Add Professional Advocacy to Your List of Critical Skills

School psychologists are advocates by training. Child advocacy is a central principle of and primary responsibility for school psychologists, just as advocating for ethical behavior is a cornerstone of professional practice. Advocating for your role as a professional uniquely equipped to assess the needs of students and schools and understand how to address those needs is also vitally important. This is true whether it’s your daily work with parents and teachers, interactions with district administrators, community outreach, or efforts to shape policy. Today’s tough economic climate, changes in education priorities and policies, the upcoming reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), and growing focus of other professions on school practice all make your ability to effectively “make your case” more important than ever. 

Like everything else in school psychological practice, professional advocacy is skills based. It isn’t rocket science but there are techniques and strategies that make you more effective (and help ease some of the anxiety around the perception of “advocacy”). The NASP 2010 Convention offers many opportunities to develop your knowledge and your skills related to professional advocacy at the practice and policy levels. Following is a sample of the sessions available as part of your registration:

• FS06 Featured Panel Presentation: Preserving Capacity and Protecting Jobs in School Psychology—Lessons Learned From The Frontlines
• SS07 Using Your Degree for Diplomacy: Putting Advocacy Into Action
• SS11 Update on the Revision to the NASP Standards
• SS12 State Credentialing Point Person Training
• SS17 Promoting and Preserving School Psychology
• SS20 Essential Tools for Early Career School Psychologists
• SS22 Grassroots Advocacy to Promote Your School Psychological Agenda
• SS23 Communication Matters: Preserving and Promoting Your Role in a Tough Professional Climate
• SS28 Disproportionality: Implications for Policy and Action
• SS29 National Public Policy Initiatives Supporting School Psychologists
• SS30 From Chapel Hill to Capitol Hill: Legislative Advocacy Tools for Graduate Student Leaders
• SS31 Homophobia and Bullying: An Update and Call to Advocacy
• SY010 School Administrators as Key Team Members in Family/School Collaboration Initiatives
• SY028 Role of School Psychologists in a Community-Based School Readiness Initiative

Consider making time in your busy convention schedule to add professional advocacy to your skills.