Nationally Certified School Psychologists

WSPA Salutes!

The following school psychologists in Wisconsin are recognized as Nationally Certified School Psychologists (NCSP):

Parity for the NCSP on the Local Level

The WSPA NCSP committee is actively working at the state level to advocate for parity in pay for the NCSP credential. Currently, the state recognizes the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or NBPTS credential. DPI provides grants of $2500 per year for nine years and a 10-year Master Educator license for successful completion of the NBPTS. School Psychologists are not currently eligible for this credential, nor is the NCSP recognized by the state.

While this committee is working at the state level, we are also encouraging individual school psychologists to fight for NCSP parity at a local level. Many school districts are providing stipends or other compensation for NBPTS certification or Master Educator status, but very few are extending that compensation to Nationally Certified School Psychologists.

Advice from those school psychologists who have received parity without fail begins with “join your local union negotiating team.” Though educating your negotiating team about the NCSP is an important step, nothing compares with the awareness and bargaining power you possess when you are an integral member of that team. Those who have joined their local teams have found that these negotiating teams are unaware of the NCSP credential and very supportive of including this credential with the NBPTS credential in negotiations.

NASP has prepared materials on how the NCSP aligns with other national certifications at http://www.nasponline.org/advocacy/2007certcomparison.pdf that may be useful in educating local bargaining teams, administrators and board members.

It also may be helpful to join with other pupil service professionals and our school speech pathologists who may have credentials issued by other professional organizations. When I approached my negotiating team with the NASP materials, they were impressed by the national credentials of these different professionals. We agreed that when a stipend for national certification is discussed in the next negotiation, it would include all of the national certifications or our team would not be interested.

Raising awareness of our national credential at the local level is one step in achieving NCSP parity at the state level. When our school boards and districts begin to recognize our training and accomplishments and how they work to the advantage of students and staff, the state will take notice. Much change in this state comes from grassroots efforts, and this is one effort that stands to change the face of School Psychology for many years to come.

Katie Johnson, NCSP
Northwest Regional Representative
On Behalf of the WSPA NCSP Committee

NCSP Committee Update

WSPA’s NCSP Committee has been working hard on behalf of current and future NCSPs this year. Our committee was formed several years ago when WSPA recognized that state-wide awareness of the National Certification in School Psychology (NCSP) was needed. Our ultimate goal is for NCSPs in Wisconsin to be appropriately recognized for the level of training and professional development to which they are committed in order to maintain their national certification. This year, our committee created a series of newsletter articles about obtaining, keeping, and promoting the NCSP. This series will continue throughout the year. Please see the WSPA newsletter for more information.

The WSPA NCSP committee is actively working at the state level to advocate for parity in state stipends and licensing for the NCSP credential. Currently, the Department of Public Instruction recognizes the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or NBPTS credential for teachers. DPI provides grants of $2500 per year for nine years and a 10-year Master Educator license for successful completion of the NBPTS. School Psychologists are not currently eligible for this credential, nor is the NCSP recognized by the state in any of the School Psychology licensing or licensing renewal requirements.

While this committee is working at the state level, we are also encouraging individual school psychologists to advocate for NCSP parity at a local level. Many school districts provide stipends or other compensation for NBPTS certification or attainment of the “Master Educator” status, but very few are extending that compensation to Nationally Certified School Psychologists. The NCSP committee believes that school district leaders should be aware of the commitment to continued professional development inherent in maintenance of the NCSP, as this level of commitment enhances the valuable skills and leadership that school psychologists bring to the school districts they serve.

This year, we have acknowledged those Wisconsin School Psychologists currently holding the NCSP in our WSPA newsletter. In celebration of National School Psychology week, our committee also sent a letter to the District Administrators employing a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. The letter commended the efforts of the school psychologist to gain and maintain the NCSP credential. Many school psychologists have provided feedback to WSPA that the letter was well received and met its intended purpose of promoting the significant level of training and commitment to ongoing professional development that NCSPs maintain, as well as bringing awareness to the parity issue within their local district.

We certainly hope this letter and the other materials we have provided via the newsletter are helpful to you in your local district. Our committee commends all NCSPs statewide on their commitment to excellence in our field.

Sincerely,

The WSPA NCSP Committee

Katie Johnson, NCSP
Mary Beth Tusing, NCSP
Rob Dixon, NCSP