Get School Psych'd

Hey there LSSPs,

Spring has sprung! Flowers are in bloom, the sun is coming, and the allergens are in the air!

I hope and trust that you are making things work in your schools to the best of your abilities. The spring always brings with it the mad dash to the FIE finish line, but I know that has a new meaning this year. I hope you can find a way to strike a balance between meeting the demands of your role while also trying to make time an take care of yourself.

I was surprised to learn that some of you are surprised that I am available for evaluation case consults. While offering PD is a big part of my job, another reason my role was created was to be able to support all of you with your issues and questions. I have been trying to improve my processes and make it easy for y'all, and in doing so I found a new tool: Calendly.

I have set up a Calendly appointment tool to allow you to schedule a 30 minute block of my time. The scheduler is tied to my calendar, so if you see an appointment time, I am available. No more having to email back and forth and find a time, just complete the sign up information and it will appear on our calendars automagically. =)

You can click here to see the tool and schedule a phone or Zoom meeting. I have also added the link to signature block in my email, so feel free to make use of it when you need a thought partner or sounding board.

Keep Being School Psych'd,

Keya Saleh, LSSP, NCSP

Region 10 Educational Service Center

Persuading the Unpersuadable

Many of us may be asking ourselves how, when people disagree with or discount us, we can persuade them to rethink their positions. This Harvard Business Review article offers some approaches that can help you encourage a know-it-all to recognize when there’s something to be learned, a stubborn colleague to make a U-turn, a narcissist to show humility, and a disagreeable boss to agree with you.

The Create a Conversational Safe Space, Begin with Listening Skills

Matthew Kay, middle school teacher and author of Not Light, But Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom shares three discussion guidelines he uses in his classroom to establish the conversational safe space.

Understanding ACEs for Parents: English and Spanish

The ACEs connection website shares some free handouts on supporting parents in growing their understanding of trauma.

As part of a new 'mini-series' in the Get School Pscyh'd newsletter, I will be featuring/sharing some information about the various statewide networks in Texas.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Technical Assistance Networks, here's a brief description:

As part of the dissemination of discretionary funds that TEA receives under IDEA-B for state-level activities, TEA provides grants for statewide leadership networks. Networks address major, thematic topics that are identified as critical technical assistance and support needs for the state. A network is comprised of:

• The grantee who implements the network under TEA's leadership
• Network members (At least 1 from each of the 20 Education Service Centers (ESCs) across the state)
• TEA special education program staff

This month, we look at the Inclusion in Texas Network.

The Inclusion in Texas Network works in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to build a statewide culture of high expectations for students with disabilities and significantly improve academic and functional outcomes for students served by special education.

Some of the great resources they offer include:

• A Statewide listserv to get the latest information and updates from the state.
• A wide range of Assistive Technology guides and resources.
• A newly update 5 part online Professional Development series on Universal Design for Learning

You can find all that and more at the Inclusion in Texas network home page.

Please join us virtually on April 27th, 28th and 29th for our Annual 2021 Safety 1st Conference: Making Schools Safe. Presenters from various organizations will provide up-to-date information in order to help us better protect our students and staff. Some of these organizations include: Dallas Child Advocacy Center, Crime Stoppers, Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, Texas Association of School Boards, Texas School Safety Center, Texas Education Agency, and more!

Safety 1st Conference: Making Schools Safe (April 27, 28, & 29)

WHEN

Tuesday, April 27th, 12:15 - 4:00

Wednesday, April 28th, 12:15 – 4:00

Thursday April 29th, 12:15-4:00

Click here for more information and to register.

METTA INC is a public charity whose mission is to provide scholarships and grants for adults and children who are disabled, to attend classes in mindfulness and self-compassion training in order to enrich their quality of life and provide an overall sense of well-being.

The currently have scholarship opportunity for SEL Activity Cards and Video Trainings. Your school/district will qualify for fully funded SEL and Mindfulness educational materials from METTA if you serve students with special needs. Funding is available on a first-come and first-serve basis. Your school or district will be placed on a waiting list. As funds become available, we will contact you to let you know that funds are available to begin distributing SEL and Mindfulness materials to your teachers and students. The SEL cards and manual are available in both digital and printed formats with accompanying 3- hours video training that will be available on demand.

To apply, please complete the application here.

For more information on METTA, visit their website here.

Dr. Joy Wang and her students at Texas Tech University are conducting one-hour Zoom interviews about common behavioral problems in schools (PreK through 2nd grade) and related interventions.

Participants will also learn a new intervention through watching a 10-minute video, and answer some questions about this new intervention. All participation is confidential. Interviews will be recorded and transcribed, but names and any other identifying information will be removed from the transcription.

No preparation prior to the interview is needed, except to sign the consent form and a very brief demographic form. Each participant will receive a $50 Amazon gift card as an appreciation of their time.

For more information, see this attached flyer.

TEA has a new summer learning support through Texas Home Learning (THL) – the Summer Learning Framework (SLF), that your district may find value in. The SLF helps districts with design, planning, and onboarding supports to implement a high-quality summer learning program through a webinar series, planning tools, and district examples.

Register below to join the statewide SLF webinar series and hear experts share about how to implement a high-quality summer learning program.

Summer Learning Framework Statewide Webinar Series

The webinar series is accompanied by planning tools and district exemplars and covers design and implementation (D&I), academics and enrichment (A&E), and operations (Ops).

Mar 29 @ 11:00 AM CT | Designing for High-Quality Summer Learning - D&I
Mar 30 @ 11:00 AM CT | Student Recruitment - D&I
Mar 31 @ 11:00 AM CT | Staffing and PD Models - D&I
Apr 1 @ 11:00AM CT | Climate and Culture - D&I
Apr 6 @ 10:00 AM CT | Budgeting for Summer - Ops
Apr 7 @ 10:00 AM CT | Master Scheduling - Ops
Apr 7 @ 11:00 AM CT | Enrichment for Summer - A&E
Apr 8 @ 11:00 AM CT | Summer Site Operations - Ops

Summer Learning Framework Resources

Statewide Webinar Series: Covering design, academics, and operations for summer learning planning led by TEA and national experts.

Planning Resources: Tools, templates, and examples for Texas districts to support districts with summer plans.

THL – Summer Units: An out-of-the-box HQIM solution, developed specifically for the needs of Summer 2021. Additional support, materials, and stipends are available for THL through CRIMSI.

For additional questions regarding SLF, please reach out to texashomelearning@tea.texas.gov.

The Texas Association of School Psychologists will hold their summer institute over Zoom this summer. The conference will take place on June 23rd and 24th with live and on-demand sessions.

The Theme of the conference is Be Ready! Addressing Trauma, Crisis, and Suicide Prevention

Mark your calendars today!

PESI is hosting their 2021 Virtual Autism Symposium on April 22 and 23rd. Led by keynote speaker Temple Grandin and featuring pioneers in autism intervention Dr. Stephen Porges, Dr. Jed Baker, Dr. Carol Westby, Leah Kuypers, and more. Hear firsthand from leading clinicians, researchers, developers, and individuals on the spectrum as they cover innovative techniques, cutting-edge strategies, and transformational strengths-based approaches.

You can find more information about the speakers and symposium information at this link. Be sure to use the promo code ASD100BE to get yoru conference registration for just $199,

I have always gotten a lot of questions about the books I am reading (mostly because approximately 84% of my sentences start with "you know I just read this book..."), so I decided to start sharing some of my personal favorites that I have recently read (or in some cases, reread).

This month: Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania. I always find myself enjoying his work (podcasts, TED Talks) and this newest book is no exception. As a knowledge sector professional and a human being, this book served as a great reminder about maintain intellectual curiosity and flexibility in the face of improved information.

One of my biggest goals of GSP is to get information about our Region 10 LSSPs. I know your time is valuable and I don't want to ask you to spend half a day filling out tons of information, so I have settled on what I am calling the Two-ish Question Quiz. Every so often, I humbly ask for you to answer two questions about yourself to help us get a better picture of the LSSPs in Region 10.

This month, I am allowing the Two Question Quiz to be borrowed by our team at Region 10 who is exploring the viability of a Summer (or another time of year) Evaluation Personnel conference.

If you have any questions or need support in your campus/district, give me a shout!

Email: keya.saleh@region10.org
Website: www.region10.org/programs/evaluation-special-education/overview/
Location: 904 Abrams Road, Richardson, TX, USA
Phone: 972-348-1598
Twitter: @getschoolpsychd