Every athlete deserves a day

Every athlete deserves a day

What started as a small field day during the COVID years has become the highlight of the school year for hundreds of students across Perry County. Jennifer Dillman, a 20-year life skills teacher at West Perry School District, joins Duty Free Lunch to talk about PECO, a countywide celebration she built from scratch that gives students with disabilities a day filled with competition, community, and joy. Do you have some feedback for us? Send an email to podcast@psea.org [podcast@psea.org].  Learn more and watch for upcoming episodes at psea.org/podcast [https://www.psea.org/podcast].

Igniting student success with Erik Huebner and Christine Liberaski

Jeff and Rachael welcome Winter PSEA-PACE Grand Prize winner Erik Huebner alongside North Penn School District Educational Foundation Executive Director Christine Liberaski to discuss advocacy, educational philanthropy, and student success. They share how the foundation supports innovative programs and opportunities for students, and why strong partnerships between educators, schools, and communities make a lasting difference. Do you have some feedback for us? Send an email to podcast@psea.org [podcast@psea.org].  Learn more and watch for upcoming episodes at psea.org/podcast [https://www.psea.org/podcast].

End of an era with retiring board members Patsy Tallarico and Debbie Lee

Aaron sits down with two of PSEA’s longest-serving board members – Debbie Lee and Patsy Tallarico – as they prepare to close out remarkable education careers. Debbie shares how 9/11 brought her from New York City classrooms to Pennsylvania, where she spent 16 years as local president and six as an NEA director. Patsy traces his path from a scrappy 1968 strike over planning periods all the way to the PSEA presidency and beyond. Together, they reflect on what keeps leaders going, why politics and education are inseparable, and what they hope the next generation of union leaders carries forward. Do you have some feedback for us? Send an email to podcast@psea.org [podcast@psea.org].  Learn more and watch for upcoming episodes at psea.org/podcast [https://www.psea.org/podcast].

Reporting for duty: What military service taught these educators

What do military service and public education have in common? More than you might think. Aaron and Rachael sit down with three educator-veterans — retired science teacher John Odell, social studies teacher Del Fuller, and retired math teacher Dana West — to explore the parallels between serving in uniform and serving in the classroom. Do you have some feedback for us? Send an email to podcast@psea.org [podcast@psea.org].  Learn more and watch for upcoming episodes at psea.org/podcast [https://www.psea.org/podcast].

PA Teacher of the Year Madeline Loring on the power of joy and authenticity

What if joy isn't something you earn after a hard week but the actual point? Madeline Loring, Pennsylvania's 2026 Teacher of the Year, joins the officer team to talk about building a career around authenticity, engaging students with uniquely themed classroom setups, and why she believes every educator is their school's best recruitment tool.  Do you have some feedback for us? Send an email to podcast@psea.org [podcast@psea.org].  Learn more and watch for upcoming episodes at psea.org/podcast [https://www.psea.org/podcast].