Kelly Grant's decision to replace the district's social workers with school psychologists sparked outcry.
The school administrator from Avon who spearheaded the district's decision to replace social workers with school psychologists, has left Avon to work in New Britain.
Kelly Grant took over as Avon's head of pupil personnel services in 2013. Her decision earlier this year to replace the district's social workers with school psychologists sparked outcry from parents, students, teachers and others who claimed that social workers performed a vital service that psychologists couldn't.
These two professions often overlap, but there are some differences, according to Steve Karp, executive director of the Connecticut chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
“School psychologists and school social workers are not interchangeable parts, they complement each other, and a comprehensive mental health approach really needs both,” Karp told WNPR this summer.
School psychologists tend to focus solely on the student, but social workers look at other factors, like family and the environment.
After barely two years on the job, Grant resigned and has taken a similar job in New Britain. In a statement, New Britain's school board president, Sharon Beloin-Saavedra said "there will be no move to reduce related services staff in our school system."
But Avon didn't reduce staff, either, it simply replaced certain positions with others. Beloin-Saavedra said that New Britain has no plans to replace social workers with school psychologists, and instead would more likely supplement or expand services it already provides.
"I don't know what Avon's needs were at the time that decision was made," Beloin-Saavedra said. "Here in [New Britain] our principals continually advocate for related service staff, and in particular for our social workers who are integral team members for student and family services."
In Avon, several school psychologist rallied in favor of keeping the social workers. The school board went forward with its plan, and the new psychologists started work this year.
Grant could not be immediately reached for comment.
