Counselors are more important than ever!

Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, U.S. Department of Education recently penned a letter about school counselors and the importance of school counseling.

Check out this letter at:

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/secletter/140630.html

 

Some quotes from that letter are:
“I want to call attention to the urgent need for highly effective school counselors and discuss the importance of amplifying the impact of school counselors on students’ academic success, social-emotional well-being, and college and career readiness.”

 

“School counselors are pivotal in helping students manage their academic programs as well as the inevitable life events that may threaten students’ ability to succeed in school.  Yet, as the Civil Rights Data Collection recently found, one in five American high schools operates without any school counselors on staff.”

 

“Schools that do employ counselors may not use them to full advantage.  Despite the critical role school counselors play in supporting students’ college and career readiness, they often are asked to perform many “non-counseling” duties that can distract from their core work and ultimately leave students without the individualized attention they need to complete their academic course work, successfully navigate the college admissions and financial aid processes, and/or prepare for productive careers.”

 

I believe counselors are more important than ever.  In my experiences with business and industry, I have heard them also talk about the importance of career counseling and career development, more so than previously.  Yet we still see when resources are in trouble, counselors are often first on the chopping block.  Duncan made some fine points in his letter-now if we can only see those points be put into practice.