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School Psychologist

Interview Paper

Alma Busch

Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Global

CSPU 510: Introduction to the Ethical Practice of School Psychology

Lore’K Garofola

September 15, 2024

Interview with School Psychologist at New Republic Elementary School of Santa Rita

Union School District

In preparation for this interview, I looked to a variety of schools that I could possibly

reach out to in order to ask these questions and obtain information regarding the daily life of a

school psychologist. Unfortunately, the high school that I work at does not currently have a

school psychologist who is permanent, rather an intern who is there some days of the week. I

was unable to get a meeting with her so I asked my partner to reach out to the school

psychologist at her job site in the Santa Rita Union School District at New Republic Elementary

School. I got in touch with her and was able to find out some amazing information about her

time as a school psychologist.

Her name is Daniela Escamilla and it was fun to find our similarities in our educational

and work background and how we both ended up in the same area for the same work. She did her

undergrad online with the intention of becoming a teacher. Then she went on to California State

University, Monterey Bay to pursue her degree in School Psychology. Also similar to me, she did

substitute teaching in her time while she was in grad school. This is what I did last year and I am

currently a behavior technician.

Much like what we heard from the videos we watched for class, a typical day isn’t

usually a set schedule of any sort. She does reserve Thursday’s for IEPs, observations and

testing, but is often called into classrooms or around the campus to help de-escalate students. I

was amazed to find out that she only completes about 40 evaluations a year, including initials,

tri-annuals and FBAs. In working as a long-term substitute teacher in the special education
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department last year, I’ve had my share of sitting for an IEP, along with my resource specialist in

which I worked hand-in-hand with, and I understood a lot of what the school psychologist was

referring to. The school district that I work in is quite large, and I hadn’t known that until I talked

to her. Growing up, I went to private schools so I didn’t know much about funding, allocation or

anything in general about school districts. Hearing that this school psychologist did about 40

evaluations and gets to stay at one school, as opposed to the school psychologist at our school

who would be spread pretty thin, seems nicer and overall better supported by her administration.

When discussing her role as a school-based mental health professional, I found it

interesting that she referred to herself as a “middleman.” She says that she doesn’t consider what

she does to be a direct service provider, which I would think that she would. She mentioned that

she primarily does a lot of assessments, testing, consultation, etc. In thinking back to our videos

again, I do recall one of the psychologists mentioning that if they get a chance to get out there

with the students, then that was a good day in their book. This makes me sad to think that I won’t

be working as closely with the students all the time, but I think my positive spin on it is that I get

to help them “behind the scenes” in making sure that they are getting the support they need.

In talking about the amount of consultations that she does, she said that she only does

about 4 and with BIPs as well. I don’t think I really understand the difference between

consultations/testing/etc., unless it is just what that means and it is just a general meeting to get a

student evaluated or started. I could’ve clarified this with her but from my understanding it is

simply meeting the student for the purposes of forming a Behavior Intervention Plan.

She mentioned to me that the hardest part of her job is the aspect of de-escalating

behaviors, especially when they aren’t taking place in the classroom. This makes me think back

to my job a few years ago and we had two kindergarten teachers who were completely unable to
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help de-escalate the behaviors of two little boys in the classroom and this always caused

frustration for them and they would run out and be running around the school, and once into the

street by the entrance of the school. I can’t imagine being called into help this situation and how

to talk a child down from this.

I grew frustrated when she talked to me about the correlation between lack of funding

and 1:1 instructional aides. She mentioned this as a common ethical dilemma that is hard to

address because at the point of not having the funds to provide an aide, then it feels that we

aren’t supporting the student to the best of our ability. When I asked her how this is then

addressed, she shrugged and said that unfortunately, not much can be done.

I appreciated her honesty in saying that a lot of her days are taxing on her but that she

feels the most rewarded when parents express gratitude, but above all, when there is progress in

the students she is helping. I can’t help but know the feeling when in my last year of teaching, I

helped a handful of students with evaluations, communication with the right resources in and out

of school, and talking to their parents in their spoken at home language to help them better

understand the tests being administered and what they mean. I’m still seeing the growth in these

students this year, as I am fortunate enough to still be working at the same school and I see them

around campus and talk to them.

Daniela did mention to me that her school was geared towards 6 years old and older, so

when she is helping with transitional kindergarten students, it is a little tough because she felt

that her program didn’t necessarily prepare her for that age group. She also mentioned that if she

could change anything, that it would be extending federal timelines/funding as there is always

not enough time nor money for what is needing to be done to abide by the code of ethics and

IDEA. I asked her if she meant not abiding by those codes and IDEA by not being enough to
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give any and all needed support to students in a public school system because of their disabilities

and she said she meant just that. “In a perfect world, with perfect leaders…we would have the

right numbers to be able to help each and every student that walks into our doors,” she said.

She does recommend to me to continue getting the experience that I am, and even try to

chat with the psychologist at my school often. I mentioned my situation and she gave me her

contact information for me to reach out to her if I ever want to ask her about her load and if I’d

like to visit and observe/shadow her when I have a chance.

I covered all of the questions with her and learned more about how her time is split, like

being between classes for observations, direct services with teachers and administrators, testing,

IEPs, parent contact, etc. She feels that she contributes a strong force in her school’s special

education department and that she also tries to get involved when she can. She is part of the

PBIS team and tries to help with hosting events and activities for the families so that her face is a

familiar and not scary one. She encouraged me to keep being interactive with students the way I

am (as a behavior technician and a coach).

I really enjoyed this experience being able to connect with someone doing the job that I

aspire to be doing in a few short years. I feel that my conversation with Daniela was only a

glimpse of her daily life but that she said she is overall really happy with her career choice. She

reminded me that she only recommends it if you truly are passionate about kids and serving the

community of those with disabilities. It seems to me that I am in the right place for schooling

then.