Aaron Chapin is the president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association,  the Pennsylvania state teachers union affiliated with the National Education Association (NEA), the largest labor union in the United States.

Aaron Chapin became president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association in September 2023 after serving as the teachers union’s vice president and regional president, as well as the president of his local Stroudsburg Area Education Association. ^{13 14} while supporting increased teacher pay, ¹³ more education funding, ¹³ and increases to the statutory minimum wage. ¹⁷

Campaigning for Democratic Candidates

Chapin has been an active participant in Democratic Party campaigns. In September 2022, he held a press conference to claim that a vote for then-Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano was “a vote against public education” and to campaign for the election of the Democratic candidate, then-state attorney general Josh Shapiro. ²⁰

Pennsylvania’s schools would eventually be allocated $7,749,280,612 through the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund and other federal education programs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state reported spending just $858,234,087 of that money by the end of the 2020-21 school year. ¹⁴

1. “PSEA President Aaron Chapin.” Pennsylvania State Education Association. Accessed September 19, 2023. https://www.psea.org/about-psea/leadership/psea-officers/psea-president2/.
2. Scott, Andrew. “Closing in on Possible Deal.” Pocono Record, June 20, 2018. https://www.poconorecord.com/story/news/education/2018/06/19/closing-in-on-possible-deal/11933757007/.
3. Mataloni, Author: Carmella. “Stroudsburg Area Teachers Strike.” WNEP, February 6, 2017. https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/stroudsburg-area-teachers-strike/523-fb3c9617-b0ec-4ddc-8a34-ea8a911c514b.
4. Bugda, Jayne Ann. “Teacher Strike Ends in Stroudsburg Area School Distriict, For Now.” PAhomepage.com, February 10, 2017. https://www.pahomepage.com/news/teacher-strike-ends-in-stroudsburg-area-school-distriict-for-now/.
5. Sultanik, Jeffrey T. “TESTIMONY ON PUBLIC HEARING ON TEACHERS’ STRIKES IN PENNSYLVANIA AND PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE RELIEF” Pennsylvania Senate GOP, April 18, 2018. https://pasenategop.com/education/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/sultanik.pdf.
6. Lowry, Chandi. “Stroudsburg Area Teachers Threaten to Strike Again If No Deal Is Reached.” WFMZ.com, February 14, 2017. https://www.wfmz.com/news/stroudsburg-area-teachers-threaten-to-strike-again-if-no-deal-is-reached/article_0f0a44ca-46e4-59e8-b3e2-279a85132092.html.
7. Campbell, Patrick. “District and Teachers Still at Odds over Contract.” Pocono Record, June 11, 2017. https://www.poconorecord.com/story/news/2017/06/11/district-teachers-still-at-odds/20665332007/.
8. Scott, Andrew. “Stroudsburg Budget Shows $3.6M Deficit.” Pocono Record, December 10, 2017. https://www.poconorecord.com/story/news/local/2017/12/10/stroudsburg-budget-shows-3-6m/16862916007/.
9. Scott, Andrew. “Union Sways, Then Agrees.” Pocono Record, August 17, 2018. https://www.poconorecord.com/story/news/education/2018/08/17/union-sways-then-agrees/11023333007/.
10. Pryts, Monica. “Group Marches on Mercer in Opposition to School Vouchers.” The Herald, May 21, 2022. https://www.sharonherald.com/news/group-marches-on-mercer-in-opposition-to-school-vouchers/article_0d19908a-d93d-11ec-9889-af458ff5f62e.html.
11. Smith, Christen. “Pa. Public School Workers Say ‘dignified’ Retirement out of Reach.” The Bradford Era, March 22, 2023. https://www.bradfordera.com/news/pa-public-school-workers-say-dignified-retirement-out-of-reach/article_f4ba687f-ea51-5054-8bf0-568a077df375.html
12. Chapin, Aaron. “PSERS Has Delivered for School Retirees, PA’s Economy.” RealClearPennsylvania, November 30, 2022. https://www.realclearpennsylvania.com/2022/11/30/psers_has_delivered_for_school_retirees_pas_economy_867552.html.
13. Chapin, Aaron. “Testimony of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) – Public Hearing Regarding Education Reform.” Pennsylvania State Education Association, April 19, 2021. https://www.psea.org/globalassets/issues–action/action-center/testimony/senate-ed–psea–aaron-chapin-4.19.21.pdf.
14. Chapin, Aaron. “Testimony of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) Public Hearing Regarding Instructing preK-12 Students During COVID-19.” Pennsylvania State Education Association, August 25, 2020. https://www.psea.org/globalassets/issues–action/action-center/testimony/instructing-students-covid.-house-d-policy-hearing-8.25.20.pdf.
15. Hanna, Maddie. “Pa. Lawmakers Are Proposing a $10,000 Stipend to Pay Student Teachers.” Inquirer.com, May 25, 2023. https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania-student-teacher-shortage-stipend-legislation-20230525.html.
16. “New Report Warns of Teacher Shortage.” CAPS, August 20, 2021. https://capsedu.org/new-report-warns-teacher-shortage/.
17. “PSEA Vice President Joins Call to Raise PA’s Minimum Wage.” Pennsylvania State Education Association, September 17, 2019. https://www.psea.org/news–events/newsstand/press-center/news-release—september-17-2019/.
18. Grubbs, Paula. “Educators Implore Voters to Consider Schools in November.” Cranberry Eagle, September 13, 2022. https://www.cranberryeagle.com/2022/09/13/educators-implore-voters-to-consider-schools-in-november/.
19. Paterson, James. “Joe Biden Energizes Educators, Kicks Off Re-Election Bid.” National Education Association, June 18, 2023. https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/joe-biden-energizes-educators-kicks-re-election-bid.
20. Chapin, Aaron. “Testimony of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) Public Hearing Regarding Reopening Schools Fall 2020.” Pennsylvania State Education Association, June 30, 2020. https://www.psea.org/globalassets/issues–action/action-center/testimony/reopening-schools-house-d-policy-hearing-6.30.20.pdf.
21. “Pennsylvania ESSER Fund 2021 Provisional Annual Report.” Education Stabilization Fund, June 30, 2021. https://covid-relief-data.ed.gov/report/esser/PA/2021/annual.