A new report from the Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce finds that despite being funded by all taxpayers, selective public colleges do not serve all segments of their states’ populations.
The 2019 Advocacy Meeting is just a couple weeks away and Government Relations Committee member Alyson Tom has all your questions covered.
During a Facebook Live conversation Wednesday, Tom discussed her advocacy background, the issues that matter most to her, and the upcoming Advocacy Meeting.
Tom experienced her first Advocacy Meeting at the national level last year and she offered some advice for newcomers.
“I could certainly understand if someone has never done anything like this before that it could be intimidating or a little scary to talk to these people you’ve seen on TV and read about in the news. My advice for new people is just remember you are the expert in the field. You know more about your job than anybody else. Even if they think they know what your job is, you know your job. That’s the key point to remember,” Tom said.
Whether you are a first-time attendee, advocacy vet, or just an interested party, we want to make sure all your questions about the 2019 Advocacy Meeting are answered.
We’ll be broadcasting via Facebook Live on Wednesday with Government Relations Committee member Alyson Tom. Tune in at noon ET to learn more about this year’s Advocacy Meeting, hear advice for first-time attendees, and more.
Have questions about the Advocacy Meeting or for Tom? Ask them during the Live using the video’s comment section or submit them ahead of time via email.
Ashley Dobson is NACAC’s communications manager for content and social media. You can reach her at adobson@nacacnet.org.
A recent NACAC study confirmed that students who meet one-on-one with a school counselor are significantly more likely to attend college and apply for federal financial aid.
Study findings show that 12th graders who talked about their future plans with a school counselor were:
Seven times more likely to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Three times more likely to attend college
Two times more likely to attend a bachelor’s degree program
NACAC believes school counselors have an important and often under-acknowledged role to play in moving toward the goal of equity in education.
One of NACAC’s core values is that our institutional and individual members strive to eliminate from the education system bias based on race, ethnicity, creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, political affiliation, national origin, or disability. We view this as fundamental to our responsibility as educators.
However, the stark reality is that inequities do exist, and are often strongly associated with race and ethnicity.
For example:
High student-to-counselor ratios School counselors in schools serving large numbers of racial and ethnic minority students face ratios well above the current national ratio of 464:1. According to the Education Trust, a high school counselor who serves predominantly students of color has to serve 34 more students every year than a school counselor who serves fewer students of color, and 27 states are shortchanging either their students of color, students from low-income families, or both. And since black students are more likely than their white peers to cite a school counselor’s involvement in changing their college-going perceptions, such shortages present steep barriers to students of color.
Inequitable access to education resources and college preparatory coursework Evidence of racial gaps in access to school resources is plentiful. Persistent racial and ethnic gaps exist in dual enrollment and college preparatory coursework (AP and IB), which is the foundation for NACAC’s policy priority in support of equitable funding for schools to ensure that all students have access to coursework that will prepare them for education beyond high school.
Implicit bias and cultural fluency There is a substantial and growing body of research documenting individual implicit bias across all industries and facets of American life. College admission counseling professionals, including school counselors, have identified implicit bias and other, more overt, forms of bias as a critical obstacle to serving all students well. As such, NACAC recently created a resource for practitioners wishing to learn more about cultural fluency and bias, and urges school leaders and policymakers to consider the effects of bias on the educational system.
Interaction with a school counselor has statistically significant, positive effects on college-going behavior and ensuring equitable access to school counseling and other critical resources—particularly for racial/ethnic minority students—is an immediate concern to be addressed by policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels.
David Hawkins is NACAC’s executive director for educational content and policy. You can reach him at dhawkins@nacacnet.org.
Editor’s Note: National School Counseling Week, sponsored by ASCA, is always celebrated the first full week in February. Learn more about this year’s celebration and use the comment section below to let us know what you hope your students learn from you.
Every year, I say goodbye to a group of students I’ve shepherded through the college application process. We’ve spent a lot of time together. Obviously, we’ve talked about college. But we’ve also spent a lot of time talking about life, their hopes and dreams, the challenges they’ve faced. As I brace myself for the inevitable separation, this is what I hope they’ve learned from me.
Editor’s Note: National School Counseling Week, sponsored by ASCA, is always celebrated the first full week in February. Learn more about this year’s celebration and use the comment section below to let us know why you love being a school counselor.
Why do I love being a school counselor?
If I had a dime for every time a parent or friend commented, “I don’t know how you do your job,” I think I could pay for my trip to the national conference with money left over to buy treats for the rest of my colleagues all over the country.
My response is always, “I love my job! There is never a dull moment.” And that is the truth.
Editor’s Note: National School Counseling Week, sponsored by ASCA, is always celebrated the first full week in February. Learn more about this year’s celebration and use the comment section below to let us know what drew you to the counseling profession.
There is an iconic scene in the movie Clerks (1994), Kevin Smith’s first film, which centers on a suited man sitting on the floor of a convenience store searching for the perfect carton of eggs.
According to a random customer and the titular clerks, Dante and Randal, this man is suffering from shell shock as a result of working as a counselor.
The customer says, “Well, if your job was as meaningless as theirs, wouldn’t you go crazy, too?”
A new report from the Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce finds that despite being funded by all taxpayers, selective public colleges do not serve all segments of their states’ populations.
