Presidential Perspective
Website/SPII PRES PERS: Happy Holidays, Friends and Colleagues, It has been an amazing ride so far in our year of Collaborating for Advocacy! Each day I am taken aback and even more honored to serve as your ISPA President by all of you and our hard-working ISPA Governing Board members. I cannot believe it is already nearing our winter break and holidays. Like you, I am wiped with the overwhelming work we all do to advocate for our students, families, communities, educators, and each other during a continuing shortage of school psychologists in Illinois and the United States. When it feels like we have nothing left, one thing can help feel invigorating. Even when it feels like we have not done much, any level of support for a child/person can be life changing. You are all reflections of advocacy efforts. ISPA is cheering you on and here to support and serve all of you in the field of school psychology, including those of you that practice, teach, train, and those of you in training! Our continued theme of Collaborating for Advocacy has already been evident; and hopefully, may bring some solace in these dire times. We have accomplished so much and continue to do the work and show up everyday. So far this year, Governor JB Pritzker issued an official proclamationthat recognized the National School Psychology Week (shareable on the ISPA website) - we really are Collaborating for Advocacy in Illinois! In early November, we shared the exciting news that the U.S. House Resolution 82 passed in the U.S. House by a vote of 327 to 75 with 1 voting present. This is the legislation that has been worked on for many years that would allow those with certain pensions in certain states -- educators and other public employees in Illinois-- to also draw their full Social Security benefit. If you have not done so yet, you can still send a message to Senators (Durbin/Duckworth) to support these efforts. https://www.durbin.senate.gov/contact/email https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/connect/email-tammy Our winter convention is coming up in January 2025! Our professional development and workshops provide both ISBE and NASP approved professional development. While NASP cannot provide ISBE-approved professional development hours, ISPA continues to provide both ISBE and NASP approved professional development. It is of the utmost importance in advocating for school psychologists to continue education and certifications with Professional Educator Licenses (PEL) and/or the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential. Remember that if you have your NCSP, you need only indicate you hold this license on the ISBE renewal page for renewal of your PEL. Please see below for a link to template letters to your principal and/or special education administrators to seek permission to attend conferences/conventions, encourage administrators and other school-based mental health providers to attend with you, and links to forums on how to contact our legislators. This link will provide as mere templates that you may use. Template Letters for Principals-Special Administrators / Forums to Contact Legislators ISPA’s Governing Board members continue to work tirelessly to help all of the School Psychologists in our state in so many ways, doing so in Illinois since 1979, and will continue well beyond our time to help you and further service our children in so many advocacy efforts. Are you interested in being a part of this change at the Governing Board level? Reach out! Our governing board has our hands in many aspects of Collaborating for Advocacy. We welcome your ideas/inspiration to make our Governing Board, our profession, and our state the best it can be! An easy first step is to Join a Committee. Click here to see a list of committee options. Please remember that you’ve got some SKILLS that would be beneficial to the ISPA Governing Board. We are excited to meet you. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or want to share your perspective to enhance the work of our association. You can reach out to me at [email protected]. As educators, you are part of the backbone of our society with a commitment to children in the field and your amazing skill set, while undervalued, is integral in all of the lives that you touch each day. Thank you to all of you, members, school psychologists, educators, ISPA Governing Board members, for your dedication. Jyoti Kolodziej Your ISPA President
Save the Dates
In addition, we have three (3) more Governing Board meetings that we hold each year, in which members are welcome to attend as guests! Governing Board Meetings - Wednesday, January 29, 2025 - 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel, 201 Broadway, Normal, IL 61761) Saturday, April 26, 2025 - 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (in-person / Location is TBD) Saturday, June 7, 2025 - 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (in-person / Location is TBD)
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