Put School Counselors Where They’re Needed

Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA) introduced the "Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act," legislation that would provide funding for additional counselors in high schools with high drop-out rates.

"If we are serious about leaving no child behind, we must admit that schools are not factories and children are not widgets," said Rep. Linda Sánchez.  "We must place more counselors where there are more students at risk.  No child should miss out on a quality education because his or her school was too cash-strapped to afford enough school counselors."

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.  But the average student-to-counselor ratio in California's public schools is more than 900 to one, a ratio that hardly allows for individual attention and intensive support.  With 7,000 students dropping out of high school every single day in this country, additional personal attention and follow-up from professional counselors will prevent our children from falling through the cracks of large L.A. area high schools that serve student populations between two and four thousand.  

The "Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act" would address this problem by providing funding for additional counselors in high schools with high drop-out rates. These additional counselors would work intensively with students at risk and would collaborate with parents, teachers, tutors, employers, and others to create a comprehensive plan to get these students back on the right track. 

"Professional secondary school counselors are an integral part of the effort to increase graduation rates," continued Sánchez.  "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."

This legislation is supported by the National PTA, the American School Counselor Association, and the American Counseling Association.