A Social Studies Teacher’s New Chapter as State Representative

December 4, 2024

High school teacher Roman Kozak is moving on from more than a decade at PA Cyber toward his new role as State Representative in Pennsylvania’s 14th District. He has taught social studies with a focus on world history and cultures for the last seven years; before that, he was an academic advisor. He says leaving PA Cyber is bittersweet, as he has valued the learning experience and having a career that enabled him to support a family of six.

Kozak plans to be a strong advocate for cyber charters and school choice in his new position. He has witnessed firsthand how PA Cyber offers a lifeline to students who are uncertain if they can graduate from high school. “I can go through a litany of examples of students who I've had where life threw a curveball, or they made a bad decision at one point,” he says. “If they stayed on the traditional path, they may have never recovered. But our school offered them an opportunity to recover.”

“Our school is not just for the child who wants to advance; it's for so many kids who need a second or third chance,” he continued. “I've enjoyed being a part of that and helping those students overcome the mindset that they can't finish school.”

When Kozak was in high school, a social studies teacher challenged him to think through his beliefs and look at both sides of an issue. This experience led him to realize he wanted to be a history teacher who helped students understand the world—and he became interested in politics.

He has run political campaigns and organizations for the past decade while teaching. When community members encouraged him to run for State Representative a few years ago, he hesitated initially. He kept taking steps forward and waiting for doors to close in his face, but they only continued to open until it became a reality this past Election Day.

He sees parallels between teaching and legislating. As a legislator, he will work with people from across the state with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, similar to PA Cyber students who hail from every county. Additionally, both roles require one to never stop learning.

As Kozak embarks on this new chapter as State Representative, he carries a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to education. The PA Cyber community wishes him the best of luck as he steps into his two-year term. His dedication to thousands of PA Cyber students will not be forgotten.