Examples of Platform Statements
(Submitted by Winning Candidates from the 2006 TOPSS Election)

Statement of Hilary Rosenthal
Candidate for Chair-Elect

Education

• B.A. in Social Studies Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, graduating with high honors, Bronze Tablet (top 2% of class) and University honors, Phi Beta Kappa
• MEd. from National College of Education (now National-Louis University), Evanston
• Additional graduate courses in psychology (including NSF workshop), history, economics, and instructional technology

Professional Experience

• Social studies teacher for 23 years
• 18 years teaching Psychology, AP Psychology, and self-created Topics in Psychology
• Currently teaching AP Psychology and World History; serving as co-director , Glenbrook Academy of International Studies; Glenbrook South Senior Project co-ordinator

Grants and Honors Awarded

• Advanced Placement Psychology reader, 1997, 2000-02, 2004-05; Table Leader, 2006
• Grants for the study of psychology and of history various universities
  NSF grant for scientific psychology workshop; AP alternative test workshop, Yale University;
  Stratford Hall Seminar on Slavery; Freeman Foundation grant for China travel/study program; Keizai Koho travel grant to Japan
• Numerous psychology presentations at state and national conferences

Professional Leadership

• TOPSS Committee 2005-2006, Secretary Treasurer
• National Council for the Social Studies, including appointments to National Conference Committee, Summer leadership institutes, and House of Delegates; Illinois Council for the Social Studies, elected to offices of Board of Directors and President: member, NCSS Psychology SIG
• Co-Chair, NCSS Annual Conference local arrangements, 2003
• Illinois State Board of Education Teacher Certification committee, psychology and social studies core requirements

Platform Statement:
I am a strong advocate of the promotion of high school psychology as a course of study with academic integrity. This means that teachers of psychology should be well-prepared and engaged in frequent professional development to keep current with the rapid developments in the field. TOPSS is a great source of these services, but outreach to psychology teachers who are not APA members is essential. My proudest accomplishment was the facilitation of a connection between TOPSS and NCSS which resulted in a qualitative and quantitative improvement in psychology-related sessions at the NCSS annual conference. I will be dedicated to continuing the effort to bring the offerings of APA to the attention of teachers in the field. If I am elected to chair the TOPSS Committee, I will be proud to serve my fellow psychology teachers in promoting continuing education for well constructed lessons which deliver up to date and accurate instruction to our students. My experience on the TOPSS Committee over the past two years has left me impressed by the professionalism and service of this group as well as the support of the APA staff. I would like to continue my service to the Committee, and to the psychology teachers who are the members of TOPSS.

Statement of Amy N. House
Candidate for Member-at-Large

Education

• Rollins College, Winter Park, FL, 2000, Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling/ Psychology
• Milligan College, Elizabethton, TN, 1992, Bachelor of Arts in History and Secondary Education with a minor in Sociology
• Continued education through inservices, workshops, and seminars provided by the school district, the College Board, TOPSS, and the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology (NITOP)

Professional Experience

• Astronaut High School, Titusville, FL, 1993 – present, Teacher and former Department Chairperson. Formerly the Social Studies Department Chair. Currently the Social Sciences Instructor. Current Advance Placement Psychology instructor. Have sponsored clubs, classes, and extracurricular activities.
• McNair Magnet School, Cocoa, FL, 1992 – 1993, Teacher in the gifted magnet program. First teaching position in the Brevard Public Schools. Taught Social Studies to gifted 6th through 8th grade students.
• Nationally Certified Mental Health Counselor, 2000
• Member of TOPSS (Teachers of Psychology in the Secondary Schools), organization of the American Psychological Association.
• Most recently attended the APA/Clark University Workshop for 2006 High School Teachers of Psychology

Platform Statement
When I completed my graduate work in mental health counseling and psychology, I had every intention of someday leaving the teaching profession to open my own counseling practice. Then, my administrators finally allowed me to begin an AP Psychology program. Now I’m hooked. I find so much joy in sharing the science of Psychology with young minds that I can’t see myself doing anything else.

In my 14 years of teaching, I have had to struggle and advocate to the point of annoyance to keep my favorite discipline on the schedule. My administrators often prefer to dump elective classes to focus on courses tested on standardized state tests. One of my most prominent missions as a member of the TOPSS committee would be to continue that advocacy. I believe that the field of Psychology is useful in embellishing and supporting just about every other discipline taught in public high schools. This needs to be pointed out to the powers that be so that each and every high school in our nation can have a thriving Psychology curriculum. I like to think of it as perfecting the course description so that every school district in the nation will accept the credit. Making our discipline enticing to others should be an easy task for those of us who love it so much.

It is also important that Psychology teachers are recognized, nationally, for their accomplishments in their discipline. I would like to advocate that the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards create and perfect a certification area for the social sciences. As it stands right now, the only area in which a Psychology can nationally certify is to manipulate their classes and teaching techniques into a History certification. I have spoken to a few who have tried this and failed because their courses did not fit the criteria for the History certificate. I find this extremely unfair and would challenge the National Board to begin the creation of this new certification process as soon as possible with the help of professional Psychology teachers.

My final platform agenda is to support the TOPSS Mentor Program, an in-state networking program for Psychology teachers. New teachers to the field can benefit from being assigned mentor teachers in the same discipline. Experienced teachers can serve as said mentors and feed off of the ideas of one another. Many times, the need for continuing education is mentioned among TOPSS members. Unfortunately, many of us can not afford to travel across country during our summers to seek out the stray Psychology conference. I would like to see each and every state create a yearly summer workshop. Something similar to the workshop held at Clark University would be a fabulous way for teachers to meet, share best practices, and mull over questions and concerns about their courses.

I am looking forward to the opportunity to serve on the TOPSS committee in order to further the work that has already started and to start the work that is yet to come.

Statement of R. Scott Reed
Candidate for Member-at-large

Education:

• B.S. Psychology, Arizona State University 1987
• MEd Education, Arizona State University 1989

Present Positions:

• Teacher- Advanced Placement and Regular Psychology
  Hamilton High School, Chandler, Arizona
• Adjunct Faculty- Educational Psychology in a Post Bachelor’s Certification program
  Rio Salado Community College, Tempe, Arizona
• TOPSS- State Coordinator for Arizona
  Currently contacting teachers in Arizona to form a state group (ATOPSS)

Past Experience:

• 18 years teaching in Chandler Unified District- 8 years of AP Psychology
• 6 years Adjunct Faculty at Rio Salado Community College teaching Educational Psychology
• 3 years Adjunct faculty at Mesa Community College teaching PSY 101
• 2005, 2006 AP Psychology Reader for the College Board
• TOPSS member since 1998
• Assisted in the development of the Educational Psychology course for Rio Salado Community College, including writing of
• the objectives, on-line lessons, and assessments.
• 18 years coaching high school basketball, and 12 years coaching high school baseball

Platform Statement
I found the power of the TOPSS organization when I was assigned to teach psychology at a brand new high school. Even with a psychology degree, I am not sure I would have been able to get through that first year without the lesson plans and activities I received from TOPSS. I now actively seek out area teachers as the state coordinator for Arizona to get them any assistance they may need. I ave mentored three local teachers, and trained two student teachers that are now teaching in Arizona.

I would like to put focus on the growth of TOPSS as an organization. My belief is that much of this would come through strong regional and state coordinators. In particular I would like to focus on growth in the Western United States. I signed up for summer workshops in the Southwest the first two years I taught psychology, and both were canceled due to lack of enrollment. When I was at the 2005 AP grading, I was inspired by how leadership in some states has given teachers a strong support network. One of my goals would be to see all states have strong networks such as shown in Utah, Wisconsin, Nebraska and others. I have seen the recent movement towards this goal with the strong communication of regional coordinators with the state coordinators. My district will support me going to area functions, such as the Western Psychology Association meetings, and hopefully TOPSS can get a strong presence and network in the West.

Overall, as a committee member I just want to do whatever work is needed so TOPSS can continue to assist teachers and students. I have put aside my coaching duties to pursue development of a state organization as well as becoming trained to become an AP consultant. It would be an honor to also be a TOPSS committee member and be able to continue the work that has been so well done by past committee members.