The Wiscard of Oz: Adventures in School Psychology – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Sophia and Marcus talk to Dr. Michael Paff about how they can best utilize their roles in the schools to support students in the LGBTQ+ community. They learn about best practices for working with LGBTQ+ students, navigating politics in the schools, and how to advocate for these marginalized students. Stay tuned to hear Sophia, Marcus, and newcomer Bre summarize an important guidance document from the New York State Department of Education. 

Extra Resources:

Gender Born, Gender Made: Raising Healthy Gender-Nonconforming Children by Diane Ehrensaft

The Transgender Child by Rachel Pepper and Stephanie Brill

The Transgender Teen by Stephanie Brill and Lisa Kenney

References

Planned Parenthood (n.d.). What’s intersex. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/gender-identity/sex-gender-identity/whats-intersex#:~:text=Intersex%20is%20a%20general%20term,male%E2%80%9D%20or%20%E2%80%9Cfemale%E2%80%9D.

The New York State Department of Education (2023, June). Creating a safe, supportive, and affirming school environment for transgender and gender expansive students: 2023 legal update and best practices. https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/student-support-services/creating-a-safe-supportive-and-affirming-school-environment-for-transgender-and-gender-expansive-students.pdf

In this episode, Sophia and Marcus chat with interns Lauren Guilds and Michael Donato to get an idea of what they can expect when they become interns in the fall. They learn about the most rewarding and most challenging parts of the internship, how to balance work and life, and how to make the most out of their experience. Stay tuned (01:02:30) to hear a brief history of how discriminatory housing policies and the highway system have led to negative outcomes for marginalized communities and how there may be hope in the near future.

References

Appleton, S. (n.d.). Mapmaker: Redlining in the united states. National Geographic. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/mapmaker-redlining-united-states/

Federal Reserve History (2023, June 2). Redlining. https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/redlining

Gross, T. (2017, May 3). A forgotten history of how the u.s. Government segregated america. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2017/05/03/526655831/a-forgotten-history-of-how-the-u-s-government-segregated-america

Misiaszek, E. & Ostrander, D. (2024, February 21). Syracuse releases official community grid vision plan with big plans for southside. CNYCentral. https://cnycentral.com/news/local/syracuse-releases-official-community-grid-vision-plan-with-big-plans-for-southside

Ramirez, R. (2021, May 21). The new york highway that racism built: It does nothing but pollute. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/21/syracuse-new-york-highway-i81-viaduct-biden

Sullivan, A. (2021, May 25). Divided highway. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/graphics/USA-BIDEN/INFRASTRUCTURE-FREEWAYS/qzjpqbzzyvx/

University of Richmond (n.d.). Mapping Inequality. https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/

In this episode, Sophia and Marcus have an enlightening conversation with Dr. Charles Barrett. They learn more about how to apply the principles of social justice in their work, and they discuss controversial topics such as school resource officers, assessment bias, and challenging colleagues. Stay tuned to hear Marcus and Sophia’s reflections on their conversation as well as a discussion surrounding what gives them hope for our troubled education system. 

In this lively episode, Sophia and Marcus get some fresh perspectives on the graduate student experience. They are joined by first year graduate students and CRISP Fellows Nocyia Logan, Tori Perez, and Joe Wood to discuss their first semester in the program, the new mentorship program, and the fellowship. Sophia, Marcus, Nocyia, Tori, and Joe also try their hand at art as they illustrate what they want their futures to look like. Stay tuned to hear some strategies for helping students cope with international conflict.

All music from Music_For_Videos (Oleg Kyrylkovv)

References

NASP School Safety and Crisis Response Committee. (2023). Supporting Youth Affected by the Violence in Israel and Gaza: Tips for Caregivers and Educators. National Association of School Psychologists.

In this episode, Sophia and Marcus go to the New York Association of School Psychologists (NYASP) annual conference! They are joined by Dr. Peter Faustino, Dr. John Kelly, and Dr. Jack Naglieri to discuss discriminatory assessment practices, theories of intelligence, and what graduate students can do to make the field more equitable. Stay tuned to hear Sophia and Marcus's perspectives on the workshops they attended that were focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.

In this episode, we seek out the truth behind dyslexia. Our professor Dr. Michelle Storie joins us to provide some answers regarding what dyslexia actually is and to clear up some common misconceptions. We also review some depictions of dyslexia in the media. Stay tuned to hear about privilege and how it impacts nearly every aspect of our lives. 

Links to videos:

1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iVcTPRShBA

2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-KPmUWchj8

3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhHmUXzmCwE

4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxYjKDxYH2U

References

Bella Thorne Official. (2012, April 3). Bella thorne dyslexia story [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iVcTPRShBA

cosbyshow. (2008, February 26). Theo’s gift - s6, ep04 [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxYjKDxYH2U

Cowen, C. (2017, September). Is dyslexia a gift? Infographic. International Dyslexia Association. https://dyslexiaida.org/is-dyslexia-a-gift-infographic/

National Association of School Psychologists. (2016). Talking about race and privilege: Lesson plan for middle and high school students [handout]. Bethesda, MD: Author.

National Association of School Psychologists. (2016). Understanding race and privilege [handout]. Bethesda, MD: Author.

Tracey Boguski. (2012, June 25). Shake it up cece - dyslexia [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-KPmUWchj8

tuxedomaskluver. (2017, February 20). Percy jackson dyslexia scene [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhHmUXzmCwE

Welcome back! In this episode, Sophia and Marcus talk to school psychology grad students Jared Cucinotta and Nathaniel Cronk about what they wish they knew when they were entering graduate school. Find out how Nate gets in touch with his professors, why Jared cried on his birthday, and what advice Marcus really needs to take. Stay tuned to hear about some of the racial disparities in education and the importance of Juneteenth. 

References

Gates, H. L. (n.d.). What is juneteenth? PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/what-is-juneteenth/

Library of Congress. (n.d.). Slavery, united states. https://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/placesinhistory/archive/2011/20110318_slavery.html#:~:text=Of%20those%2031%20million%2C%20as,the%201850%20and%201860%20census.

National Association of School Psychologists. (n.d.). Racial and ethnic disproportionality in education. https://www.nasponline.org/assets/Documents/Research%20and%20Policy/Position%20Statements/Racial_Ethnic_Disproportionality.pdf

National Association of School Psychologists. (n.d.). School psychology unified antiracism statement and call to action. https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/diversity-and-social-justice/social-justice/school-psychology-unified-antiracism-statement-and-call-to-action

National Center for Education Statistics (2023, May). Racial/ethnic enrollment in public schools. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cge/racial-ethnic-enrollment

National Geographic. (2021, July 8). Dec 18, 1865 CE: Slavery is abolished. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/slavery-abolished/

National Museum of African American History and Culture. (n.d.). The historical legacy of juneteenth. https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth

Weir, K. (2016, November). Inequality at school. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/11/cover-inequality-school

Welcome to The Wiscard of Oz: Adventures in School Psychology! In this episode, meet co-hosts Sophia and Marcus as they spill the details about what being in a school psychology master’s program is really like. Stay tuned to hear them talk about their own highs and lows throughout the past year, who they want to see on the podcast in the future, and how excited they are about a wheel!

In this episode, Sophia and Marcus talk to Dr. John Garruto about the ethical considerations surrounding some of the most controversial topics in the field of school psychology. They learn about ethical problem-solving models, minimizing bias in evaluations, balancing FERPA and test security, the difference between imposter syndrome and a lack of competence, and more ethical issues. Stay tuned to hear Sophia and Marcus discuss the backstory and implications of the infamous Larry P. v. Riles case. 

Abumrad, J., & Corredera, T. (Hosts). (2019). The miseducation of Larry P. Radiolab [Audio podcast]. WNYC Studios. https://radiolab.org/podcast/g-miseducation-larry-p/transcript

California Association of School Psychologists. (2023, October 10). Updated Larry P. guidance paper. https://casponline.org/pdfs/resource-papers/Updated%20Larry%20P.%20Guidance%20Paper%2010-10-23.pdf
Fleming, N. (2019). A landmark lawsuit aimed to fix special ed for California’s Black students. It didn’t. KQED. https://www.kqed.org/news/11781032/a-landmark-lawsuit-aimed-to-fix-special-ed-for-californias-black-students-it-didnt

Sullivan, A. L. (2010). Preventing disproportionality: A framework for culturally responsive assessment. Communiqué, 39 (3). Retrieved from: https://www.nasponline.org/publications/periodicals/communique/issues/volume-39-issue-3/preventing-disproportionality-a-framework-for-culturally-responsive-assessment

Are you gonna diagnose me? You're going to become a counselor? What job do you want to get? These are all real questions that many of us have heard when we tell people we are getting our master's degree in school psychology. Most of all, people are confused when we tell them about school psychology. To settle this matter once and for all, Sophia and Marcus invited several guests on the podcast to talk about what exactly school psychologists do every day. Enjoy the perspectives of Sam Hatem, Tori Perez, Mairead Mulvihill, Gabby Toombs, and Anna Demer in this enlightening episode.