Advocacy Handout | Attaining Equity: Current Happenings in New York

This comprehensive advocacy packet provides essential resources for occupational and physical therapy practitioners fighting for equity within the New York State education system. Created by Jaime Spencer, MS, OTR/L (Miss Jaime, O.T.), this 19-page downloadable PDF handout is formatted as an 8.5×11-inch U.S. letter size document that’s ready to print or use digitally.

The packet thoroughly explains how OT and PT practitioners in NY State schools are currently excluded from the “pupil personnel” category in the NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives, unlike other Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISPs). This exclusion creates significant inequities in career advancement opportunities, pay scales, retirement benefits, and pension availability.

What’s Included:

• Detailed background information on the current classification system
• Problem statement and proposed solutions
• Supporting research data from Spencer et al. (2024)
• Comparison charts of SISP duties by job title
• Visual explanations of the current career pathway barriers
• Benefits of categorizing OT and PT as Pupil Personnel in NYSED
• Evidence of what OT/PT practitioners can bring to leadership positions
• Information on recent legislative proposals (Bills 4820 and 5474)
• Comprehensive district hiring guide showing which NY districts directly hire therapists
• QR codes linking to additional resources and advocacy groups

The packet includes several of Jaime’s impactful diagrams and cartoons that—as the expression commonly attributed to Frederick R. Barnard goes—”a picture is worth a thousand words.” These visual aids powerfully illustrate the career limitations and inequities faced by school-based OT and PT practitioners.

This downloadable, printable resource is perfect for OT/PT practitioners, school administrators, education policymakers, and advocacy groups working toward equitable treatment of all school-based therapists. While focused on New York State’s 2025 initiatives, the principles and advocacy strategies apply to practitioners nationwide.