Leo R. Sandy - A tribute to school counselors

I have the honor and privilege to help prepare school counselors, school psychologists and mental health counselors for their professional careers. I also am fortunate to be able to do this with superb colleagues who are highly competent and with whom I have a very close, working relationship. My fellow professors in the Counselor Education and School Psychology Department at PSU are not only excellent teachers but also very accomplished field practitioners and researchers.

This column will focus on school counselors. School counselors are key people in public schools. They work with children with normal developmental problems such as peer conflicts, low self-esteem, limited time management ability, the loss of a parent, sibling, grandparent or pet; performance anxiety, adjusting to a new school and a host of other issues. School counselors also work with children who receive special education services. School counselors help develop crisis intervention plans, screen kindergarten students, help high school students apply for college or careers, go into classrooms and do presentations on a variety of topics specific to the needs of the students, counsel children individually and in groups, sit on child study and special education teams, mentor graduate student interns, work with parents, consult with teachers and administrators, participate in assessment and monitor the school climate. They are indispensable to the operation of a school. School counselors help save children’s lives as in preventing problems from escalating and doing suicide-risk assessments. School counselors are strong advocates for children by helping children advocate for themselves and by being a voice for children when they need one. School counselors also work with outside agencies to help children who are no longer able to live in their homes due to severe neglect or abuse.

Children today are experiencing an enormous amount of stress due in part to a poor economy, the negative influence of the media, reduced educational funding, and the strong emphasis on assessment that creates high test anxiety and takes away from instructional time. Parents must often work at several jobs and don’t often have the time and energy to spend time with their children playing board games, going for walks, and helping with their homework. Many families don’t even have one meal together a day, and too often homes look like train stations with people coming and going in a frantic manner. In hard times, child neglect and abuse also increase.When children come to school stressed, it affects their school performance and their interpersonal relationships. Enter the school counselor.

It is imperative that, despite the conditions under which students live, that the schools are equipped to meet students’ development needs so that they can become effective citizens during and upon the completion of their formal education. According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) “The elementary years are a time when students begin to develop their academic self-concept and their feelings of competence and confidence as learners. They are beginning to develop decision-making, communication and life skills, as well as character values. It is also a time when students develop and acquire attitudes toward school, self, peers, social groups and family. Comprehensive developmental school counseling programs provide education, prevention and intervention services, which are integrated into all aspects of children’s lives. Early identification and intervention of children’s academic and personal/social needs is essential in removing barriers to learning and in promoting academic achievement. The knowledge, attitudes and skills that students acquire in the areas of academic, career and personal/social development during these elementary years serve as the foundation for future success. . . Elementary school counselors are professional educators with a mental health perspective who understand and respond to the challenges presented by today’s diverse student population. Elementary school counselors don’t work in isolation; rather they are integral to the total educational program. They provide proactive leadership that engages all stakeholders in the delivery of programs and services to help students achieve school success. Professional school counselors align with the school’s mission to support the academic achievement of all students as they prepare for the ever-changing world of the 21st century. . . Through a comprehensive developmental school counseling program, school counselors work as a team with the school staff, parents and the community to create a caring climate and atmosphere. By providing education, prevention, early identification and intervention, school counselors can help all children achieve academic success. The professional elementary school counselor holds a master’s degree and required state certification in school counseling. Maintaining certification includes on-going professional development to stay current with education reform and challenges facing today’s students. Professional association membership enhances the school counselor’s knowledge and effectiveness” (http://www.schoolcounselor.org/content.asp?contentid=230).

When I attended public school, there were only counselors at the high school level, and they were former teachers who took only four graduate courses (12 credits) to be certified as school counselors. Today’s school counselors are much better educated and trained. For example, most master of education degrees in counseling require up to 48 college credits. The contrast between the school counselor of the past and the school counselor of the present is quite dramatic. I have worked closely with school counselors since 1972 and have found them to be extremely effective in the work they do. School counselors at the elementary level through high school are very well prepared for the complex demands that face them and they do an extraordinary job in promoting child development. They deserve our support and encouragement.

(Leo R. Sandy is professor of counselor education at Plymouth State University and a consulting school psychologist.)