Since July, I Have Had the Opportunity to Talk to School Psychologists All Over California

Volume 59, No. 1Winter 2009

A Message from the CASP President

By Doug Siembieda

Since July, I have had the opportunity to talk to school psychologists all over California. These conversations include topics such as the looming budget problems, RtI, the role of the school psychologist and a variety of other issues including the proposed changes the APA Model Licensure Act. While the majority of practitioners are informed of this suggested change to the use of the term psychologist, I continue to encounter those who are unaware. As the school year gets going, the work continues to pile up, making it more challenging to address issues other then IEP meetings, report writing, SST’s, etc. However, we must continue to pay attention to this issue and bring it to the attention of those who are dealing with the day-to-day grind.

Ongoing budget issues will continue to force education to look at a variety of ways to meet the ever-increasing needs of our students, with a shrinking resource pool. The downturn in the economic environment may create a situation in which we will continue to have to “do more with less.” Budget cuts and poor economic times present another challenge to helping the students with whom we have dedicated our careers. This is a challenge that we must meet! It is times like these that will present with the opportunity for school psychologists to demonstrate their ability to lead during tough times. Through the leadership opportunities presented at school sites or school districts, school psychologists can help education navigate through economic and practice change.

As we face budget problems and issues like the APA Model Licensure Act, we need to continue to demonstrate our leadership in education. As school districts find themselves in different stages of implementing RtI models, it is clear that school psychologists demonstrate the requisite knowledge and skills to be leaders in this movement. During my conversations with school psychologists over the past several months, it is the theme of leadership that arises in several ways. With training focused on data based decision making, consultation and collaboration, and use of problem-solving models, school psychologists possess a skill set that puts us in a position to provide leadership through change.

During times like this, we must continue to work together to demonstrate our unified strength as school psychologists. Through participation in local affiliates, state or national associations, we can exhibit our collective expertise and benefit to education. Through advocacy efforts we can inform others about our activities and have an opportunity to impact the vital decisions that will be made in the coming months. Participating and staying involved in professional organizations will not only provide an avenue for advocacy, it will allow the individual school psychologist to experience professional growth. We must also maintain our skill and knowledge by participating in educational opportunities provided by professional organizations. Whether at the local or state level, school psychologists must continue to work together to advance into the future.