Psychologists In Education (PIE)Constitution

Psychologists in Education (PIE) Ψ

A Special Interest Council of NLTA 

Psychologists In Education (PIE) Constitution 

School Psychologists are valuable professionals with unique skills and training in the K-12 education system.  Psychologists In Education (PIE) is a Special Interest Council (SIC) of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association (NLTA) for Registered Psychologists working in the K-12 system. PIE is a professional learning community established for Psychologists working in the K-12 school system in Newfoundland and Labrador.  

Goals

Key goals & focus areas for the Psychologists in Education (PIE) Special Interest Council (SIC) 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.

• 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 1:500  with sensitivity to school configurations and geography. This 1:500 ratio will help 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 promote evidence based psychological service interventions for students in the K-12 system.

• 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 promote and encourage School Psychology research along with the teacher and training of School Psychologists.

• To consult, develop, and make recommendations regarding School Psychology standards of practice.

• 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.

Membership

Membership in PIE shall consist of FOUR classes of members: Full Member, Associate Member, Student Member, and Honorary Member.

1. Full Member: Has graduate degree in Psychology, is a Registered/Provisionally Registered Psychologist with the NLPB, is a member of the NLTA, and will currently work, or be eligible to work, as a School Psychologist in Newfoundland and Labrador.

2. Associate Member: A member who does not meet the criteria for full membership, but demonstrates a vested interest in the promotion of School Psychology. Members may include (but are not limited to) retired School Psychologists, Registered Psychologists working in post-secondary or early childhood education, or Registered Psychologists holding a graduate degree in School Psychology who are working outside the K-12 school system.  Associate members do not have voting rights nor can they hold an executive position.

3. Student Member: Psychology graduate students/interns who are interested in learning about School Psychology and demonstrate a vested interest in the promotion of School Psychology. Student members do not have voting rights.

4. Honorary Member: Professionals who are identified as contributing exceptional service or contributions to the school psychology and school communities.

Candidates for membership shall apply to PIE and complete an application form. This form will then be reviewed by the PIE executive and recommended for/against approval via the above membership criteria and PIE executive majority vote.  Any member may withdraw from PIE by giving written notice of SIC withdrawal to the PIE Executive. For the convenience of members and the executive, membership will automatically roll over each year as long as the member continues to meet the criteria for membership. The PIE executive will survey members to help maintain accurate membership data.

Full Members of PIE are eligible for:

• Election to the PIE Executive

• Appointment to chair or to be a member of a committee

• Make nominations for elections

• Vote for PIE Executive members or any matter at all general meetings

Ethics & Boundaries

Psychologists In Education will follow the Canadian Psychology Association (CPA) Code of Ethics as well as the Newfoundland and Labrador Association (NLTA) Code of Ethics. Psychologists In Education (PIE) shall be nonprofit, nonpartisan, and nonsectarian in its purposes and activities. Executive members and individual members are not permitted to speak on behalf of the entire membership without following due process. Each member shall inform the Co-Presidents and other executive members if there is a conflict of interest regarding any issue. In such a situation, the executive member must recuse themself from the vote on that issue.

Collaboration & Key Partnerships

Psychologists In Education will collaborate and connect with key partners to improve psychology services and support for all students, educators, families and school communities.

Executive & Executive Duties

Co-Presidents

• The lead contact and official representative of PIE and member ex-officio of all committees

• Be responsible for the effective functioning of PIE’s Executive and all PIE Committees

• Arrange meetings with the executive and general membership (including the Annual General Meeting)

• Maintain liaison with the NLTA, other NLTA Special Interest Councils, and other organizations (Association of Newfoundland Psychologists, Newfoundland and Labrador Psychology Board, etc)

• Attend all Special Interest Council Presidents’ meetings (or designate representative)

• Other powers and duties as assigned to them by the PIE

• Be one of the PIE signing officers

• The term of office shall be for two years

Co-Treasurer/Membership Duties

• Present an annual budget

• Review the monthly and annual financial statements of the SIC

• Prepare the annual operating budget (viability statement) in collaboration with the president and vice-president

• Manage the distribution and allocation of all monies received

• Responsible for attending all PIE executive board meetings and annual general meetings

• Report the balance at the monthly meetings

• Share signing authority

• Responsible for the oversight of membership recruitment, engagement, and retention activities

• Development and implementation of membership recruitment and renewal

• Coordinate onboarding of new members

• Track and analyze results of membership efforts

• Update membership web content

• Maintain mailing lists

• Maintain and update member information

• Serve as a first responder for inquiries into membership

• Represent the SIC onsite at events as needed

• Term will be two years for Co-Treasurer/Membership role

Communications/Administration Co-Chairs

• Responsible for the coordination and disbursement of official communications of the PIE executive as designated by the executive board or appointed by the Co-Presidents

• Coordinate newsletter article submissions and generate newsletter content to be published/distributed  at least biannually

• Operate official PIE executive social media accounts

• Responsible for attending all PIE executive board meetings and annual general meetings

• Responsible for recording meeting minutes at all board meetings and making these readily available to the executive board, and to the membership, when applicable

• Provide writing/editing support as required by the executive (eg. for letters, newsletters, etc.)

• Fulfill other duties as may be designated by the executive

• Will complete a term of two years in duration

Past-President 

• Provide direction and information to the PIE executive

• Attend executive meetings and special meetings (by request)

• Fulfill other duties as may be designated by the executive

• Has voting privileges on the PIE executive

• Term of office shall be for two years, commencing immediately after a new president/co-presidents & executive are formed

Annual Year

The annual fiscal year will be from April 1 to March 31.

NOTE:

This document was created in 2023-2024. It was sent to all members for review on multiple occasions.

The document was reviewed at the May 8, 2024 AGM and a PIE Provincial GoogleMeet on June 3rd. Document was emailed to members and voted on (June 18, 2024).

June 18, 2024