You belong in the room: Leadership opportunities in TOPSS

I know what you are thinking when you see the call for candidates to serve on the APA Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) leadership positions. The first thought I had was, “What makes me qualified to run and help guide the work of the American Psychological Association through the TOPSS committee?” The second thought I had was, “As a full-time teacher, mother, coach, and wife, what is the time commitment?” Despite my reservations about the unknown, a former TOPSS chair and other members-at-large convinced me to put my name in for the election…and I lost!

Secretly, I felt as if I dodged a bullet. However, the next year, I was asked to run again for member-at-large, and I did. I was elected to one of the four member-at-large positions, which carries a 3-year term. “Gulp,” I thought, “I had better look up the responsibilities and commitments of a member-at-large.” I, of course, read the descriptions online when I put my name forward for the election, but my worry was that, in education, teachers are often expected to give so much that we end up like Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree: giving so much we are left with almost nothing. The good news is that I successfully completed my 3-year term and ran again for the position of chair-elect, to which I was elected that year.

Here are my reflections about serving as member-at-large, which I hope will help calm your worries and answer some of your questions:

1. First, I would estimate that your monthly time commitment is less than 5 hours. The APA recognizes that our time is valuable, and committees vote on how long their meetings should be. In my experience, some months have a 1-hour Zoom session, while others have a 90-minute session if we have a lot to accomplish. To be honest, the time flies because you get to interact with other high school teachers, APA staff, APA leaders (one current and one past TOPSS college faculty representatives have been past APA presidents), and PhDs from various backgrounds. Everyone is amazing, and they value what you bring to the discussion. I found no reason to be intimidated.

2. Beyond the meeting, we are often asked to join a subcommitttee with a specific focus decided by the whole TOPSS committee. Then we may be asked to compile information or talk with others about a particular topic, but this is all done on our own time and often via email.

3. I have also helped judge the student video contest that TOPSS offers every year on an important issue in psychology. TOPSS gets submissions from all over the world, and it is amazing to see students display their love for psychology.

4. The best part of being part of TOPSS is attending the in-person APA consolidated meeting in Washington, DC. Besides being able to talk to everyone on the TOPSS Committee in person, you also get to see other APA boards and committees and members of APA’s Board of Directors and see how passionate they are for promoting psychological science and finding ways to improve society. The APA is a large national organization, and I have learned they love high school teachers; after all, without us, students don’t fall in love with psychology and go on to pursue it in college. Yes, APA appreciates you!

Just as the APA’s goal is to “advance psychological science and knowledge to benefit society and improve lives,” TOPSS' mission is to find ways to support ALL high school teachers and students. I hope you will consider running for an open TOPSS Member-at-Large position, either this year or in the future. We need teachers from all backgrounds, experience levels, and levels of psychological knowledge, because your perspectives help TOPSS and the APA fulfill their missions.

The 2026 TOPSS Committee call for nominations closes July 15. In 2026, TOPSS members will elect two members-at-large and one chair-elect. In an effort to broaden the representation of the TOPSS community on the committee, in 2026 TOPSS seeks to recruit candidates for one of its two open member-at-large positions who are early career teachers within their first 10 years of teaching. The second open member-at-large position is open to any candidate. Candidates who teach outside the United States and/or have experience teaching on-level psychology (those teaching only on-level psychology are particularly encouraged) are encouraged to consider running for either member-at-large position.

TOPSS is also interested in encouraging individuals in all locations and from diverse backgrounds (including diversity in race/ethnicity, gender, ability/disability, sexual orientation, age, and religion) to consider running for TOPSS office.

Emily Polacek, MEd, is a 24-year veteran teacher of AP and on-level psychology at Hinsdale South High School in Darien, Illinois. She has also been an advanced placement (AP) reader and table leader for approximately 10 years. Emily was elected and served as an APA TOPSS Committee member-at-large from 2022 to 2024. While serving as a member-at-large, she helped judge the TOPSS Competition for High School Students and encouraged high school teachers to follow the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula, published in 2022. In 2024, Emily helped APA create the APA Style Research Article Activity toolopens in new window to help teachers teach students how to find, read, and digest scientific journal articles. Emily was elected in 2025 to the position of TOPSS chair-elect, where she will help lead the TOPSS Committee in recruiting new members, growing local regional teaching networks, and improving the resources available to teachers. Emily is also a mother of two very involved teen boys, three cats, and a large vegetable garden. She is thankful for her husband, who supports and encourages her to grow professionally.