Join us for an in-depth discussion about PSEA’s Advocates for Children and Education, or “ACE”, program, which is one of the ways PSEA members can advocate directly to lawmakers in the Capitol for public education. Aaron and Rachael sit down with PSEA's own ACE Program Coordinator, Jen Statler, as well as ACEs Melissa Costantino-Poruben, a mathematics teacher in the Avonworth School District, and PSEA President of Higher Education Gretchen Osterman.
Join us for an in-depth discussion about PSEA’s Advocates for Children and Education, or “ACE”, program, which is one of the ways PSEA members can advocate directly to lawmakers in the Capitol for public education. Aaron and Rachael sit down with PSEA's own ACE Program Coordinator, Jen Statler, as well as ACEs Melissa Costantino-Poruben, a mathematics teacher in the Avonworth School District, and PSEA President of Higher Education Gretchen Osterman.
Do you have some feedback for us? Send an email to podcast@psea.org.
Learn more and watch for upcoming episodes at psea.org/podcast.
Voiceover (00:02):
Welcome to Duty Free Lunch, the official podcast of the Pennsylvania State Education Association. Join us as we unpack the issues that matter most to you from cutting-edge classroom strategies to thought-provoking policy discussions. If it impacts PSEA members, it's on the menu.
Aaron Chapin (00:24):
Hello and welcome to Duty-Free lunch. I'm PSEA President, Aaron Chapin. Today I'm with PSEA Treasurer, Rachel West. Hi Rachel.
Rachael West (00:33):
Hey Aaron. How are you doing?
Aaron Chapin (00:35):
Oh my God, it is a beautiful day in Harrisburg. So hot.
Rachael West (00:39):
Did you out for a run this morning?
Aaron Chapin (00:41):
I did go out for a run. I did. We had a very busy day, which involved some of what we'll be talking about today. Rachel, I heard you talking earlier about the first time you went and lobbied. Can you tell a little bit about that? What was it like?
Rachael West (00:56):
Well, the first time I went to visit my representative, he was not super excited to have a conversation with me.
Aaron Chapin (01:03):
Shocking.
Rachael West (01:04):
And he definitely listened, took my paper and was like, "All right, on your way now." And our children are actually in class together. And so when I have visited him since then, we've actually had more conversation and he's actually been much more open to conversations, especially around testing since his son was taking the test at the same time as mine.
Aaron Chapin (01:28):
Gathering you're really thankful you went to that first experience.
Rachael West (01:32):
Yeah, it was a little tough the first time, but I think once we made a connection about our children, it was much easier after that.
Aaron Chapin (01:39):
Well, I've heard that over and over again. I've had the same experience myself. And that really takes us to what our episode is about today. We're talking about PSEA's Advocates for Children and Education, otherwise known as the ACE program, which is one of the ways PSEA members can advocate directly to lawmakers in the Capitol for public education. So we've got some guests in our studio today. With us to talk about this excellent program. It's our colleague here at PSEA's government relations and the ACE program coordinator, Jen Statler. Jen, how are you?
Jen Statler (02:13):
I'm well. How are you?
Aaron Chapin (02:14):
Welcome. It's so great to have others from government relations. Also, joining us in the studio are two of our ACE advocates, as well as PSEA Board of Directors members. We've got Melissa Constantino-Perubin. How you doing?
Melissa Costantino-Poruben (02:27):
Hi Aaron.
Aaron Chapin (02:29):
And we've got Gretchen Osterman. How you doing?
Gretchen Osterman (02:32):
Good. Hi, Aron.
Aaron Chapin (02:34):
Just so everybody knows at home, Melissa is a mathematics teacher in the Avonworth School District, and Gretchen is an academic advisor at the Bloomsburg University and she's also the new PSEA president of Higher Education. So welcome to you both.
Gretchen Osterman (02:50):
Thank you. Thank you.
Aaron Chapin (02:52):
You ready to get things started?
Melissa Costantino-Poruben (02:52):
I'm ready.
Aaron Chapin (02:53):
We got a lot of questions for the three of you. So also should mention before we hop into these questions, they're in town. As I said, we had a busy day today. It's the beginning of our ACE lobby session, so they were here to go lobby on the hill. So we're going to talk a little bit about that shortly, but let's get going. So Jen, we're going to start with you. I want you to give us an overview of the ACE program and a little breakdown of what the ACE Lobby Day here at the Capitol is all about.
Jen Statler (03:23):
So ACE again stands for Advocates for Children Education. We have approximately a thousand ACEs across the Commonwealth who have been trained to lobby, build relationships and share their stories with their own legislators. The program started about 20 years ago, and since then we have built the program and shared thousands of stories. We have three lobbyists here in Harrisburg and we know they can't do it on their own. And we use our ACEs to talk to the legislators at home, build those relationships and share those personal stories, what's happening in their classrooms, on their campuses, within their classrooms, buses, libraries. Those personal stories are what really bring home the facts and figures that our lobbyists share here in Harrisburg.
Aaron Chapin (04:14):
So we have about a thousand?
Jen Statler (04:15):
About a thousand.
Aaron Chapin (04:15):
Are we always looking for more?
Jen Statler (04:17):
We're always looking for more.
Aaron Chapin (04:19):
All right, so if they're interested, who do they reach out to?
Jen Statler (04:22):
They can contact me directly, JStatler@psea.org. We hold trainings. We have virtual trainings that I do via Zoom. I also hold trainings in regions. I have one coming up here in Harrisburg and another one definitely in Pittsburgh. So hold those throughout the year.
Rachael West (04:42):
Awesome. All right, so keep an eye out for those. Gretchen and Melissa, you were here today to lobby and you went over to the Capitol, so I'd love to hear how your meetings went and what you talked about. So Gretchen, would you mind going first and telling us who you met with and how it went?
Gretchen Osterman (04:59):
Yeah, no problem. Rachel. I had the opportunity to meet with staffers from Senator Culver's office. Senator Culver is fairly new on the scene here, and I was pleasantly surprised. There was a lot of discussion around the topics of Act 99 for our retirees in that group that did not receive their COLA. And I felt very heard and understood that there needs to be some fairness extended to that group specifically. And of course my group, higher education, we talked a lot about increases for our folks at the POSHI system as well as community colleges and what that directly impacts in terms of the economy in our counties.
Rachael West (05:47):
Great. That sounds like it was a pleasant experience for you then.
Gretchen Osterman (05:50):
Absolutely.
Rachael West (05:51):
Excellent. Melissa, how about you? Who did you see and how did it go?
Melissa Costantino-Poruben (05:56):
I started with a panel discussion with Valerie Gaydos and Lindsay Williams, and that was with a group of college students from Chatham University. So that was a really interesting panel to look at leadership and women and what they can do here at the Capitol. And then I had a meeting with Senator Robinson and then with Senator Fontana's office.
Rachael West (06:23):
And how did those meetings go? Smoothly or anything fun to report?
Melissa Costantino-Poruben (06:29):
I had the opportunity to lobby with one of my good friends today and it was really fun to sit down and to tag team on what issues are most important to PSEA.
Rachael West (06:40):
Awesome.
Aaron Chapin (06:41):
So both, this isn't your first time coming to Harrisburg and doing this lobbying. We call you a little seasoned at this point, but tell me about some of those legislative wins that have come our way that you think our member advocacy has really played a big part at Success. Start with you Melissa.
Melissa Costantino-Poruben (07:00):
I think one of the things we talked about a lot today was the student teacher stipend. What a giant win and something that we can be so proud of here in Pennsylvania. As an NE director, we talk about what we do in our states often and we're really proud of Pennsylvania and the steps we've made for that student teacher stipend and other states have come up to me and said, "How did you do this? How did this happen?" And it's because of the student PSEA voice and it is such an important voice for us in Pennsylvania and it's a really great solution to our educator shortage.
Aaron Chapin (07:39):
What about you?
Gretchen Osterman (07:39):
Well, I can say that in the last year or so we had some stumbles on funding for our community colleges and being able to have access to those legislators and really discuss the impact on holding back funding to our community colleges made all of the difference in getting it done finally at the late time of January. And I feel like they know the problems that were caused by that, asking our community colleges to take out extended loans. But I really feel strongly that without the AIDS program, we could not have gotten in front of the legislators in an effective way and really discuss those impacts that were happening daily on the college campuses.
Aaron Chapin (08:28):
Before we go on to the next question, I just want to shoot something over to Jen real quick, impromptu. I think it's interesting, sometimes we head into these offices and expect a certain way for these meetings to play out and then it doesn't go that way in a good way and bad way. But you don't know until we really get into those offices and have that conversation. Do you feel that way in your, because you're a seasoned pro at this.
Jen Statler (08:53):
You can never prepare, but the point of the ACE program is to get to know your legislator. So if you go in cold and you don't know he or she, it makes a difference. And you can go in and we were able to train ACEs to roll with the punches, control the meeting, know there are talking points. You don't have to know everything, but just know that you're there to share what you know and how it impacts you and let the legislator ask the questions and what can we do for you at the end of the day?
Aaron Chapin (09:28):
Yeah, sometimes I've had my meetings before I was a state officer with legislators and it turns out the ones that I thought were going to be the most troublesome, they're the ones I actually developed the best relationship with up in the Northeastern region and I could go to them and share those stories over and over.
Rachael West (09:43):
Yeah, I think that I am tying this, as you're saying, bringing those things, you don't always know exactly what's going to happen or what those talking points are going to be. And I'm sure you both have some pressing issues and whether they were on that list of things that you needed to talk about today or not. So what are some of the pressing issues in your school or community that you think you would really like to have as a talking point if you didn't do it today. The next time you go in, what would you like to talk about? Gretchen, I'll give you a chance to go first if you have an idea.
Gretchen Osterman (10:19):
Well, I think the number one issue right now facing all of our institutions of higher education in the state is fair funding. We really want to see funding for our students and families to access education in a fair manner. And I know that that impact of having those students on campus brings us just a growth in our employment and industry in Pennsylvania. And not to say it's double serving, but we also like to see additional funding for the campuses just to continue to operate. So operational expenses for campuses have just gotten exorbitant and we can't cut employees, we can't cut pencils, we can't cut computers. Now's the time to really roll up our sleeves and find funding to keep our colleges and universities competitive with the other states.
Rachael West (11:18):
Absolutely. There are just certain things you can't get rid of and the money has to come from somewhere. So that's a great place to start those conversations when you head over there. Melissa, how about you? What do you think is one of the most pressing issues for your area?
Melissa Costantino-Poruben (11:34):
I think for all teachers after the pandemic, mental health resources, social workers, nurses, it's an absolute necessity in our buildings. Our kids are suffering and we need to make sure we have those resources available to them. And as public schools, we all have priorities, but we can't think about a math test if we're not in the right head space.
Aaron Chapin (12:00):
Well, let's say you're also, just for our listeners out there, you're also an NEA director and you sit on the board of directors, as I said, so this is something that's not really new to you. You go down several times a year to do this same work down on The Hill in Washington. So can you tell us a little bit about your experiences when you're down there in DC and what it's like to advocate for education on the national level?
Melissa Costantino-Poruben (12:28):
It is such an honor to represent our members at the national level and every time we go to DC we're talking about some major issues. We can think about state funding here in Harrisburg, but you can also think about funding in Washington DC and how that goes along with IDA fully funding what they've promised to do. So when we're at the national level, our top priorities recently have been the GPO, web GPO, the ESP Bill of Rights, IDEA funding. And when you walk into those offices, it's very similar to what we do here in Harrisburg, but just at a national level. And it's so cool to be able to sit down with Senator Fetterman or Senator Casey and to talk about what's happening in our classrooms.
Aaron Chapin (13:17):
Absolutely. And it's fun for all of us just to watch you and the NEA directors do that job because it's Washington DC. It has such a aura around it, but it's no different than being across the street here. But it's great to see you all in your element as you go down there to really educate them at the national level.
Rachael West (13:38):
I was fascinated the first time I got to go to super week. As an officer, I was obviously going to observe, but just having that opportunity to follow you guys and see what that job is that you do down there. And it is similar to here. You're going into the building and sitting down with those folks, but seeing that it's the same but on a grander scale and on a much wider, there was a lot more walking. We went to DC than there is when you walk across the street here. So that was really interesting and I love listening to how those talking points, it looks very similar. You get that training on the way in and then you head out and have those talking points.
Melissa Costantino-Poruben (14:18):
And there really are so many great stories that come from that experience and just being able to look at that level and to continue our work, not just what we're doing here, but for NEA.
Rachael West (14:33):
Right. Jen, what kind of things can members do to advocate for their schools and students at the local level, even if they're not involved in the ACE program?
Jen Statler (14:47):
So I think the very minimum, when President Chapin sends our out critical alerts, the easiest thing a member can do is hit that button, actually change the message so it looks a little different than every other message that's coming through and make sure that the legislators are seeing that volume of critical alerts coming through, whether it's about scholarships or COLA for our pre-Act 9 retirees or funding. Just make sure that the legislator is hearing your voice. At the local level, go to meet with your legislator, send he or she a note about, it doesn't have to be about public education.
(15:30)
I've talked to my own legislator about celiac disease, but she knows me as a constituent. So just get to know who your legislator is, friend them on Facebook, follow them on Instagram. At the very least, you're seeing what the legislator is supportive of. You can attend their events in the district, so just get to be a known face and a known name. And then once you feel comfortable with advocating or talking about public education, take that next step and become an ace. We have a great program. You're supported by your region staff as well as your PSCA staff here in headquarters, but sharing your story, again, we can't do it alone. We need your stories, your voices, because you're in the districts, you're experiencing that on a day-to-day basis.
Aaron Chapin (16:21):
So many of our members, they have so many things on their plate besides work and families and there's just so much, but I think a lot of our members think it's too hard, it's too detailed, there's too much involved to even think about doing that, but there's so many simple little things to do. Would you agree?
Jen Statler (16:39):
Absolutely. Send a note, a card, stop by the district office, invite your legislator, work with your district administration, invite your legislator into your schools. That's a great idea. Legislators haven't been in a school building for years, many of them maybe since they graduated high school. So getting them into their school building to see what's happening is a great way for them to see the students and vice versa.
Rachael West (17:07):
And now that we've talked about this a little bit more and what it looks like, I know at the beginning you mentioned that you have different kinds of ACE trainings, some that are in person and some that are virtual. If somebody is in the audience right now and going, now that I hear what this is, really want to find a way to be ACE trained, how would they find out when those trainings are available?
Jen Statler (17:29):
You can email me. I've been tailoring ACE trainings to whenever somebody, if I don't have an upcoming in-person training, I will schedule a virtual one and invite other people who have expressed interest to see if they can attend. It's about an hour and a half online. My in-person ones are more exciting I think, and you can get a little more out of them, but you get the basic training and you'll still be an ACE and then come to Harrisburg, get into your district offices, work with your region and your region leadership. So again, JStatler@psa.org and I'm happy to make sure that you take that next step to get trained.
Rachael West (18:14):
Excellent. Thank you.
Aaron Chapin (18:14):
All right. That takes us towards the end of our episode, but before we get there, it's pop quiz time, Rachel.
Rachael West (18:21):
That's the best time.
Aaron Chapin (18:22):
I know. It's pop quiz. Hit it.
Rachael West (18:24):
All right, so this is pop quiz, so we're going to be reasonably quick. Tell us about your most challenging interaction with a lawmaker. Maybe one where you fundamentally disagreed and what you took away from the experience.
Melissa Costantino-Poruben (18:39):
I guess I can go. A certain lawmaker, we had a disagreement regarding equity and equality. In her mind it was one thing and she just thought it was the same and I was talking to her and I just learned that our disagreement was an absolute learning experience.
Rachael West (18:57):
Equity and equality, those are always interesting words to define. Right. Gretchen, what about you?
Gretchen Osterman (19:04):
I've been fairly lucky. I think most legislators really want to hear the stories about what's going on in higher ed since it's such a foreign entity, but I think having the opportunity to educate them in depth about the differences between our institutions and the state related has been a huge win. A lot of times folks get them confused in terms of what existing legislation is already out there and what we're currently providing data on, and that we are really very transparent as a employment agency where some of our other institutions in the state are a little less in terms of salaries and such for their athletic coaches.
Aaron Chapin (19:51):
How about it. I think over the last 10, 15 years and I've been doing this, I think having those disagreements, it's an interesting way to help you really reshape your thinking. And you're not always going to agree with every single lawmaker that you come in contact, just like we don't agree with everybody that we work with. And I think it's actually developed some better coping skills for me, better listening skills, but accepting the fact that you're not always going to agree. And I think there's positives and negatives going in there.
Rachael West (20:25):
Absolutely. Sometimes you have to agree to disagree at the end of the conversation and say, "Okay, I've given you this information and these facts that I can offer you, but I see that you're seeing it from a different perspective", and sometimes that you have to leave it there in order to leave the ability to have a conversation another time. As I said, my representative and I did not see eye to eye about much the first few times we spoke, and I think it was the third or fourth time I went in that we had the conversation about PSSA testing and how often our kids are tested and all of a sudden when you have a student going into third grade, you have a very different perspective. So just knowing that as much as we can also learn and grow, the lawmakers may have a different perspective the next time you talk to them.
Aaron Chapin (21:13):
Jen Statler, you've met a lot of lawmakers, any lessons you've learned over the years?
Jen Statler (21:18):
Always leave a window open and don't burn bridges.
Aaron Chapin (21:21):
You are so optimistic.
Jen Statler (21:23):
There's always going to be something that you agree on. You never know when that might be, but you may need to come back to he or she.
Aaron Chapin (21:34):
Pains me to say this, I absolutely agree with you.
Jen Statler (21:36):
It happens once in a while.
Aaron Chapin (21:39):
I know. And I would say that back when I started doing this, it's our way of thinking and that's it. And people would be cut off and I'm not sure I recognize this person today, so I agree with you 100%.
Jen Statler (21:54):
I'm glad you've seen the light.
Aaron Chapin (21:55):
Well, it's not easy, but I'm glad now we're at the end of the episode because I'm uncomfortable talking about being wrong. Our guests today have been Melissa Constantino-Peruben and Gretchen Osterman, as well as Jen Statler. I want to say to Melissa and to Gretchen, just want to thank you on behalf of everybody at PSEA, our officer team, just thank you for your advocacy and joining us here to talk about it. It means a lot that you agreed to spend a little time with us, so thank you very much.
Gretchen Osterman (22:24):
You're welcome. Thanks for having me.
Melissa Costantino-Poruben (22:25):
Anytime, Aaron and Rachel. Just give us a ring.
Aaron Chapin (22:28):
Oh my gosh. And Jen, thank you for everything that you do in this ACE program and just helping us to just share our thoughts and to help advocate for our students. It means a lot.
Jen Statler (22:37):
Thank you.
Aaron Chapin (22:38):
All right, and thanks again for all those listeners out there who've been tuning in and listening. If you have some feedback for us, maybe you want some advice from Rachel.
Rachael West (22:47):
Oh, Jeff's not here to volunteer.
Aaron Chapin (22:49):
Well, he hasn't gotten one email solicitation for advice.
Rachael West (22:53):
Well, maybe they'll send it for me.
Aaron Chapin (22:56):
Please email us. That's all you got to do. We're going to read it on the air. You might even get a fancy coffee mug, but you got to send the email to podcast at psea.org. I'm Aaron Chapin.
Rachael West (23:08):
And I'm Rachel West.
Aaron Chapin (23:10):
And you have been listening to Duty Free Lunch. Bye for now.
Voiceover (23:15):
You've been listening to Duty Free Lunch with the Pennsylvania State Education Association. Visit psea.org/podcast to learn more, and don't forget to subscribe and share. Paid for by the Pennsylvania State Education Association.