Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/358877
" n e e d i e r " i n a n i n c re a s i n g ly u n s t a b l e world, say counselors. "People lost their jobs and their homes. This has had a big impact on students," says MacInnis. "There are more homeless and mental health issues happening at a younger age." Alycia Sato, counselor at Laguna Creek H i g h S c h o o l i n E l k G rove , e s t i m a t e s that she spends 70 percent of her time scheduling students, because her district eliminated 12.5 positions between 2010 and 2013. "It's too much," says Sato, Elk Grove Education Association. "I should be meeting with each student about their goals and talking to them about what's going on in their life that's inhibiting them from being successful." The American School Counselor Association recommends 250 students per counselor. In California, the student-to-counselor ratio averages 945:1, compared with the national average of 477:1, ranking California last in the nation. Twenty-nine percent of California schools have no counseling programs at all, according to the CDE. "We help as many as we can with the time we have," says Tello, San Ber- nardino Teachers Association (SBTA). "But sometimes we are so busy with the really challenging students that we don't get to know other students as well. We are doing a lot more group work now instead of one-on-one." Shamburger used to work at two middle schools, but is now split among four elementary schools due to layoffs, says the San Diego Education Asso- ciation member. Still, after he got four pink slips himself and 17 counseling positions were cut, he is happy to have a job. Hope for the future Patty Taylor is hopeful that new legislation and education funding formulas may increase the number of school counselors soon. Assembly Bill 1729, approved by the governor in 2012, authorizes schools to find "alternatives to suspension or expulsion" for misbehavior, such as supporting positive behavior with "tiered" interventions, creating restorative justice programs, and working with parents. "Counselors are the perfect people to be doing those kinds of interven- tions," says Taylor, an SBTA member and past president of the California Association of School Counselors. "With the Common Core State Stan- dards emphasizing college and career, counselors can help with that, too." The Local Control Funding Formula provides additional funds for students with greater needs. The Local Control and Accountability Plan, which is part of the formula, mandates that districts set priorities on such things as school climate, career preparation, lowering the suspension rate, and other areas where a counselor comes in handy. "The money is there," says Taylor. "We just need to increase the pub- lic awareness about the important role counselors play in helping our children succeed." M A R I A V I C T O R I A J U A N will always remember that her high school counselor believed in her — even when she didn't believe in herself. Juan, a senior at Laguna Creek High School in Elk Grove, finds it hard to open up to most people. But she finds it easy to talk to Alycia Sato about the frustrations she faces at school and at home. "Miss Sato is always there for me," she says. "She's an admirable person who believes in people. She's like our second mom." Juan planned on going to community college. Her counselor told her she could do better. At Sato's urging she enrolled in AVID, a college-readiness program, where she developed her leadership skills. She is now vice president of AVID. "Miss Sato told me about opportunities that I didn't know existed," says Juan, who is applying to state univer- sities. With Sato's help, she applied for and received a few scholarships. Another of Sato's students shares that her counselor made a huge impact on her life. She was sexually mo- lested as a child by a relative. In high school, she finally had enough courage to tell her family. Her mother didn't believe her, but Sato did. "One day I was crying and went into her office and told her," says the student. "Miss Sato called CPS [Child Protective Services]." It's been rough since that call was made. Sato contin- ues to be supportive. "It felt great to know someone cares about me," says the student, who plans to attend San Diego State Uni- versity and become a social worker. "Miss Sato has been following up with me to make sure I'm OK. She found me a chemistry tutor. She makes sure I stay on top of my classes. She helps me to move forward. She's amazing." Maria Victoria Juan credits school counselor Alycia Sato for her success. From a student perspective "She helps me to move forward. She's amazing." Douglas Shamburger 11 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 1