How We Determine Your Champions of Public Schools

Champions of public schools are determined by public school educators, nurses, school counselors, higher education employees, retired school employees, support professionals, and public health care workers throughout Pennsylvania who volunteer their time to meet candidates, study their positions and discuss those who are best for students and educators.

The process to become a champion of public schools is thorough, fair, and based purely on a candidate’s positions. Political affiliation is not considered.

Policy decisions made by elected officials have a direct impact on the ability to deliver a quality education for the 1.5 million students in Pennsylvania. Candidates for local offices, the state legislature, and other statewide Pennsylvania races are invited to fill out a questionnaire and attend an interview hosted by local members of PSEA-PACE in their area. These PSEA-PACE members discuss the candidates, and their positions on key issues such as school funding, student safety and wellbeing, testing, and employee rights and working conditions, before voting on a recommendation.

The goal of the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education’s recommendation process is to support candidates who share NEA’s commitment to children, public education and education employees, regardless of a candidate’s political affiliation. Candidates for national, federal and congressional offices are invited to fill out an NEA Fund questionnaire and to complete an interview with local public school employees. Though the process for recommendations for national offices including US Senate and US House of Representatives begins at the local level, the recommendations for these offices are completed and approved at the national level by the NEA Fund PAC Council. National and Congressional candidates are recommended by the NEA Fund for Children and Education.