National School Counseling Week

Floor Speech

NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING WEEK -- (House of Representatives - January 23, 2008)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. LINDA T. SÁNCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 932, expressing support for designation of February 4 through February 8, 2008 as ``National School Counseling Week.''

I thank Chairman George Miller and Ranking Member Buck McKeon, as well as Vern Ehlers, the lead cosponsor, for their support of this important resolution and the majority and minority committee staff for doing the hard work behind the scenes to get this resolution to the floor.

This resolution is about recognizing and honoring school counselors.

I want to begin, however, with full disclosure: I was not always the biggest fan of school counselors. Unfortunately, one of my own high school counselors suggested to me that I give up on my plans to go to college because I was likely to get pregnant and drop out anyway.

Well, I've learned a few things since then. First, I learned that that particular counselor's fortune telling skills weren't so great, and, second, I've learned a lot more about the counseling profession and come to understand that one bad apple doesn't represent what counseling is all about.

In fact, good counselors do exactly what this person didn't do. They inspire us to dream big, help us get on the road to accomplish those dreams, and, when necessary, they enlist the support of our parents, teachers, mentors, and others to keep moving us down the road.

Counselors can be vital to a student's success, especially in high school. High school is a transition period into adulthood and the world of work. As students make this transition, some need additional help to keep up in class, others get distracted by family issues or bad behavior, and still others might get involved with gangs and crime.

But a good school counselor can intervene, working with parents and teachers to get students back on track. Individual attention and follow-up from a counselor can help a student accomplish amazing things. I want to recognize just two of the counselors from my district who accomplish amazing things every day they go to work.

Cheryl Redgate of Santa Fe High School and Shanna Moore-Garcia of La Serna High School are just two of the many exceptional counselors in my district who have devoted their lives to serving young people. They treat each of their students as if they were their own children by holding them to high standards and providing encouragement, guidance, and support. I understand that local parents have expressed deep appreciation for the work of these two stellar counselors and are glad to know that Cheryl and Shanna are looking out for their children's academic achievement as well as their emotional well-being.

I regret that I don't have time to name every outstanding counselor in my district or across the country. There are just so many who every day go above and beyond the job description to help students achieve academic success and plan for a bright future.

One other thing prevents me from naming more counselors who have made a difference in the lives of their students, and that's the fact that there aren't nearly enough of them. Nationwide, the average student-to-counselor ratio is 476-1, almost double the 250-1 recommended ratio. In California, unfortunately this ratio is a dismal 920-1.

While today's resolution is a great start, to truly honor the work of counselors we must do more to put school counselors where they're needed so that students have access to these professionals who have so much to offer.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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