Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/2788
LACEA decries cutting counselors for at-risk youth programs W ith 42 out of 68 counselors in the Los Angeles County Office of Education receiving pink slips, the counseling department that serves students in alternative school sites and ROP programs has been virtually gutted. Members of the Los Angeles County Edu cators Association (LACEA) fear that the students needing the most help will receive the least. "Fortytwo of us have no jobs and have been terminated for budgetary reasons," says Lori Hunzeker, a member of LACEA who received a pink slip. "They have basi cally wiped out the counseling program." LACEA counselors serve specialized programs for a wide variety of student needs in more than 23 districts through out Los Angeles County. Programs being affected by the loss of counseling posi tions include ROP and career technical education programs at alternative educa tion school sites and programs for stu dents mostly in grades 1012 at many of the 23 districts' high schools. Additional educational programs that will be impact ed include those at juvenile court schools, two public high schools, Foster Youth Services programs and community day schools. Once the cuts are in place, there will be only 26 counselors to serve nearly 3,000 students spread throughout the county in such programs. Most of those students were unable to succeed in tradi tional high school settings and require a great deal of attention and followup. "I have been working to get a student who is graduating from high school into Continued on page 37 in partnership with University of San Diego DIVISION OF CONTINUING EDUCATION ONLINE COURSES FOR TEACHERS from the University of San Diego Your Career Comes First — Stay Credentialed CTA & NEA members SAVE $75 CREDENTIAL CLEARING* CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM ENROLL TODAY! CALIFORNIA HISTORY FOR TEACHERS INSTRUCTOR-LED COURSES BEGIN EVERY MONTH CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION For more information or to enroll today, call 1-888-627-1148 or visit us at www.OnlineLearning.net *For more information about your California Teaching Credential requirements, please call the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing at 1-888-921-2682 or visit www.ctc.ca.gov. june 22-40 June.09.indd 27 2009 | www.cta.org 27 6/4/09 2:01:29 PM