"Changes, Challenges and Building Capacity"
posted September 16, 2007

It is hard to believe we are already halfway through September! Many of us have been in school only 4 - 6 weeks, but we are moving full speed ahead. We are embarking on many changes in education that offer us the opportunity to spotlight our various roles and services. I have said this many times and I will say it again… what an exciting time to be a school psychologist!!! It appears that all stakeholders in education (curriculum, student services, special education, etc.) are aligning efforts to support ALL students. Opportunities to expand our role are vast, regardless if you are in an elementary school, university, or an administrator. I encourage each of you to embrace this time and think about how YOU are making a positive impact upon the practice of school psychology and education in the state of Georgia.

For most of us, these changes mean we are the instant "experts" on response to intervention, pyramid of interventions, reading curriculum, (too name a few) for the schools we serve. While this may seem overwhelming at times, we are in an ideal place to make change and impact service delivery for years to come. GASP recognizes the need to support members through professional learning to build capacity to work effectively in this changing world of education. Our fall conference is geared towards building those skills you can take back and use in your practice. For example, we have presentations on reading interventions at elementary and secondary levels, data collection on behavior, differentiation of instruction, and integrating neuropsych with RTI. These are just a few of the many presentations geared towards supporting you in your practice. Our conference chairs, Deborah Crockett and Frank Smith, have been working very hard to ensure the topics are timely and reflect your needs.

Besides our expanding roles, we are also facing challenges such as the APA Model Licensure Act revision. In July, I had the opportunity to attend the NASP Public Policy Institute in Washington DC where issues such as this were discussed on a national level. GASP is committed to addressing these issues and advocating on your behalf. You have already received emails from Jeanne Pound, our NASP Delegate, informing you of how to let APA hear your voice. It is important that we take an active role on this issue. You still have time to send in your comment. Let me also thank Jeanne for keeping our members informed on such important issues. Thank you!

My focus this year is to build upon the advocacy efforts of GASP to address issues that impact the practice of school psychology. We are ensuring advocacy efforts on all levels. Additionally, I have charged the board with the development of a GASP Pyramid of School Psychological Services and Supports. We will have an open work session on this document at the fall conference. I invite each of you to attend and take part in its development. The GASP Board is also in the process of developing our strategic plan. At fall conference, we will present our progress and ask for your input. As always, the GASP Board wants to hear from you.

I look forward to seeing you at fall conference, October 10 - 12 in Savannah. We have a comprehensive agenda, as well as a great band! A winning combination! Please come join us for a great conference! I look forward to continuing to work with you on making GASP a stronger organization to best serve the needs of Georgia school psychologists!
 

Tracy Boney, PhD
GASP President, 2007-2008