On Sunday, October 18 at the start of the PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference, the PSBA Institute presented its annual Pennsylvania Education Innovation Awards and the William Howard Day Award.
Initiated in 2017, the Innovation Awards recognize innovative leadership in public school board governance, administration and teaching. Each winner receives a financial award from the Institute, as follows:
- Innovative School Board Award – $1,000 donated to the public school education foundation
- Innovative School Leader Award – $1,000 award to the recipient
- Innovative Teacher Award – $1,000 award to the recipient
The 2026 winners are:
Innovative Teacher Award: Erin Loch, environmental science teacher, Upper Dublin School District
Mrs. Loch creates student-centered learning experiences that connect classroom concepts to real-world challenges. In her Environmental Studies course, students investigate community issues, such as evaluating environmental considerations for new district facilities and developing evidence-based recommendations that are presented to administrators, engineers, project managers, and the school board. Mrs. Loch extends learning beyond the classroom through immersive field experiences, including water quality research on the Schuylkill River. These opportunities allow students to practice science firsthand while developing a commitment to environmental stewardship. She has also contributed to districtwide innovation through professional learning initiatives and the development of the Portrait of a Cardinal framework.
Innovative School Leader Award: Julien Drennan, assistant superintendent, Upper Dublin School District
Ms. Drennan has played a key role in developing the district’s Comprehensive Plan and co-leading the creation of the Portrait of a Cardinal, a framework that reflects the qualities the district seeks to cultivate in graduates, employees and the broader community. Grounded in the Science of Learning, this shared vision promotes curiosity, resilience, collaboration, innovation, and lifelong learning. Ms. Drennan led comprehensive curriculum reviews in English language arts, mathematics, and science, ensuring students have access to rigorous, research-based learning experiences. She also spearheaded the Ready, Set, Soar program, helping incoming kindergarten students and their families build a strong foundation for success through purposeful play, social-emotional development and family engagement.
Innovative School Board Award: Forest Hills School District Board of Directors
In the wake of a devastating student loss in 2024, the Forest Hills School Board demonstrated compassionate leadership by supporting the creation of the Never Alone Campaign, a student-led movement focused on kindness, awareness and belonging. The initiative expanded into the elementary school through the No Lone Ranger program. Through the board’s leadership, the district developed the Ranger Wellness Program, a comprehensive framework that connects students and families with counseling, prevention services, behavioral health partnerships, and community resources. Forest Hills has become the first Pennsylvania district able to offer Community-Based Intensive Treatment, or CBIT for Kids, a school-connected telehealth option for intensive behavioral health services. This school board-supported program is designed to address the unique barriers to treatment that rural families face.
Michael I. Levin, Esq., PSBA’s general counsel and longtime school solicitor, was this year’s recipient of the William Howard Day Award. In 2015, the Pennsylvania Public Education Foundation created the award to honor the first African American school board director in the United States and a resident of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Day served the Harrisburg City School Board for six terms starting in 1878 and was a member of the Pennsylvania State Directors’ Association, the predecessor of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA). The award recognizes outstanding contributions to public education by individuals, groups or organizations across the commonwealth.
For more than four decades, Mr. Levin has dedicated his legal career to serving and strengthening public schools. After beginning his career with Cleckner and Fearen, he founded his own firm in 1994 and has since become one of Pennsylvania’s most respected voices in school law. Mr. Levin has spent many years of service as PSBA’s general counsel, helping guide boards through complex legal issues while advancing the mission of public education across the commonwealth. He has authored and edited landmark publications, served on several national boards, and presented at numerous seminars, educating generations of school leaders and attorneys across the country.
