Polarity: The Past and the Future

Abstract: In spite of 10 years of debate and deliberation, the entry level question remains a volatile professional issue, with differing positions entrenched to a point of intractability. The arguments remain pretty much the same as they were articulated 10 years ago. This article provides a focus on the entry level debate that differs from previous arguments. Through a discussion of power and polarity,the article argues that the debate has served to move the discipline of school psychology ahead in a constructive manner, and that a final resolution of the entry level issue should not be prioritized above our understanding of the professional growth that occurs as a result of constructive tension.