A large and enthusiastic group of members from across the state gathered in Albany this week for NYSUT’s Collective Care Lobby Day. Nearly 50 members, representing all professionals in the Collective Care Team — school nurses, school social workers, school counselors and school psychologists — fanned out across the Capitol to meet with legislators and advocate for a series of bills that strengthen the Collective Care workforce, mandate better staffing ratios and provide support and new protections for the students in their care.
Collective Care Lobby Day, now in its third year, brought new voices to the Capitol, with several members making their first foray into legislative advocacy. Nervousness gave way to ease as members gathered into groups and began getting to know each other. Many donned shirts emblazoned with the colorful Collective Care Team emblem on the front and the words “we are better together” on the back.
“We are here to educate the policymakers,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person. “The collective power of our members is what changes things in schools,” she added. Person highlighted recent examples of NYSUT’s advocacy bringing about significant change for New York students and educators, including phone-free schools and universal free school meals.
Attendees were advocating for passage of bills related to school nurse staffing, appropriate professional-to-student ratios for Collective Care Team roles, restricting AI chatbots, and expanding schools’ ability to seek Medicaid reimbursement for specialized services.
Across different groups and legislative meetings, Collective Care Team members drew clear connections between the issues they face daily and the bills they are advocating for. Members highlighted concerns about adequate staffing, putting special focus on the need to pass legislation that would require a school nurse in every public school and BOCES building in the state.
New York schools have many health-related mandates — immunizations and vision and hearing screenings among them — but no mandate to ensure that schools have a registered nurse to carry out that vital work. School nurses deliver care to all students, including those with chronic illnesses, and tend to health issues from minor injuries to life-threatening emergencies. Having a school nurse in every school building is a safety issue; in an emergency, where seconds count, having to wait for a nurse to arrive from a different building could mean the difference between life and death.
“Sick, tired, unhealthy kids can’t learn,” said Julie Murray, school nurse and member of Erie 1 Professional Education Association, summing up the need for legislative action.
Another challenge faced by school nurses is inconsistency in reimbursement for services they deliver to students enrolled in Medicaid. They can seek federal reimbursement only when delivering services to students on Medicaid who have an IEP. Services delivered to students on Medicaid in the general education population — who may have equally or more complex medical needs — are not currently eligible for reimbursement. Proposed legislation seeks to address this inequity and help schools access more federal dollars, following the lead of 15 other states that have made similar changes.
Chuck Kron, a school social worker and member of the Orchard Park Teachers Association, emphasized that students are in a moment of high need. “Kids are increasingly isolated and looking for connection,” as technology continues to encroach on their daily lives and learning, said Kron. Difficult economic conditions and the lingering effects of the pandemic only add to the complex challenges facing New York families.
Adequate staffing, governed by appropriate professional-to-student ratios, helps the Collective Care Team support students. Without enough people to do the work, students turn to AI, where they may get inaccurate information that can harm their physical and emotional health.
“We don’t want our students to use artificial intelligence to get support. We want them to use the Collective Care Team,” said Sonia Byrd, PsyD, a school psychologist and member of the Yonkers Federation of Teachers. “We want to make sure all our children can access support regardless of ZIP code.”
To address these concerns, members were advocating for two staffing-related bills that would require collection and reporting of data related to professional-to-student ratios for the roles on the Collective Care Team; development of plans to reach nationally accepted ratios; and separately, creation of appropriate ratios based on specific local needs. A third bill would prohibit AI chatbots from using features that are unsafe for children.
Beyond advocacy for individual bills, members sought to help legislators understand the different roles on the Collective Care Team, how they fit together, and what is urgently needed for these skilled professionals to be able to do their best work on behalf of New York’s children.
School nurses, school social workers, school psychologists and school counselors all provide critical support to students, but each role requires specialized training and skills. Often, the distinction between their roles is not well known, even inside school districts.
“We work side by side, but we cannot work in place of each other,” said Lysa Mullady, member of the Copiague Teachers Association and past president of the New York State School Counselors Association.
Throughout the day, members received a positive reception from legislators, many of whom mentioned their own personal connection to education, whether they were former educators themselves or have family members who work in schools. Several voiced their support for the bills or agreed to sign on as co-sponsors, which energized members and echoed a point made by NYSUT Second Vice President Ron Gross earlier in the day, who said, “What today is really about is collective voice.”
Photo Gallery
