- Meet with your principal regularly to discuss your school counseling program. Early in the school year, you can have a conversation regarding your annual agreement (page 64-65 of the ASCA National Model) which includes your school counseling program goals. Throughout the school year, your meetings can be used to discuss what you are doing to meet those goals and report on student progress.
- School-wide professional development is a great opportunity for advocacy. Everyone in your building is in the same place for the meeting and you should take the opportunity to share what you can do through your comprehensive school counseling program. Let your teachers and staff know what you can do to help their students (and them)!
- PTO/PTA groups are a great platform for advocating for your program. It is so important to get parents and families involved in your school and help them understand the importance of your comprehensive school counseling program.
- Every building has a number of teams and committees. As a part of these teams, you have a great opportunity to advocate for students and for your school counseling program. In addition, if given the opportunity, you can also become a part of any district teams and advocate for your students, program and school.
- Other opportunities can randomly arise throughout the school year. If you have school board members or community leaders visit your school, you can have a brief conversation about what you do as a counselor and the impact it has on students.
Advocacy is an ongoing process. There are so many ways to advocate on so many different levels. Having an ADVOCACY MINDSET means you are always ready to have that advocating conversation, no mater the scale of the audience. Be BOLD-ADVOCATE!
Sarah Majoros – School Counselor
Madison Elementary School-Des Moines Community Schools
Iowa Elementary Counselor of the Year 2014
ISCA Elementary VP
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