About Us
Psychologists in Education (PIE) is a Special Interest Council (SIC) of the Newfoundland & Labrador Teachers' Union - NLTA. We are a professional learning community that supports the growth of psychologists working in the Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education System in Newfoundland & Labrador. We were very proud to become an official SIC in February 2022.
Co-Presidents: Peggy Hann ; Darryl Murphy
Co-Treasurers/Membership: Michleen Power Elliott ; Kiah Gill
Communications & Administrative Duties: Jaclyn Browne ; Dayle Denney
Meet the Executive
If you have any questions, concerns or ideas RE: NLTA Special Interest Councils, contact Darlene Johnson, Administrative Officer (Programs & Services) by calling 709-726-3223 or toll-free at 1-800-563-3599, ext. 241.
Key Goals / Focus Areas
Key goals & focus areas for the Psychologists in Education (PIE) Special Interest Council include:
to create a learning community that supports each other and reviews best practices
to provide psychologists in education with high-quality continuing education and opportunities for collaboration, which will benefit all those with whom Psychologists work
to increase student access to services in schools by advocating for a defined Psychologist-to-student ratio aligned with the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) recommendations; NASP recommends a ratio of 1 School Psychologist to 500 students; All students should receive access to services in a reasonable time frame
School Psychologists are valuable professionals with unique skills and training in the K-12 education system. Presently, a set allocation for School Psychologists does not exist. The Psychologists in Education Special Interest Council proposes the Department of Education allocate a psychologist-to-student ratio at 1:750 with sensitivity to school configurations and geography. This 1:750 ratio will better facilitate the delivery of psychology services to students and the school community within the full scope of the School Psychologist’s practice and training.
to liaise and build meaningful relationships with key stakeholders and community partners to help provide the best supports and services for students in our province (For example, Autism Society, Learning Disabilities Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, Memorial University, etc… )
to educate the school community about the role, training, skills and experience of Psychologists who work with students, educators, and families to enable the optimization of skills for the benefit of the whole school community
to allow for coordinated, focused problem-solving around the growing issue of recruitment and retention of Psychologists in our province
to engage in meaningful collaboration with the Newfoundland & Labrador English School District, the Department of Education, and the Newfoundland & Labrador Teachers Association to create opportunities for the provision of high-quality, empirically driven mental health services in our province’s school system
to enable the Psychologists working in our schools to operate within their full scope of practice, thus further improving the quality and efficacy of mental health service delivery within education
