Breanna Clarke and Nygeleke Jones discuss SUNY Oswego’s Certificate of Advanced Studies program, sharing the highs, the challenges, and hopes for how the program can continue to grow. They are joined by special guests Matthew Quattropani, Joe Wood, KT Hancock, and Dr. Jodi Mullen. The group has a conversation about play therapy, hip hop therapy, and other culturally responsive modalities that could be used to support students with various challenges in the school setting, and more importantly, the various courses that SUNY Oswego students can take to satisfy their Certificate of Advanced Studies requirements.

In this episode, Sophia and Marcus talk to Dr. Laura Spenceley about the various educational and career options open to school psychologists as well as opportunities for leadership and advocacy. They learn about Dr. Spenceley’s career path, the different forms of advocacy, and the persistence required to create change in school systems and in graduate programs. Stay tuned to hear Sophia and Marcus discuss the considerations that go into choosing assessments for special education evaluations.

Nygeleke Jones, Breanna Clarke, and Sam Hatem share their perspective and experiences from their first year as school psychology graduate students at SUNY Oswego. As they enter their second year, they break down common shared experiences, independent struggles, and triumphs throughout their year. They share thoughts on how the program and the field as a whole can continue to grow, highlighting how we can work together to support the field, the students we serve, and new practitioners.

In this episode, Sophia and Marcus talk to Dr. John Garruto about the ethical considerations surrounding some of the most controversial topics in the field of school psychology. They learn about ethical problem-solving models, minimizing bias in evaluations, balancing FERPA and test security, the difference between imposter syndrome and a lack of competence, and more ethical issues. Stay tuned to hear Sophia and Marcus discuss the backstory and implications of the infamous Larry P. v. Riles case.

Abumrad, J., & Corredera, T. (Hosts). (2019). The miseducation of Larry P. Radiolab [Audio podcast]. WNYC Studios. https://radiolab.org/podcast/g-miseducation-larry-p/transcript

California Association of School Psychologists. (2023, October 10). Updated Larry P. guidance paper. https://casponline.org/pdfs/resource-papers/Updated%20Larry%20P.%20Guidance%20Paper%2010-10-23.pdf
Fleming, N. (2019). A landmark lawsuit aimed to fix special ed for California’s Black students. It didn’t. KQED. https://www.kqed.org/news/11781032/a-landmark-lawsuit-aimed-to-fix-special-ed-for-californias-black-students-it-didnt

Sullivan, A. L. (2010). Preventing disproportionality: A framework for culturally responsive assessment. Communiqué, 39 (3). Retrieved from: https://www.nasponline.org/publications/periodicals/communique/issues/volume-39-issue-3/preventing-disproportionality-a-framework-for-culturally-responsive-assessment

Are you gonna diagnose me? You're going to become a counselor? What job do you want to get? These are all real questions that many of us have heard when we tell people we are getting our master's degree in school psychology. Most of all, people are confused when we tell them about school psychology. To settle this matter once and for all, Sophia and Marcus invited several guests on the podcast to talk about what exactly school psychologists do every day. Enjoy the perspectives of Sam Hatem, Tori Perez, Mairead Mulvihill, Gabby Toombs, and Anna Demer in this enlightening episode.

In this episode, Sophia and Marcus talk to Dr. Michael Paff about how they can best utilize their roles in the schools to support students in the LGBTQ+ community. They learn about best practices for working with LGBTQ+ students, navigating politics in the schools, and how to advocate for these marginalized students. Stay tuned to hear Sophia, Marcus, and newcomer Bre summarize an important guidance document from the New York State Department of Education.

Extra Resources:

Gender Born, Gender Made: Raising Healthy Gender-Nonconforming Children by Diane Ehrensaft

The Transgender Child by Rachel Pepper and Stephanie Brill

The Transgender Teen by Stephanie Brill and Lisa Kenney

References

Planned Parenthood (n.d.). What’s intersex. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/gender-identity/sex-gender-identity/whats-intersex#:~:text=Intersex%20is%20a%20general%20term,male%E2%80%9D%20or%20%E2%80%9Cfemale%E2%80%9D.

The New York State Department of Education (2023, June). Creating a safe, supportive, and affirming school environment for transgender and gender expansive students: 2023 legal update and best practices. https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/student-support-services/creating-a-safe-supportive-and-affirming-school-environment-for-transgender-and-gender-expansive-students.pdf

In this episode, Sophia and Marcus chat with interns Lauren Guilds and Michael Donato to get an idea of what they can expect when they become interns in the fall. They learn about the most rewarding and most challenging parts of the internship, how to balance work and life, and how to make the most out of their experience. Stay tuned (01:02:30) to hear a brief history of how discriminatory housing policies and the highway system have led to negative outcomes for marginalized communities and how there may be hope in the near future.

References

Appleton, S. (n.d.). Mapmaker: Redlining in the united states. National Geographic. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/mapmaker-redlining-united-states/

Federal Reserve History (2023, June 2). Redlining. https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/redlining

Gross, T. (2017, May 3). A forgotten history of how the u.s. Government segregated america. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2017/05/03/526655831/a-forgotten-history-of-how-the-u-s-government-segregated-america

Misiaszek, E. & Ostrander, D. (2024, February 21). Syracuse releases official community grid vision plan with big plans for southside. CNYCentral. https://cnycentral.com/news/local/syracuse-releases-official-community-grid-vision-plan-with-big-plans-for-southside

Ramirez, R. (2021, May 21). The new york highway that racism built: It does nothing but pollute. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/21/syracuse-new-york-highway-i81-viaduct-biden

Sullivan, A. (2021, May 25). Divided highway. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/graphics/USA-BIDEN/INFRASTRUCTURE-FREEWAYS/qzjpqbzzyvx/

University of Richmond (n.d.). Mapping Inequality. https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/

In this episode, Sophia and Marcus have an enlightening conversation with Dr. Charles Barrett. They learn more about how to apply the principles of social justice in their work, and they discuss controversial topics such as school resource officers, assessment bias, and challenging colleagues. Stay tuned to hear Marcus and Sophia’s reflections on their conversation as well as a discussion surrounding what gives them hope for our troubled education system.