The Power of Giving Back: Retired Faculty Member Establishes New School Psychology Scholarship

With more than 30 years working in schools, both as a school psychologist and as a faculty member, Gayle Macklem has dedicated her career to making a difference in the lives of students of all ages. In addition to teaching at William James College for 13 years, she has served as President and a Board Member of the Massachusetts School Psychologists Association (MSPA), wrote several books, designed courses, and helped with the launch of what is now Freedman K-12 Consulting Services at William James College. 

“I worked in five different schools, one community college, three colleges, and two different graduate schools,” Gayle Macklem said. “Of all these different experiences, only twice have I encountered exceptionally positive school climates: one, an elementary school, and the other, William James College.” She added that she did not find the same “comradery, concern about one another, [and] support for one another and for students” in other places.

Gayle Macklem’s positive experiences with the School Psychology Department at William James has inspired her and her husband, Richard, to not only stay connected with the College after Gayle Macklem’s retirement in 2021, but also continue giving back. With a generous gift to William James, the Macklems are helping school psychology students in their final year complete their degrees.

“Gayle and I…wanted to give back, and of the possibilities to do something more meaningful, we agreed that the School Psychology program at William James College was doing the work we most want to support,” said Richard Macklem.

Their donation will establish The Gayle and Richard Macklem Scholarship to provide financial support to third-year school students completing their full-time, 1200-hour internships. School psychology faculty members will select student recipients who are completing their internship in a Massachusetts public school district, self-identify as a member of an unrepresented group in school psychology, and/or are multilingual with the intention of working with multilingual populations.

Of the scholarship, Gayle Macklem said, “Having been part of a profession that has been incredibly rewarding I wanted to do something toward addressing several key concerns of the field. First, the need to increase the numbers of practicing minority and bilingual school psychologists in the field of school psychology, and second, the need to address a serious lack of financial support for interning school psychology students in [Massachusetts].”

Supporting students has long been at the center of Gayle Macklem’s career. At the beginning of her tenure at William James College, Gayle Macklem was asked to design a course, Preventive Mental Health in Schools. She not only created the course, but also wrote the textbook when she discovered no appropriate text existed covering systems change and how to go about it.

“I believed that school psychologists who aspire to take on the full role of a school psychologist (well beyond assessment) could change schools for the better. I wanted students to know how to go about doing that,” Gayle Macklem said of the experience.

Jason Kaplan, PhD, LEP, NCSP, chair of the school psychology department shared, “Through her leadership, teaching, authorship, and mentorship, Gayle Macklem has shown what it means to truly invest in the mental health and success of students.”

Other highlights throughout Gayle Macklem’s 13 years with William James include advising students as they present their work at conferences, which she described as “one of the most rewarding and exciting experiences,” and authoring several books, including collaborating with the School Psychology Department on their book, Lessons from School Psychology: Practical Strategies and Evidence-Based Practice for Professionals and Parents.

Gayle Macklem said, “Having the opportunity to share what I had learned working in schools for 30+ years, hopefully helping students to understand how schools worked and how to avoid trouble, was gratifying.”

With their gift to William James, the Macklems continue their legacy of support, generosity, and dedication to making a difference in the field.

“Gayle’s and Richards’s legacy is one of deep care, innovation, and vision—they didn’t just teach future school psychologists, they empowered them to transform schools,” said Kaplan.

This gift is just the beginning. The Macklems hope others follow their lead in giving back.

“When students of school psychology are supported, the children and adolescents with whom they will work once they are professionals are supported as well and will get the help they need,” shared Richard Macklem. “We are hoping that our initial gift is a step toward a more diverse workforce and we strongly urge others to help ours or other scholarships grow.”

• Tags:
• In the Community
• School Psychology