Psychologist

My name is Nicole Parkinson and I am the school psychologist at Cortina Elementary for the 23-24 school year.

I believe in empowering each student to reach their full potential by helping them identify their strengths and learning to manage their struggles. As a mother and grandmother, I  know the importance of working with and supporting families to create a team of trust and collaboration to meet the needs of all students. 

I earned a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University. I was able to add an early childhood education and early childhood special education endorsement to my teaching certificate and taught Early Childhood Special Education for six years before becoming a school psychologist. I earned a Master's Degree in School Psychology from Ottawa University and earned my PhD from Grand Canyon University with an emphasis on learning, cognition and technology. I wrote my Master's Thesis on Autism programming and my Dissertation on Dyslexia. I have worked for Higley Unified since 2001.

I am a member of the district's crisis team and am a certified Trainer for PREPaRE and CSTAG to support school safety and to provide psychological first aid to students in need.

My primary role is to evaluate students to determine if they have a special education disability. I work with the school's intervention team to ensure that Multiple Tiers of Targeted support are provided to students to ensure that all general education interventions have been utilized and to help students succeed in the Least Restrictive Environment. 

I work closely with administration and the school counselor to support students and teachers to ensure a safe, happy and healthy campus for all learners.