Here’s something that should make every school-based PT and OT practitioner sit up and pay attention: we completed groundbreaking research showing that 94.9% of New York school physical therapy providers believe they should have the opportunity to pursue educational administrative positions. And yet, state policy continues to block this path entirely. Our data proves that physical therapy providers deserve equal access to these pathways.
Let me explain why this matters—and what we can do about it.
The Classification Problem
Within the New York State Education Department Office of Teaching Initiatives framework, both Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy services are currently not classified under Pupil Personnel Services.
Pupil Personnel Services include school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers. Notice who’s missing? OTs and PTs. This classification exclusion means we cannot obtain an educational credential, which renders us ineligible to pursue the coursework required for educational administrative certificates—the gateway to positions like principal, director of special education, or superintendent.
This isn’t just about career advancement. This classification inequity affects recognition, hiring practices, pay equity, tenure opportunities, and ultimately, the quality of care our students receive.
Spencer, J., MEd, OTR/L, Zeidler, S., OTD, OTR/L, & Wiggins, K., OTR/L. (2024). Perceptions of Occupational Therapy Practitioners as Leaders within the New York State Education System. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 17(3), 569–584. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2024.2315579
What the Research Shows
Dr. Serena Zeidler, Kim Wiggins, and I conducted research examining school-based physical therapy providers’ perceptions of leadership within the New York State Education Department. Our PT-specific study, “Perceptions of School-Based Physical Therapy Providers as Leaders Within the New York State Education System,” surveyed 86 physical therapy providers (84 PTs and 2 PTAs) currently working or formerly working in New York schools.
The findings are striking:
Most respondents (94.9%) agree that New York school physical therapy providers should advocate for policies that would provide them the opportunity to pursue educational administrative coursework. Nearly half (49.3%) would actively consider pursuing this coursework if it became available. Another 24% were unsure, and only 26.7% said they wouldn’t consider it.
Think about that. We’re not talking about a small group of disgruntled practitioners. We’re talking about an overwhelming majority who recognize that something is fundamentally broken in how our profession is positioned within the educational system.
Our parallel research on occupational therapy practitioners—published in the Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention—found nearly identical results among OTs, with 94.7% supporting advocacy for change and 94.6% agreeing we should pursue policies allowing access to administrative coursework.
Why This Matters Beyond Career Ladders
I’ve spent over 25 years in school-based practice, and here’s what I know: this isn’t just about who gets to be a principal. The lack of inclusion in Pupil Personnel creates real obstacles to best practices in service delivery for students who need our support.
When OTs and PTs are systematically excluded from the opportunity for formal leadership roles, it affects team collaboration, decision-making processes, and service quality. We’re the only Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISPs, or what some still call “related service providers”) who cannot pursue the coursework to become school administrators. We’re left out of critical conversations about programming, scheduling, and resource allocation—conversations where our clinical expertise could directly improve student outcomes.
APTA’s Vision talks about “building a community that advances the profession of physical therapy,” but that vision hits a wall in the school setting when state policy prevents us from accessing leadership pathways. In fact, Dr. Serena Zeidler and I were accepted to present this critical data at the New York State APTA Conference in 2025. While we ultimately did not attend the event, we made sure that APTA leadership received this groundbreaking research firsthand. The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) encourages greater involvement for therapy practitioners, yet state policy restricts our advancement. This misalignment between federal intent and state regulation needs to be addressed.
Current Legislative Opportunities
Right now—not someday, but right now—there are concrete opportunities to change this situation. Two bills and a NYSUT resolution are currently pending that directly address these barriers for OTs and PTs in New York schools. Senate Bill S6581 would align PT/OT pay with the state career ladder framework, and S5612 addresses OT roles in school districts and BOCES, our lack of opportunities to be leaders, and the pay disparity.
These legislative initiatives represent years of advocacy work by practitioners who refused to accept that our exclusion from leadership is inevitable or justified.
NY State Senate
NY State Senate Bill S6581
Addresses PT/OT
in school districts and BOCES
Download, Support,
Sign up for Status
Updates on this Bill at
the link above.
NY State Senate Bill S5612
Authorizes OT services to be
provided in school to certain students
Download, Support,
Sign up for Status
Updates on this Bill at
the link above.
Status: All three (3) bills as of Dec 15, 2025 in they are in Assembly (or Committe Senate), which is Step 2 in a 6-step process.
What You Can Do
1. First, educate yourself on these findings. Our research fills a critical knowledge gap—many PTs working in New York schools aren’t even fully aware of the barriers created by their classification outside Pupil Personnel Services.
2. Second, join the advocacy coalition: NY OTs and PTs Looking for Change. When therapeutic professionals unite to address systemic barriers, we create momentum for real change. Students benefit when we have more cohesive, integrated approaches to their care, and that starts with having a seat at the leadership table.
3. Third, stay informed about current legislative efforts.
The Bigger Picture
This research represents the first comprehensive look in New York at how classification barriers affect physical therapy providers’ ability to lead and advocate within educational settings. But it’s not just a New York problem—in most states, OTPs and PTs face restrictions on advancing to formal school leadership positions.
As occupational therapy practitioners who led this research, we’re committed to building cross-disciplinary solutions. Dr. Zeidler, Kim Wiggins, and I conducted this work because we believe that when PTs and OTs work together to address systemic barriers, everyone wins—especially the students we serve.
The data is clear. The will is there. Now we need the policy to catch up with what 95% of us already know: physical therapy and occupational therapy providers deserve equal access to school leadership positions, and our students deserve to benefit from our expertise at every level of the education system.
See Why This Matters
As OTs conducting this research, we’re committed to cross-disciplinary solutions. When therapeutic professionals address systemic barriers together, students receive better, more integrated care.
Join the conversation about improving PT services in educational settings!
#PhysicalTherapy #OccupationalTherapy #EducationalServices #InterdisciplinaryResearch #ProfessionalAdvocacy #PublishedResearch #NYSED #TherapyServices
Read Abstract
In most states, OTPs and PTs are restricted from advancing to formal school leadership positions. The absence of pathways to leadership may limit the ability to fulfill AOTA’s Vision 2025 and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This study investigated how limited opportunities for career advancement affect school practice trends. We explore the perceptions of school practitioners in New York State concerning leadership, advocacy, and state policies. Seven hundred and fourteen current and former occupational therapy practitioners in New York schools completed a researcher-developed online survey. Notably, almost all respondents (94.7%) agreed that practitioners should be able to pursue educational administrative coursework.
Most (94.6%) agreed that practitioners in New York should advocate for policies that would allow them to pursue such coursework.
Many respondents reported that they would consider pursuing the coursework if available. This research emphasizes the misalignment between federal and state policies. Federal policy (ESSA) and Vision 2025 encourage greater involvement for occupational therapy practitioners, but state policy restricts their advancement. The findings demonstrate the pressing need for reform and the creation of pathways that enable occupational therapy practitioners to assume formal leadership positions in school settings, thus enhancing their contribution to the school community.