OSPA - Ohio School Psychologists Association

08/12/2026

Dee Marks was interviewed on behalf of the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities Member Organization Council. OSPA is part of the OCECD Member Organization Council. RE: The interagency agreement between the Department of Education and Health and Human Services to move OSERS.

Ohio special education advocates worry recent changes to the U.S. Department of Education will cause confusion, delays, and a loss of service to students.

08/10/2026

OSPA is hard at work! A special thank you to our immediate past president, Alanna Marras, for contacting Senator Jon Husted! A summary of her outreach is provided below.

📣 Ohio students need access to school mental health professionals and federal funding can help make that possible.

OSPA is advocating for continued federal support through the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant (MHSP) and School-Based Mental Health Services Grant (SBMH) programs. These programs help schools recruit, train, and retain qualified school psychologists and other mental health professionals, especially in rural and high-need communities.

Why does this matter? Because when schools have enough trained professionals, students can receive earlier interventions, crisis support, academic assistance, and connections to community resources instead of waiting months for help.

One promising solution is the “grow your own” approach, which helps communities recruit and train future school psychologists and other mental health professionals from within their own communities.

OSPA is asking Senator Jon Husted to support the CARE for Student Mental Health Act, which would codify these important federal grant programs and help ensure Ohio students, schools, and families continue to have access to critical mental health services.

💙 Supporting school mental health means supporting student success.

08/08/2026

Check out our Member Spotlight!

https://www.ospaonline.org/index.php/members/executive-board?view=article&id=1612:executive-board-member-spotlight&catid=32:news

08/07/2026

Are you taking on practicum or internship students for the first time this year? Join the free virtual Supervisor Onboarding session on Monday, August 17. It will be offered from 10am-12pm and from 1pm-3pm. Content will be identical, so you need to attend only one session. Access practical tools and strategies for starting the year strong as a new field supervisor! There will also be a Q&A session. This is a free session. Register using the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-zLg2cwDTrO4i-4qc8KW8A

Please also see the attached flyer, which includes information about the Supervision Workshop that will be offered on November 4, 2026.

08/07/2026

Different districts. Different experience levels. Different backgrounds.

Same love of school psychology. Same challenges. Same desire to make a difference.

We’re Ohio school psychologists, just like you!

Get to know the people behind OSPA and see where YOU might fit in. Whether you’re ready to join the board or simply become a member, your voice matters, your experience matters, and our profession needs you. 💙

https://www.ospaonline.org/index.php/members/executive-board?view=article&id=1612:executive-board-member-spotlight&catid=32:news

07/23/2026

Get to know your OSPA Executive Board. We're just like you!

07/09/2026

Thank you, Alanna Marras, for your incredible year of dedication to the OSPA Board as president.

07/01/2026

Hey everyone! It's July 1st. Time to renew your membership!

Ohio school psychologists spend the days solving problems, juggling evaluations, attending meetings, interpreting data, supporting students, and somehow surviving schedules that seem to change every five minutes. So who supports us? OSPA does. 💙

Becoming an OSPA member (or renewing your membership) means access to professional development, advocacy, networking, resources, and a community of people who understand exactly why your coffee is cold, your report deadline is tomorrow, and your office somehow became a storage closet. Join the people who get it and help strengthen the future of school psychology. One meeting, one student, and one behavior chart at a time.

We all see what is happening in the world around us. Who do we think is going to bat for us? Especially at the state level? Think about that for a moment. If you want change, then join us. I speak from personal experience about what I once thought OSPA was... I'll be the first to admit it. I'm more than willing to chat about it and answer any questions. I'm your PR Chair and fellow skeptic. No, this is not an MLM. We are not asking you sell anything so I can be promoted to school psych Queen. I truly want to see the change in our state and help students thrive. Thank you for coming to my OSPA Talk 😁 ~Miranda Wilson

https://www.ospaonline.org/index.php/membership

Oh, did I mention that we have a new referral program? Did a current OSPA member encourage you to join? If so, please check the membership site to share their name with us. (Don't mention me! I'm sure other members have told you about how awesome OSPA is!)
Members who refer new members will be entered into a drawing for a FREE 2027 Spring Conference Registration! Once you join as new member you can then refer others as well and get your name in the drawing! WHOA!

07/01/2026

06/24/2026

The Ohio School Psychologists Association (OSPA) has joined a broad coalition of disability, civil rights, and education organizations in opposing the Administration’s proposed transfer of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) out of the U.S. Department of Education. OSPA shares concerns that these changes would weaken coordination of special education services, civil rights protections, and supports for students with disabilities, while disrupting the integrated framework Congress established to promote educational opportunity, inclusion, and successful outcomes. OSPA urges Congress to reject these transfers and preserve the Department of Education’s longstanding role in supporting and protecting students with disabilities.