[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 14 (Thursday, February 14, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SUPPORT OF NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DARLENE HOOLEY

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 13, 2002

  Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, the American School Counselor 
Association has declared the first full week of February as ``National 
School Counseling Week.'' Congress recently recognized the importance 
of school counseling through the reauthorization and appropriation of 
the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Improvement Act of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
  School counselors have long advocated that the American education 
system must leave no child behind. Even though students face myriad 
challenges every day, including peer pressure, depression, and school 
violence, school counselors help develop the total child by guiding 
their students toward academic, personal, social and career 
development.
  In addition, school counselors are usually the only professionals in 
a school building trained in both education and mental health. For this 
reason, school counselors were instrumental in helping students, 
teachers and parents deal with the trauma of the aftermath of Sept. 11. 
Nevertheless, the role and responsibilities of school counselors are 
often misunderstood and as a result, under budgetary constraints, the 
school counselor position is often among the first to be eliminated.
  The school counselor shortage is prevalent today, as evidenced by the 
fact that the current national average ratio of school counselors to 
students is 1 to 561. The American School Counselor Association, the 
American Counseling Association, the American Medical Association, the 
American Psychological Association and other organizations recommend a 
ratio of 1 to 250.
  I urge my colleagues to support National School Counseling Week 
during the first full week of February and I urge communities across 
the country to participate with appropriate ceremonies and activities. 
The American School Counselor Association recommends that parents and 
students should develop a collaborative relationship with their school 
counselors. School boards and administrators should continue to support 
students' academic, personal, social and career development through 
school counseling.
  Mr. Speaker, our students' futures are important to us all and school 
counselors work every day to ensure that our students are well-rounded 
socially and academically. Let us take a moment to thank our school 
counselors for their ongoing work in our schools and communities during 
times of national crisis or students' personal crises by supporting 
National School Counseling Week.

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