Edina’s Leigh Ann Feily named School Psychologist of the Year

Edina Public Schools’ school psychologist, Leigh Ann Feily has been honored with the 2024 Minnesota School Psychologist of the Year award. Presented by the Minnesota School Psychologists Association, this achievement recognizes Feily's unwavering dedication, exemplary principles, and outstanding contributions to the field of school psychology.

Along with her role as a school psychologist team lead, Feily also serves as Edina Public Schools' district-wide Student Support Services Continuous Improvement Specialist and MTSS Coordinator. Feily's career has been marked by her commitment to Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). MTSS is an approach that schools use to help all students, including struggling learners. Her journey began with a notable 2013 thesis for her specialist degree, which critically reviewed the roles of school psychologists in the implementation of MTSS. 

The nomination for the Minnesota School Psychologist of the Year award highlights Feily's instrumental role in shaping the future of school psychology. Her nominator states, "As Minnesota responds to the call to sunset the discrepancy model (a way to determine if a student has a learning disability), it will be leaders like Leigh Ann Feily who are and will continue to be our greatest assets and advantage in movement forward."

Expressing her gratitude, Leigh Ann Feily shares, "My journey in the field of school psychology has been a somewhat non-traditional one with a focus on systems-level intervention both at a building level and now the district level. I'm very honored to have my work recognized. I look forward to continuing to serve Edina Public Schools (and the field of school psychology) through continued problem-solving around systems-level student support and intervention."

Leigh Ann Feily was honored at the Minnesota School Psychologist Association's Conference on Friday, Jan. 25, 2024, where her achievements were recognized by peers and colleagues.