When: April 13, 2023, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Where:
Online
The Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) represents over 177,000 educators in the Commonwealth to promote, protect, and advocate for our schools, students, and professions. Chris Clayton, assistant director of education services with PSEA, will discuss the teacher shortage landscape post-pandemic with a focus on STEM areas and solutions to improve teacher recruitment through the new statewide program, Educators Rising, and strategies to diversify the teaching profession.
Panelists
Dr. Christopher Clayton — Assistant Director of Education Services, Pennsylvania State Education Association
Dr. Christopher M. Clayton serves as an assistant director of education services for the Pennsylvania State Education Association. He is responsible for providing support to more than 178,000 educator members on issues involving teacher certification, student achievement, pedagogical best practices, and research in teaching and learning and directs the Student PSEA Aspiring Educator program.
He earned a Ph.D. in language and literacy education and Ed. S. in education leadership, administration, and policy at the University of Georgia along with a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Regis University in Denver, CO. He is a National Board Certified Teacher (2008, renewed in 2018) who, prior to starting with PSEA, served as a high school English and international baccalaureate theory of knowledge teacher and coach for over ten years in Southern California and Washington state before becoming a district administrator and director of curriculum and instruction in a large metro-Atlanta school district with 138 schools and over 100,000 students. He moved to Hershey to begin his role with PSEA in 2014 and happily resides there with his wife, two daughters (24 & 29), son (16), and granddaughter.
Amanda Smith — Director, K-12 Engagement, Penn State Outreach
Amanda began her career as a middle and high school science teacher, engaging in outreach and professional experiences that dramatically impacted her work and teaching philosophy. Since 2014, she has served as the STEM outreach liaison for the Penn State Center for Science and the Schools (CSATS). Amanda, along with other STEM Learning Ecosystem leaders across Pennsylvania, was an integral part of the team to develop the PA STEM Education Policy memo to the U.S. Department of Education under the Biden administration. While serving as director of the K–12 Engagement Network, she will also continue her work as executive director of ENGINE of Central PA, a University-led STEM learning ecosystem.
Amanda earned a B.S. in biology and science education from Penn State in 2005 and an M.Ed. in education leadership with a K–12 administration certification from George Mason University in 2009.