National School Psychologist Week (NSPW) was celebrated this year from Nov. 11-15 in schools across the country to recognize school psychologists’ roles in helping students, teachers and their communities. This year’s theme was “Spark Discovery,” which recognizes how school psychologists help students and their communities with new ideas and discoveries.
School psychologist Cindy Rutledge has been at Santa Fe for three years and has been teaching for 25. Rutledge was attending East Central University when a new opportunity brought her to be a school psychologist.
“I was approached by the head of the counseling program and invited to become part of the first group of graduate students to go through the new school psychologist program,” said Rutledge. “I was super interested in autism so I changed from doing the counseling program to the school psychologist program.”
Working in early childhood and a Co-op program for middle and high school students helps connect Rutledge to other aspects of her job.
“I was in Tecumseh at the Little River Co-op for 10 years as the early childhood special education teacher,” said Rutledge. “It was a program for all the small schools and I learned a lot because everything I learned in my practicum as a student I did with a Co-op program for middle and high school kids.”
Rutledge further explains how her connection started by working with different age groups.
“Then when I got my first job, it was with early childhood,” said Rutledge. “But it was so weird because I would look at those little kids and think about oh, this is how Billy was when he was little or that was Billy when he was 14.”
Rutledge had been at many different schools before arriving at Santa Fe.
“When I went from the early childhood special education I went to Moore High School and West Moore High School for 12 years to be a school psychologist,” said Rutledge.”Every year different friends would call me and say ‘When are you going to apply to Edmond?’ and I’m like I’m waiting for a high school to open I don’t want to go back to elementary I really love my high school kids.”
Rutledge taught at Summit middle school for four years but still planned to teach at a high school as soon as the opportunity opened up.
“Mrs. McBride had been here for 20 years and when she retired somebody else moved over here but only stayed for one year,” said Rutledge.”That person wanted to go back to special services and work with the little bitties and that job opened so that’s when I came here.”
Rutledge explains how she enjoys the district she works in and that she is here for everyone at Santa Fe.
“I love it here and we have a great special education department,” said Rutledge.”I think the main thing is for everybody to realize I’m here for everybody because a lot of people think I’m only here or a child that’s already on an IEP, but I’m here for everybody.”
Additional tasks that school psychologists fulfill are improving academic achievement, promoting positive behavior, creating safe environments and supporting diverse learners. Promoting students’ motivation and conducting academic assessments helps to improve academic achievement through managing student and classroom behavior.
School psychologists are an integral part of the high school community. Rutledge encourages students to contact her at [email protected] if interested in education and psychology or students can come by the counseling center to see if she is available.
