FASP Southeast Region

Southeast Region

This is your region if you are in one of the following Counties:
Broward, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie

Your FASP Regional Representative is:

Kim Berryhill

270 Eagleton Estates Blvd.
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
(C) 561.542.3088
Email: kimmber89@aol.com

Contact your FASP Regional Representative to keep her updated about activities and special projects being conducted by you and your colleagues in the Southeast Region so that those events can be published here on your FASP web page.

Southeast Region

Palm Beach County school psychologists are advocating for their positions. A few weeks ago, 8 positions were cut (resulting in a 10% decrease to staff). Currently, Palm Beach County employs 86 school psychologists and are serving over 171,000 students. School psychologist to student ratio is currently 1:2000 in Palm Beach, 1:1300 nationally and 1:1100 statewide. With the 10% cuts, the ratio in Palm Beach will be 1:2200. PBASP (Palm Beach Association of School Psychologists) current President and President Elect, as well as (2) Lead School Psychologists have been meeting with School Board Members as well as the current Superintendant of Schools to advocate against the cuts as well as future cuts. We will keep you posted on our advocacy movement!

Executive Board Meeting Highlights – April 30-May 1

Budgets cuts impacting school psychologists are a major concern. Duval County School Psychologists have been placed on 10 month contracts resulting in significant financial loss. Palm Beach is anticipating a 10% cut while Polk County School Psychologists are also bracing for cuts.

Advocacy information has been placed on the FASP webpage to assist psychologists in addressing these issues. Also, FASP Executive Board members are available for consultation.

LEGISLATIVE

Bob Cerra, FASP Lobbyist, stated that the upcoming budget is one of the worst for education in recent memory. There is an expected 3.42% reduction in funding.

Retirement – COLAS are being suspended for new employees

Retirement will be based on your highest eight years of your salary rather than the previous highest five years.

With the exception D.R.O.P. enrollees, all employees will be required to pay 3%of their salary into their retirement.

Vacation days and overtime will no longer be used to calculate your final retirement compensation.

NASP

Sarah Valley, NASP Delegate, reported that the prohibition of serving students in your school district has been removed by the NASP Ethics Committee. However, the rule continues to apply to students within the schools served by you.

Sarah also talked about a project “Back the Pack”, a drive to provide food for students who may have little or no food on weekends. Please follow this link to learn more about this most worthy project: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/
vp/42587983#42587983

DOE UPDATE

David Wheeler stated that if parents make a request for an evaluation, the district must proceed or send a notice of refusal. Saying that they must wait for RtI is unacceptable. The evaluation has to be done concurrently with interventions.

IMPORTANT DATES

FASP Elections – May 13 – June 12 PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL

FASP Awards nominations due June 30, 2011

FASP Executive Board meeting – July 18, St. Petersburg, FL – All members are welcome to attend

Summer Institute – July 19-24 – St. Petersburg, FL

FASP Executive Board meeting – October 29, St. Petersburg, FL – All members are welcome to attend

Fall Conference – October 30 – November 1st

FASP would like to congratulate the following Region 6 recipients of January's "Monthly Recognition of Excellence"

Angelo DeSimone: Angelo has been instrumental in getting the NCSP stipend for Palm Beach County. This year, he developed a Sharepoint website for Palm Beach County School Psychologists. He serves on the PBASP Executive Board, is an internship supervisor and serves as a professor at NOVA Southeastern University.
Deb Falk: Deb has been an intern and practicum supervisor in Palm Beach County. She is instrumental in transitioning pre-K students into Kindergarten with appropriate services. She works with teachers in developing and monitoring self designed behavior plans. A few years ago, she was instrumental in working with a selective mute child and successfully got the child to talk using behavior modification and scaffolding. She continues to be a supportive colleague and is always willing to consult. Deb serves as a mentor to beginning school psychologists. She continues to research new practices and shares her new found knowledge with other colleagues