The 2026–27 Teach Plus PA Policy Fellows Will Advocate for Literacy, Equitable Funding, and Reimagining the Teaching Role
QUICK FACTS
Who: 46 preK through 12th grade educators
Where: Greater Philadelphia & Southeast, Capital Region & South Central, Lehigh Valley & Poconos, Northeast, Central & North Central, and Western Pennsylvania
Focus Areas: Early childhood education, equitable funding, advancing the science of reading, expanding and diversifying the educator workforce, and reimagining the teaching role
Track Record: Teach Plus Pennsylvania alumni have helped secure billions in adequacy funding, tens of millions for educator pipeline initiatives, and investments in evidence-based literacy policy, while also elevating the needs of the early childhood workforce.
Mission: Empower teacher leaders to drive statewide policy changes that ensure foundational literacy, expand educational opportunity, and advance student success across Pennsylvania.
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HARRISBURG, PA, September 2, 2026—Teach Plus Pennsylvania has named 46 preK through 12th grade teacher leaders to its 2026–27 Policy Fellowship. Over the next year, these teachers will collaborate directly with state education departments, legislative leaders, and policymakers to help bring classroom-tested solutions to Pennsylvania. In 2024, 67% of 4th grade students performed below the Nation’s Report Card proficiency level in reading. Significant funding disparities remain despite initial state adequacy investments.
Selection into the Policy Fellowship cohort was highly competitive. Policy Fellows join a well-established regional network that includes the 2026 National Teacher of the Year and those who have shaped state education policy at the highest levels. This year’s cohort includes teachers with stand-out credentials, including a Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching recipient, multiple Rotary Teachers of the Year, a VOICE for Children Award honoree, local union leaders, and several who hold doctoral degrees.
Teach Plus Pennsylvania trains Policy Fellows in policy analysis, research, advocacy, and communications, including storytelling and op-ed writing, so rigorous data and teachers’ firsthand classroom experience reach decision makers and the public directly.
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Key policy focus areas
- Early Childhood Education: Expand and improve the quality of child care and preK while strengthening the pipeline of early childhood teachers. Policy Fellows will work to make sure families can access high-quality early learning programs and the early childhood workforce has stronger pathways into and through the profession. This includes partnering with Early Learning PA to increase funding for recruitment and retention of early childhood teachers.
- Equitable Funding: Ensure adequacy and equity in the school funding system, particularly for students from underserved communities. Policy Fellows will work to secure another installment of adequacy funding and ensure those investments reach the students and communities that need them most, including by partnering with the PA Schools Work campaign.
- Science of Reading: Ensure teachers are trained in the science of reading, and the accompanying instructional materials, assessments, and supports align with its principles to help students become proficient readers. Policy Fellows will partner with the PA Literacy Coalition to advocate for increased investments that are in step with Act 47 of 2025.
- Expanding and Diversifying the Educator Workforce: Identify strategies to attract more people into the teaching profession, reduce barriers to entry, address teacher shortages, and increase diversity in the workforce. Policy Fellows will partner with the PA Educator Diversity Consortium.
- Reimagining the Teaching Role: Identify opportunities to reimagine the teaching role to improve student outcomes, improve working conditions, and expand leadership pathways that support long-term retention in the profession. Policy Fellows will work to advance policies that give teachers greater opportunities to lead and grow while making teaching a more sustainable career. They will partner with the PA Needs Teachers Coalition.
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Perspectives from Teach Plus leadership and educators:
“Pennsylvania’s educators see every day what it takes for students to thrive and they have a critical role to play in shaping the policies and investments that make that possible. As we work towards our goal of making Pennsylvania the fastest-improving state in the country in 4th grade reading, we need teacher leaders at the table, bringing their firsthand experience and evidence-based solutions to the challenges facing our students.”—Emily Sagor, Teach Plus Pennsylvania Policy Fellowship Director
“Every child deserves to be taught to read in a way that reflects what decades of research tell us about how the brain learns—not only students in certain schools, districts, or ZIP codes. Through the Teach Plus Policy Fellowship, I’m excited to help bridge the gap between research, classroom practice, and policy so that evidence-aligned literacy instruction becomes an expectation for every Pennsylvania student, not an exception.”—Dr. Erika Lucas, 2nd grade teacher at New Eagle Elementary School, Wayne, 2026-27 Teach Plus Pennsylvania Policy Fellow
“When writing our policy brief and seeing the gains that school districts across the Commonwealth have already made from the adequacy funding, we couldn’t help but think of even more students we could touch by helping our legislators understand these policies are helping our students improve their educational journey. This year, we are thrilled to be working alongside a new group of fellows that are equally determined to help continue closing the remaining $3.3 billion funding gap across Pennsylvania.”—Walter Kirby, math teacher at Academy at Palumbo, Philadelphia, 2026-27 Teach Plus Pennsylvania Senior Policy Fellow
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Meet the Fellows:
Greater Philadelphia & Southeast Pennsylvania
Elgin Bailey, Chester County Intermediate Unit / The Learning Center (Coatesville)
Andrea Barnes, School District of Philadelphia (Philadelphia)
Christopher Brown, Senior Policy Fellow, Tredyffrin/Easttown School District (Berwyn)
Chris Cameron, Spring-Ford Area School District (Royersford)
Christina Crews, Senior Policy Fellow, Palisades School District (Bucks County)
Brandon Dennis, School District of Philadelphia (Philadelphia)
Gina Dukes, Science Leadership Academy at Beeber (Philadelphia)
Nicole Foley, Norristown Area School District (Norristown)
Norris Ingram, John M. Patterson Elementary school (Philadelphia)
Walter Kirby, Senior Policy Fellow, School District of Philadelphia (Philadelphia)
Emmie Ledesma, Senior Policy Fellow, School District of Philadelphia (Philadelphia)
Dr. Erika Lucas, Tredyffrin-Easttown School District (Chester County)
Riley McGowan, West Chester Area School District (West Chester)
Ashton J. Minor, Mastery Charter Schools (Philadelphia)
Saphira Okoth, Richard R Wright (Philadelphia)
Gabbi Rodriguez, Senior Policy Fellow, School District of Philadelphia (Philadelphia)
Abby Solano, Southwark School (Philadelphia)
Dr. La Chae’ Swindle, School District of Philadelphia (Philadelphia)
Abigail Turley, West Chester Area School District (West Chester)
Naylah Williams, School District of Philadelphia (Philadelphia)
Terry Young Jr., Senior Policy Fellow, KIPP DuBois Collegiate Academy (Philadelphia)
Capital Region & South Central Pennsylvania
Brandy Brant, Susquehanna Township School District (Harrisburg)
Dr. Shannon Dietz, Senior Policy Fellow, Ephrata Area School District (Ephrata)
Taylor Hough, Senior Policy Fellow, Solanco School District (Quarryville)
Amber Jackson, Susquehanna Township School District (Harrisburg)
Charntae Matkins, York City School District (York)
Stacey McBride, South Western School District (Hanover)
Jessica Werntz, Senior Policy Fellow, Ephrata School District (Ephrata)
Lehigh Valley & Poconos
Denisha Bolden, Bethlehem Area School District (Bethlehem)
Avery Hower, Senior Policy Fellow, Jim Thorpe Area School District (Jim Thorpe)
Jenna Miller, Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers (Allentown)
Kerry Uher, Jim Thorpe Area School District (Albrightsville)
Lynn Unger, Lehigh Valley Children’s Center (Lehigh Valley)
Northeast Pennsylvania
Renee Miller, Scranton School District (Scranton)
Kathleen Nycz, Old Forge School District (Old Forge)
Suzanne Shaffer, Senior Policy Fellow, Scranton School District (Scranton)
Central & North Central Pennsylvania
Jennifer McElwain, Mifflin County School District (Lewistown)
Joel Post, Kane Area School District (Kane)
Dr. Aimee Seitz-Geedey, Senior Policy Fellow, Mifflin County School District (Lewistown)
Western Pennsylvania
Tianna Cameron Pittsburgh Public Schools (Pittsburgh)
Nikki Coffee, Senior Policy Fellow, Kidsville Learning Center (Pittsburgh)
Jason M. Kosmiski, Cranberry Area School District (Seneca)
Kara Leslie, Punxsutawney Area School District (Punxsutawney)
Cheryl Smith, Senior Policy Fellow, YWCA Greater Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh)
Megan Sommers, Pittsburgh Public Schools (Pittsburgh)
Meghan Strawcutter, LOLAs Early Care and Education Center (Homer City)
ABOUT TEACH PLUS
The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. In pursuing our mission, Teach Plus is guided by our Student Opportunity Mandate: To act boldly and create the conditions where every student can imagine their future—and experience an education that delivers the opportunity to realize it. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning for students. teachplus.org/pa
