A new report by Public Agenda," Graduates Fault Advice of Guidance Counselors" states that most young adults who go to college believe that the advice of their high school guidance counselor was inadequate and often impersonal and perfuctory. Most troubling for policy makers is that young people characterized their interactions with guidance counselors' as " anonymous and unhelpful. " Nearly half of those surveyed said their counselors made them feel " like I was just anothe face in the crowd."
The researchers noted that counselors responsibilities have only grown in recent years. They also reported that advising students on higher education choice is just one of the many things that guidance counselors do. Much of their efforts is devoted to discipline issues, scheduling students for classes, overseeing the mandated testing program, and other administrstive duties. Jim Jump, a high school counselor and president of the Nationmal Association of College Admissions, said in the report that " so many other things are tossed on counselors' plates that actual counselimg takes up a very small part of the time."
One of the important conclusions of the study is young people typically give their teachers and mentors much better rating than the dismal ratings assigned to counselors. Solid majorities of young adults from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds report they had a " teacher who really took an interest in them and encouraged them to go to college." Most say that they had a teacher or coach who " really inspired them and motivated them to do their best."
I believe there is a vicious cycle going on in our large high schools. Many administrator's are being inundated with increased responsibilities. Unfortunately they are adding more of these increased reponsibilities to the counselors' role resulting in the diminishing, even eliminating, personal counseling services for students, parents,and at-risk educators.Result? A dramatic increase in at-risk students, parents, and educators seeking help but who now find the counselors'door closed. In my experience far too many leaders in the school counseling profession, including guidance directors, have accepted this diminished role of personal counseling and not opposed or challenged their administrator's decision to make the guidance and counseling department an extension of the administration. The Public Agenda report lays bare the results.
That being said, I believe that neither the overwhlemed administrators or passive guidance directors are the primary cause of this problem. Rather they are victims, as are students, parents, and at-risk educators, of a helping system conceived in the 1950s with the advent of the Conant large high school model. A model that has been out of date since the 1970s but persists as " the " model of choice for school guidance and counseling programs. A model that is incapable of delivering the services now needed.
What is needed is a change in the way school guidance and counseling programs are organized so that personal counseling can be restored as a priority service and the quasi-administrative counseling role of student scheduling, college admissions, and mandated testing necessary to keep the school organization running smoothly are mantained. A dual role in which the role of some counselors role is to offer "personal counseling: and a quasi-administrative role for other counselors who prefer to provide "guidance" on course selection, college choice, etc. For more on " how to" reorganize counseling programs see my blog, " Wake Up Counselors:Here's how they can restore counseling services for troubled teens."
However there is some hopeful news in the Public Agenda report. New open doors are being recognized as legitimate sources of help in the school organization.For example, there are teachers who now see their role as both an academic teacher and helper for student personal problems. A dual role that is much in need in our secondary schools and needs to be expanded. The Public Agenda report quotes a student from St. Louis who said he turned to his advanced biology teacher for help because " some teachers, they care...you can just tell."
A simple but eloquent reminder of what is important for teens as they try to navigate through adolescence.This is good news for teacher advisors who want to help teens. They are increasingly being recognized as " designated helpers" for students. Maybe their time has arrived. Necessity does bring invention.And maybe it's time for guidance counselors with a mission to offer personal counseling to embrace teacher advisor's as partners in the school communities outreach to troubled students, parents, and educators. For more information on how to create shared helping opportunities between teachers advisors and counselors see my forthcoming book, Angel Teachers: Teachers Who Care About Kids. Published in March 2012 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
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