| KANSAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS
Empowering Children, Educators, and Families |
Kansas Association of School Psychologists
Winter 2023 Edition
Brittany Reed, Editor Mandy Thomsen, Associate Editor
|
Hello and happy new year, I hope that you have had a restful winter break and now have gotten back to your normal routine! The KASP board met for the January retreat recently and worked hard reviewing the strategic plan, planning for future actions, getting updates on ongoing action items, and planning for future conferences. One exciting addition that we will be adding for our members is access to the School Psych Review Journal. This is an incredible tool to continue keeping up with the most current research which directly relates to our field. Serving on the KASP board is an incredibly rewarding experience so if you are even considering joining the board don’t hesitate to reach out to any of us. We will be having some opportunities for volunteer members to work on some of our action items with us, so please look out for information about that very soon! On January 28th we participated in the School Mental Health Lobby Day along with the school counselors, school social workers, and school nurses. This was the first year that the school nurses joined us and we are so excited to continue partnering with them. I myself have had the privilege to collaborate with the presidents of the Kansas School Counselor Association, Kansas School Social Worker Association, and Kansas School Nurses Organization this past year. We have so many common goals and are all incredibly passionate about students. The virtual spring convention is our next big event. I am excited to announce our speaker, Dr. David Kilpatrick who will be presenting on April 28th from 8:30-12:30. This is an incredible learning opportunity that I hope many of you will take advantage of. Registration will open soon! Humbled to be your president, Lina Kitson, Ph.D., NCSP |
Board Minute Summary by Angie Howard, Secretary The KASP Executive Board convened in Lawrence, Kansas on the evening of Friday, January 13, 2023, and on Saturday, January 14, 2023, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Board members engaged in roll call and introductions. The minutes from the October 2022 Board Meeting were approved after short discussion. Members of the Board engaged in onboarding procedures, which included a brief discussion and review of established meeting norms, Board responsibilities, the Constitution, and Bylaws. Board members engaged in small and large group discussions regarding the strategic priorities, noting progress made and establishing plans for continued advancement toward goals during the 2023 calendar year. Members of the Board discussed possibilities for additional “perks” that could be offered to Membership. Additionally, a motion was made to increase membership dues to help counteract inflation and increased costs incurred by the organization. This motion will be submitted as a constitutional amendment for Board review prior to submission for a vote of general membership.An overview of results and plan for construction of a report was discussed related to the KASP membership survey distributed in November 2022. The Treasurer gave the 2022 End of Year Budget Report and the Board worked to establish and approve the 2023 budget. Members of the Board proposed and approved changes to the standing rules to provide clarity for determining NASP Convention attendees sponsored by KASP and related stipends and approved changes related to provision of hotel and milage reimbursement in instances requiring Board member attendance. The GPR representative reported on the legislative activities and current climate and reviewed plans for the upcoming School Mental Health Awareness Day. The NASP Delegate shared information regarding professional development opportunities relevant to strategic goals. Region Directors engaged in discussion and planning related to region meetings and possible virtual professional development opportunities. Updates were provided by the President and Conference Chair related to upcoming conferences and the Board engaged in planning for the events. Upcoming Board meetings were scheduled, and the meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m. |
Report from the Treasurer |
|
What a great turnout for School mental health Advocacy Day at the Capitol in Topeka! Thank you to each one of you who took time out of your busy schedules to engage legislators in discussion regarding the work we do each day. 162 mental health professionals and allies gathered on January 26 for an opportunity to meet with legislators and learn how to advocate. We were invited to the House Education Committee Meeting where the topic of restraint and seclusion was on the agenda. Video of our appearance is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq9grwVBLis KASP continues to work for equitable access to mental health for all Kansas students. We have also worked toward a bill that would formally change the name of the Emotional Disturbance category to what it is: Emotional Disability. On February 16th, the committee passed HB 2322. It will still need to be voted on by the full body in order to be sent to the Senate, but this is a BIG step. It is only the beginning of the legislative session in Kansas. There will be issues that come up that impact the way we do our work. It is important to maintain contact with your local legislative officials throughout the session even if they do not serve on the education or K-12 Budget committee. Once a bill passes out of committee, it needs to be voted on by the full body in order to become law. There is bipartisan support for mental health services in schools but there is disagreement regarding how those services should be provided. You can track bills that have been introduced in legislature at this website:http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/bills/. Anther resource for getting an idea of what is going on regarding school law is follow @leahfliter on Twitter, or follow Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) on Facebook. Big issues will be addressed this session with special education funding, bullying, and “school choice” vouchers being high on the agenda. KASP remains dedicated to promoting evidence-based practices in schools and equitable access to mental health services for all students. This can be done by lowering ratios. Continue to meet with local boards of education within your districts and let them know about the work we do each day for our students. Engage with your state-level legislators on topics of importance to your practice and contact federal officials regarding their failure to fund special education services at statutory levels. Thank you again for your support of School Mental Health Advocacy Day. This annual event is a collaboration with our colleagues at Kansas School Counselors Association, Kansas School Nurses Organization, and Kansas School Social Workers Association. If you were unable to attend this year, plan to join us next January. Jonathan Smeeton, Government and Public Relations |
Kansas Association of School Psychologists (KASP) is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists to offer continuing education for school psychologists. KASP maintains responsibility for the program.
KASP is a NASP approved provider of CPDs. KASP is approved provider #1030
No person will be denied access to or full participation in any KASP program, event or activity on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, disability, or age.