million.org/article/nation…

🌟 #TeacherSpotlight: Hayley Butler 🌟 A 25–26 Teach Plus PA Policy Fellow & preschool teacher, she is a strong advocate for early childhood education & community engagement. She’s also a Trying Together Advocacy Fellow & is pursuing her degree in Early Learning & Development.

On @NBCNewsNow today, @TeachPlusPA’s Rachael Garnick spoke to why evidence-based methods are key to helping young learners learn to read. She also helped to separate fact from fiction on literacy: “Reading ... needs to be explicitly taught.” @paliteracy nbcnews.com/now/video/comb…

In Spotlight PA, Teach Plus PA Policy Manager Emily Sagor calls for $50M to fully fund PA’s student teacher stipend program. “Our big push right now is that we just continue to invest… so all qualified student teachers are able to receive a stipend.” 🔗 spotlightpa.org/news/2026/03/p…

🌟 #TeacherSpotlight: Ken Hung 🌟 A Philadelphia Affinity Group Network Facilitator & history teacher at Central HS, Ken teaches AP Seminar, AP European History, and IB Global Politics while supporting 9th graders through the Bridge Leadership Program. #TeachPlusPA

We’re grateful to @Vanguard_Group for standing with teachers and investing in a stronger future for Pennsylvania students. Partnerships like this elevate teacher voice, advance early literacy, and drive solutions that work for kids. teachplus.org/empowered-to-l… #TeachPlusPA

We’re grateful to @jkjinc1 for standing with teachers & investing in a stronger future for Pennsylvania students. Partnerships like this elevate teacher voice, advance early literacy, & drive solutions that work for kids. Tickets & sponsorships: teachplus.org/empowered-to-l…

🌟 #TeacherSpotlight: Nicole Fisher 🌟 A Philadelphia Affinity Group Network Facilitator & Math Teacher Leader at Roberto Clemente Charter, has served Philly students for 20 years and was named Teacher of the Year in 2018. #TeacherLife #TeachPlusPA

🌟 #TeacherSpotlight: Terry Young Jr. 🌟 A 2025–26 Teach Plus PA Policy Fellow & 9th grade Special Education English teacher at KIPP Dubois, Terry brings a background in advocacy and organizing to his work in Philadelphia classrooms. #TeacherLife #TeachPlusPA

We’re proud to announce Empowered to Lead, Driven to Succeed on April 22 at 5:30 PM at Aramark Global HQ in Philadelphia. Join educators, advocates, & leaders celebrating teacher leadership and advancing early literacy in PA. teachplus.org/empowered-to-l… #TeachPlusPA

Want to expand your impact while staying in the classroom? Applications for the 2026–27 Teach Plus PA Policy Fellowship are open! Open to ECE–12 teachers. $1,500 stipend. Apply: bit.ly/PolicyFellowsh… Nominate a teacher: bit.ly/PolicyFellowsh… #TeachPlusPA

Teach Plus PA Policy Fellows are calling for a shift from the one-teacher model to a strategic, team-based approach to address PA’s educator shortage. “How are we honestly accounting for what teachers know and how they can grow?” — Trey Smith 🔗 chalkbeat.org/philadelphia/2…

Why do veteran educators stay? PAGN facilitators partnered with the Philadelphia Educator Diversity Consortium for a focus group on educator retention. Themes included community, advocacy, career pathways, & influence in decision-making. #TeachPlusPA

The first Literacy Forward Network–PA cohort meeting focused on building connection and developing a facilitator lens for leading adult learning. Teacher Leaders explored how strong PLCs rely on trust, purpose, and thoughtful facilitation. #TeachPlusPA #TeacherLeadership

🌟 #TeacherSpotlight: Morgan Craig-Williams 🌟 A Philadelphia Affinity Group Network Facilitator & kindergarten teacher at McCall Elementary, Morgan brings 8 years of experience and a passion for early learning to her leadership. #TeacherLife #TeachPlusPA

New Policy Fellows report calls for PA to rethink the one-teacher model to address the educator shortage through collaborative teaching teams. “We know that change is necessary… imagine a different future for teachers & students.” — Laura Boyce post-gazette.com/news/education…

🌟 #TeacherSpotlight: Jessica Werntz 🌟 A 2025–26 Teach Plus PA Policy Fellow & Intervention Specialist at Highland Elementary, Jessica leads on MTSS and literacy while championing student success in Ephrata. #TeacherLife #TeachPlusPA