ACA Alert: Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act
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to sign on as original co-sponsors of the Put School Counselors Where
They're Needed Act, sponsored by Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA). Co-
sponsors, especially Republicans, are needed TODAY.
TARGET: All U.S. Representatives. You can reach your Representative
by calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121 (or
202-224-3121) and asking for a particular member's office. You can
also visit ACA's Legislative Action web page at: http://capwiz.com/counseling/home/
to find out who your particular member of Congress is, and to send a
personalized letter or e-mail to him/her on this issue.
SUGGESTED MESSAGE: "Representative Linda Sanchez (D-CA) is circulating
a Dear Colleague Letter to members of Congress asking them to sign on
as original co-sponsors of the Put School Counselors Where They're
Needed Act. As your constituent, I strongly urge you to sign this
letter and support the school counseling program.
This bill would authorize a limited demonstration program, placing
additional professional secondary school counselors in schools with
drop-out rates of 40% or more.
If you have further questions, please have your staff contact Celeste
Drake (x5-6676) in Rep. Sanchez's office."
(Don't forget to leave your name and number!)
BACKGROUND: Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) has sent out a Dear Colleague
Letter (DCL) to members of Congress asking for original co-sponsors
for a bill she plans to introduce soon: the Put School Counselors
Where They're Needed Act. ACA and ASCA, and other groups, have been
working closely with Rep. Sanchez's office to help write the
legislative language that would increase secondary school counselors
in high-need Title I Schools.
Following is the text of the Dear Colleague letter:
Want to Increase High School Graduation Rates in Your District?
Put More School Counselors Where They're Needed!
Dear Colleague,
As we move closer to the reauthorization of the landmark No Child Left
Behind law, we must examine and address our national drop-out problem.
That's why I invite you to join me as an original co-sponsor of the "
Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act."
Professional secondary school counselors are an integral part of the
effort to increase graduation rates. School counselors can identify
potential problems early in a student's school career and make sure
that they are addressed before students become overwhelmed and drop
out.
The average counselor-to-student ratio in America 's public schools is
one to 479, a ratio that hardly allows for individual attention and
intensive support. The American School Counselor Association and the
American Counseling Association recommend a ratio of one school
counselor to 250 students and a lower ratio for counselors working
primarily with students at risk.
If we are serious about leaving no child behind, we must admit that
schools are not factories and children are not widgets. We must place
more counselors where there are more students at risk.
The Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act would do just that.
This bill would authorize a limited demonstration program, placing
additional professional secondary school counselors in schools with
drop-out rates of 40% or more. These additional counselors will work
intensively with students at risk of dropping out and will collaborate
with parents, teachers, and others to create a comprehensive plan to
get these students back on the right track. Moreover, similarly
situated schools around the nation could benefit from the lessons
learned by participating schools. This legislation is supported by the
National PTA, the American School Counselor Association and the
American Counseling Association.
Please become an original co-sponsor of the Put School Counselors
Where They're Needed Act. To learn more about this important
legislation, or to become an original co-sponsor, please contact
Celeste Drake (x5-6676) in my office today.
Sincerely,
LINDA T. SÁNCHEZ
Member of Congress
For more information on this issue, contact Chris Campbell in ACA's
Office of Public Policy and Legislation at (800) 347-6647 x-241 or by
e-mail at ccam...@counseling.org.
Christopher C. Campbell, M.A. Ed.
Assistant Director of Public Policy and Legislation
American Counseling Association
5999 Stevenson Avenue, Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22304
703.823.9800 x241
703.823-0252 fax
703-405-9671 mobile
www.counseling.org