School counselors play an increasingly vital role in students' lives, yet they're in short supply in many schools. The American School Counselor Association recommends a student-to-school-counselor ratio of 250 to 1. In an interview with NPR, counselor Terry Tchorzynski discussed the demands of her job working with Michigan 11th- and 12th- graders, and her thoughts on being honored by Michelle Obama as the 2017 School Counselor of the Year. Some takeaways for schools:
- Retire the term "guidance counselors." From college and career readiness to social-emotional support to data analysis, "We're much more than just the guidance counselor," Tchorzynski said.
- Data is everyone's responsibility. By tagging behavioral issues as they occurred, "We could see when and where there were incidents and tailored our interventions based on that data."
- Keep caseloads manageable. "It's so important for people to understand that counselors are needed at every single level, kindergarten through 12th grade. Elementary students have just as many needs, so it's just as important to establish early what a school counselor can do for students."
nprED (01/06/17)
