Our community relies on one essential promise—that our children will be taught by passionate, skilled educators who prepare them for the future. A high-quality teacher doesn’t just cover the curriculum; they change lives. They build confidence, inspire curiosity, and strengthen the communities they serve. Across Pennsylvania, we need more of these extraordinary people.
Today, Pennsylvania faces a shortage of certified teachers in special education, STEM fields, and other high-need areas. In many districts across the Lehigh Valley and the Philadelphia area, schools begin the year with open positions or rely on emergency-certified teachers to fill classrooms. Fewer students are enrolling in teacher-preparation programs, and too many early-career educators leave within 5 years.
Solving this statewide challenge begins by reminding people why teaching matters—and why it remains one of the most meaningful, impactful careers a person can choose. Being a teacher means making a daily difference in the lives of young people and in your community. It means helping future engineers take their first physics class, supporting a nervous reader through their first novel, or giving a young person the confidence to imagine more for themselves…