Chicago Public Schools (CPS), like most large urban school districts, has been confronted in recent years with challenges related to inequity. In May of 2018, CPS posted an open position for a chief equity officer with the goal to create an office that will address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion for staff and students leading to…

Social justice has been defined as fair and equitable distribution of resources, rights, representation, and treatment for marginalized people who do not possess equal power in society (Linnemeyer, Nilsson, Marszalek, & Khan, 2018). As a theoretical concept, social justice is an emergent area of inquiry in school psychology (Johnson, Bahr,…

For school psychologists, social justice action involves protecting the educational rights, opportunities, and well-being of all students, "especially those whose voices have been muted, identities obscured, or needs ignored" (NASP, 2017). Facilitating social justice for students requires that school psychologists advocate for fairness…

To equitably and effectively serve children, families, schools, and communities, school psychologists must appreciate the dynamic interaction that exists between many variables. Using Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems theory as an example, this comprehensive conceptual framework provides a model for understanding how interconnected…

Children and youth who experience low-income and economic marginalization (LIEM) suffer inequities in education, healthcare, housing, and postsecondary outcomes. LIEM is a broad conceptualization of poverty that incorporates many aspects of what it means to be economically oppressed, including access to limited financial resources and…

In the southwestern United States, there is a group of children who are referred to as "borderland children" who experience additional challenges that place them at higher risk of developing mental health and other related problems. For the purpose of this article, borderland children are defined as children who reside in towns and…