[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 20 (Thursday, February 1, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S1542]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING WEEK

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 23, and 
that the Senate proceed to its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 23) designating February 5 through 
     February 9, 2007, as ``National School Counseling Week.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and that any statements relating thereto be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 23) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 23

       Whereas the American School Counselor Association has 
     declared the week of February 5 through February 9, 2007, as 
     ``National School Counseling Week'';
       Whereas the Senate has recognized the importance of school 
     counseling through the inclusion of elementary and secondary 
     school counseling programs in the reauthorization of the 
     Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965;
       Whereas school counselors have long advocated that the 
     education system of the United States must leave no child 
     behind and must provide opportunities for every student;
       Whereas personal and social growth results in increased 
     academic achievement;
       Whereas school counselors help develop well-rounded 
     students by guiding them through their academic, personal, 
     social, and career development;
       Whereas school counselors have been instrumental in helping 
     students, teachers, and parents deal with the trauma that was 
     inflicted upon them by hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma;
       Whereas students face myriad challenges every day, 
     including peer pressure, depression, and school violence;
       Whereas school counselors are among the few professionals 
     in a school building that are trained in both education and 
     mental health;
       Whereas the roles and responsibilities of school counselors 
     are often misunderstood, and the school counselor position is 
     often among the first to be eliminated in order to meet 
     budgetary constraints;
       Whereas the national average ratio of students to school 
     counselors of 478-to-1 is more than double the 250-to-1 ratio 
     recommended by the American School Counselor Association, the 
     American Counseling Association, the American Medical 
     Association, the American Psychological Association, and 
     other organizations; and
       Whereas the celebration of National School Counseling Week 
     would increase awareness of the important and necessary role 
     school counselors play in the lives of students in the United 
     States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of February 5 through February 9, 
     2007, as ``National School Counseling Week''; and
       (2) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     the week with appropriate ceremonies and activities that 
     promote awareness of the role school counselors perform in 
     the school and the community at large in preparing students 
     for fulfilling lives as contributing members of society.

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