Though being a counselor can often be a thankless job, there is at least one person publicly singing your praises.

Jessica Lander, a teacher and author in the Boston area, recently wrote an op-ed for The Boston Globe pleading with Boston and the state of Massachusetts to understand the value of school counselors.

“Simply put, counselors matter. In many schools they may be the only staff member responsible for understanding each child as a whole person. For first-generation college applications, counselors are essential for helping students navigate the complex college admissions process,” Lander wrote.

“Yet in too many schools, counselors are under-supported and shoulder unmanageable caseloads. Too often, their time is also eaten away by unrelated school responsibilities — including clerical duties, data entry, and student discipline.”

Referencing NACAC’s and the American School Counselor Association’s Student-to-Counselor Ratio Report, Lander makes the case for Massachusetts to put more an emphasis on counseling students and hiring more counselors.

Read Lander’s full column.

Ashley Dobson is NACAC’s communications manager for content and social media. You can reach her at adobson@nacacnet.org.