The Conservative Social Worker

They're Not Found in Every State Not every state employs school social workers. States that do use social workers in schools also differ where some districts employ social workers from an outside agency while other districts employ them as district employees. Their Roles and Responsibilities Vary from District to District Some districts use school social workers (SSW) as resource liaisons, finding resources for the disadvantaged students. Other districts use them in a more holistic, more progressive, and more clinical way, as they are given the responsibility to oversee the mental health of the students on their caseload (SPED students) and even the general education population via MTSS/PBIS alongside the school counselor. During SPED initials some districts allow the school social worker to perform a variety of SEL and adaptive and behavior assessments (BASC-3, Vineland, ABAS, Conner's, SDQ, SSIS etc.). This latter approach uses the school social worker as more than a...

It's been reported that Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is on a mission to hire more school social workers to address the growing need for therapeutic services for both the general and special education  population. Here's the thing: CPS will lose out on school social work talent, both short- and long-term for the following reasons: Narrowness of responsibilities: A school social worker's primary duties within CPS revolve around special education students. One being psycho-social assessments for IEP/504 initials and reveals. The other is providing therapeutic services to the students found eligible from these assessments. That's it. IEP repots are like TPS reports. If you don't hit your monthly 80% mark for therapeutic services your manager is gonna bark at you. Not to mention the limited amount of assessments that school social workers are allowed to use (SDQ, SISS, BOSS -- seriously never used BOSS once; many social workers just use SDQ; usage of SISS is like s...

One of my colleagues that's in my department is definitely a  Trixie . I generally don't make such a judgement but just this once I can't really help it. I tend to be indifferent or don't mind such a thing but she and her husband check all the boxes. Here's the rundown: Grew up in northwest upper-middle class suburb whose medium household was nearing 91K. 91K. (I meant to repeat that.) Attended a Big Ten university. Moved to the big city of Chicago. Married college sweetheart (who seems like the typical beer swilling Big Ten guy ... Not that's a bad thing). Husband works in The Loop. She works in the CPS. Spends summer time in Wisconsin doing activities like boating and hiking with her other yuppy friends and family members. Actually attends her suburban country club for several events. Definitely dresses like someone who grew up in an upper-middle class suburb (e.g., tartan shawl). Currently an empty nester whose in her m...