A few years ago, as schools began reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to go virtual, Pedro Olvera noticed a significant increase in calls.
Olvera, who previously served as a school psychologist in the Santa Ana Unified School District—where around 40% of students are English learners speaking Spanish—is now a school psychology clinical manager at the staffing agency BlazerWorks. In this role, he assists school districts in filling their school psychologist positions. According to Olvera, this task is becoming increasingly challenging due to the rising demand for student mental health support and the limited supply of qualified clinicians.
However, the real challenge for many school districts contacting Olvera is finding bilingual school psychologists capable of evaluating Spanish-speaking children for special education needs. This need has emerged as districts in states like Louisiana, Iowa, and Colorado experience an influx of English learners.