The Why Behind the Work

After 24 years in Hutchinson Public Schools, Jen Bain, was honored by the people who know her work best: the future school psychologists she has trained.

Jen Bain did not see it coming.

She was sitting in the audience at the fall conference of the Kansas Association of School Psychologists on Friday, Oct. 16, when the presenters began reading from a nomination. As the details piled up, it became clear they were describing her.

"I was speechless," Bain said. "It was hard to hear all of the nice things that were said about my time as a school psychologist and about me."

The nomination came from her current and former practicum and internship students, the graduate students Bain has mentored as they learn the profession. For Bain, that made the honor land differently.

"I am not a 'notice me' kind of person," she said. "I just feel like I want to do my job well and help kiddos. I never really think about all of those things."

Bain, who holds an Ed.S. and is in her 24th year as a school psychologist with USD 308, serves students at all grade levels. Her work spans the district, Hutchinson High School and TLC. She said recognition is rare in her field, which makes this one matter more.

"There aren't really any awards or recognition for our group," she said. "We don't really fit in anywhere, and no one really knows what we do or who we are. To be recognized by my peers, who know how hard the job can be, is truly an honor."

A Hutchinson original

Bain's roots in the district run deep. Born and raised in Hutchinson, she attended Hutchinson Public Schools from kindergarten through graduation, moving through Allen Elementary, Liberty Middle School and Hutchinson High School, Class of 1996.

She went on to Fort Hays State University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in 2001, a master's in school psychology in 2002 and an Education Specialist degree (Ed.S.) in school psychology in 2003. This degree is a graduate-level terminal degree—sitting between a master's degree and a doctorate. She returned to USD 308 for her internship and, as she puts it, "never left."

Over the years she has worked in buildings across the district, including Hutchinson High School, Hutchinson Middle Schools 7 & 8, Wiley, Graber, McCandless and TLC. School psychology is the only career she has had.

Her path to it began with a career seminar during her last year as a psychology undergraduate. A school psychologist spoke about the job, and Bain recognized herself in it.

"I have always been interested in the why behind things, and have had a curiosity about people and problem solving for as long as I can remember," she said. "It seemed like a perfect fit."

The pull was also personal. Academics came easily to her, but the social side of school did not.

"I sometimes felt like I was different and misunderstood because I did things a little differently, or solved problems differently than my peers," she said. "It made for some challenging times and sometimes a feeling of disconnect from school."

That experience shaped her purpose. "If there was a way that I could help students understand their why," she said, "maybe I could help them feel more connected and empowered in their school journey."

Finding the 'why'

Ask Bain what a school psychologist does, and she starts with two words: problem solvers.

"School psychologists help schools and families understand why a student is struggling, whether that be academically or social-emotionally," she said.

When a student isn't making progress with the supports available to every child, a school psychologist digs deeper. That means classroom observations, assessments, and input from parents and teachers, all aimed at uncovering what is getting in the way.

The work also reaches beyond individual students. School psychologists help schools use data to check whether their supports are working for everyone. And they translate what they find into plain terms, so diversified support teams, including parents, can make informed decisions.

"By explaining the 'why' in clear terms, school psychologists help teams make informed decisions so every child gets the right help to succeed," Bain said. That takes close work with students, parents, teachers, related service providers and administrators.

Bain also shapes the field from the front of the classroom. She has taught general psychology at Hutchinson Community College for about 20 years, in online and blended high school formats. For roughly three years she has taught graduate school psychology courses at Wichita State University, and she previously taught a graduate-level assessment course at Southwestern College.

That teaching, and the hours she has spent supervising practicum and internship students in the field, is what led those students to nominate her.

Every path looks different

If Bain could share one message with the community about how students learn, it would be this: there is no single timeline for growing up.

"We spend a lot of energy worrying about whether a child is 'on track,' but there's a wide window of average, typical, 'normal,' and kids move through it at different rates," she said. "Every child's path looks different, and that's okay."

Progress, she said, can look very different from one child to the next. For one student, it might be reading a full chapter book. For another, it might be raising their hand for the first time.

"When we compare kids to a single standard, we miss the growth that's actually happening," Bain said. "Our job as adults is to pay attention early, notice what each child needs, and step in before small struggles become big ones."

A family invested in USD 308

For Bain, Salthawk pride runs deep. Her husband has taught at Hutchinson High School for 18 years. Their daughter, Kieryn, graduated from HHS last May and had some of the same teachers her mother once had.

"I love that my husband and I are able to give back to our community working for USD 308," Bain said, "and that my daughter was able to experience the wide variety of opportunities that Hutchinson Public Schools has to offer."

And with Oct. 31 around the corner, it is Bain's favorite time of year. Halloween is her favorite holiday, she loves all things spooky, and she turns to crafting as her therapy.

After 24 years, she says she still measures success the same way she always has.

"I want to believe that I am making an impact for students and educators," she said, "and just focus on how I can best support them."