[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 21, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H402-H405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING WEEK

  Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 56) expressing support for designation of the 
week of February 2 through February 6, 2009, as ``National School 
Counseling Week''.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                               H. Res. 56

       Whereas the American School Counselor Association has 
     declared the week of February 2 through February 6, 2009, as 
     ``National School Counseling Week'';
       Whereas the House of Representatives has recognized the 
     importance of school counseling through the inclusion of 
     elementary and secondary school counseling programs in the 
     last 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 all students;
       Whereas school counselors have long emphasized the 
     importance of personal and social development in academic 
     achievement;
       Whereas school counselors help develop well-rounded 
     students by guiding them through their academic, personal, 
     social, and career development;
       Whereas school counselors play a vital role in ensuring 
     that students are aware of financial aid and college 
     opportunities;
       Whereas school counselors may encourage students to pursue 
     challenging academic courses to prepare them for college 
     majors and careers in the science, technology, engineering, 
     and mathematics fields;
       Whereas school counselors provide support for students 
     whose family members have been deployed to conflicts 
     overseas;
       Whereas school counselors help students cope with serious 
     and common challenges of growing up, including peer pressure, 
     mental health issues, school violence, disciplinary problems, 
     and problems in the home;
       Whereas school counselors are also instrumental in helping 
     students, teachers, and parents deal with personal trauma and 
     community and national tragedies;
       Whereas school counselors are among the few professionals 
     in a school building that are trained in both education and 
     mental health;
       Whereas, despite the important contributions of school 
     counselors to student success, counseling positions are not 
     always protected when budgets are cut, especially in tough 
     economic times;
       Whereas the average student-to-counselor ratio in America's 
     public schools, 475 to 1, is almost double the 250 to 1 ratio 
     recommended by the American School Counselor Association, the 
     American Counseling Association, and other organizations;

[[Page H403]]

       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; and
       Whereas the week of February 2 through February 6, 2009, 
     would be an appropriate week to designate as ``National 
     School Counseling Week'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives--
       (1) honors and recognizes the contributions of school 
     counselors to the success of students in our Nation's 
     elementary and secondary schools; and
       (2) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     ``National School Counseling Week'' with appropriate 
     ceremonies and activities that promote awareness of the 
     crucial role school counselors play in preparing students for 
     fulfilling lives as contributing members of society.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Iowa (Mr. Loebsack) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Iowa.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during 
which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous 
material on H. Res. 56 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Iowa?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 56 which honors and 
recognizes the contributions of school counselors in our Nation's 
education system.
  Nearly 100,000 people serve as school counselors, and I am grateful 
for their commitment to our Nation's youth. I support February 2 
through February 6 as National School Counseling Week.
  School counselors work tirelessly to ensure every child has the 
opportunity for personal and educational growth. They provide essential 
academic, college prep, career, and emotional support for students. But 
in many situations, school counselors are overlooked, overworked, 
making it nearly impossible to give every child the time and attention 
they deserve to meet their national potential.
  Nationally, the current student to counselor ratio is 475 to 1, while 
the American School Counselors Association recommends at most a 250-to-
1 student to school counselor ratio.
  Today, not only are children dropping out of high schools at alarming 
rates, but anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of students report feeling 
depressed. From dealing with death to addressing learning disabilities, 
school counselors provide emotional support for students, but the need 
for additional school counselors has never been more pressing. Though I 
am honored to recognize and celebrate School Counselors Week, our 
country still needs more school counselors.
  National data prove that school counselors improve teacher quality, 
bolster student achievement, and lower dropout rates. Despite limited 
resources, counselors work to enhance educational opportunities for our 
youth. They inspire students to reach for the stars while working 
through their academic and social obstacles.

                              {time}  1330

  They may not get a lot of credit, but quality school counselors 
dramatically improve students' and teachers' lives.
  I thank the American School Counselor Association and the National 
Education Association for supporting this resolution. National School 
Counseling Week reminds us of the crucial role school counselors play 
in students' lives.
  Madam Speaker, again, I support this resolution, and I urge my 
colleagues to support this bill as well.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. EHLERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of House Resolution 56 offered by the 
Representative from California, Ms. Linda Sanchez, and I am very 
pleased to join her as the lead Republican cosponsor of this important 
resolution.
  National School Counseling Week is celebrated annually the first full 
week of February to help focus public attention on the unique 
contribution of professional school counselors. School counselors are 
employed in school districts in public and private schools of all 
levels across America to help students reach their full potential. They 
are actively committed to helping students explore their abilities, 
strengths, interests and talents as these traits relate to academic 
success and career awareness and development.
  School counselors serve as a vital resource for parents by helping 
them focus on ways to further the educational, personal and social 
growth of their children. They work with teachers and other educators 
to help students explore their potential and set realistic goals for 
themselves. They often seek to identify and utilize community resources 
that can enhance and complement comprehensive school counseling 
programs that help students become productive members of society. These 
comprehensive developmental school counseling programs are considered 
an integral part of the educational process which enables all students 
to achieve.
  National School Counseling Week highlights the impact that counselors 
can have in helping students achieve academic success and plan for a 
career. It is particularly important that school counselors encourage 
students to pursue challenging academic courses to prepare them for 
college majors and careers in science, technology, engineering and 
mathematics. This year's theme, ``School Counselors: Making a 
Difference,'' truly sums up the results of the efforts they put forth 
daily to ensure that no child is left behind.
  I have a personal interest in this aspect of counseling. As many here 
know, I have spent a good deal of my time trying to improve elementary 
and secondary school math and science education because that is going 
to be crucial for the jobs of the future. And if the students do not 
take math and science, they are not likely to get good and meaningful 
jobs in the future. School counselors can make a huge difference by 
making students aware of the need for those subjects in their future 
workplace, but, secondly, to assure them that, regardless of the 
reputation of these courses as being tough, the students can make it 
through and they can improve their learning.
  I wish to close by expressing my sincere gratitude to all school 
counselors, not only from my State of Michigan, but from across this 
great Nation.
  Again, I thank the Representative from California, Ms. Sanchez, for 
her work bringing this resolution forth today. And I also want to thank 
Chairman George Miller's and senior Republican Buck McKeon's staff, 
especially Chad Miller, for their input and assistance in bringing this 
resolution to the floor in a timely manner.
  I urge my colleagues to support school counselors and this 
resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the 
gentlewoman from the 39th District of California (Ms. Linda T. Sanchez) 
for 3 minutes.
  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. I thank the gentleman.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 56 and 
support the goals of National School Counseling Week.
  I want to thank Chairman George Miller and Ranking Member Buck 
McKeon, as well as Representative Vernon Ehlers, for their support of 
this very important resolution.
  This resolution aims to highlight the very important work that school 
counselors do in our schools every single day. The best counselors 
inspire young people to dream big. They help young people get on the 
road to accomplish their dreams. And, when necessary, they enlist the 
support of parents, teachers, mentors, tutors, and anyone else that it 
takes in order to keep our children moving along that path to 
accomplishment.
  As I know from visiting schools in my district, counselors--though 
there are far too few of them--play a critical role in student success. 
Unlike teachers, who often only get to know students one semester or 
year at a time, counselors follow students throughout their many years 
at an elementary, middle or high school.
  They are adept at spotting long-term trends in student progress or 
behavior and arranging the appropriate intervention or enrichment. They 
assist

[[Page H404]]

teachers in developing instructional and behavioral programs tailored 
to meet the individual and unique needs of a particular student.
  I want to recognize all the dedicated counselors from my district who 
accomplish amazing things every day that they go to work. Lisa Torres 
from Cleveland Elementary and Brian Kamper of Artesia High School are 
just two of the many exceptional counselors that I have heard of. Lisa 
and Brian help their students to believe in themselves and achieve 
their goals, and their reputations are well known. Parents are rightly 
proud of these counselors and secure in the knowledge that Lisa and 
Brian are looking out for their children's academic achievement as well 
as their emotional well-being. I want to applaud the work of all those 
like Lisa and Brian, who are an integral part of the education team.
  I also hope that this year, as Congress continues to address No Child 
Left Behind and the role of our Federal Government in our local 
schools, that we can find a way to encourage schools to invest in 
counseling. The nationwide average student-to-counselor ratio of 475-
to-1 is simply inadequate to provide students, teachers, and parents 
with the counseling services that they need.
  Just think of all the students who are considering dropping out who 
need extra help from a literacy coach or who don't think that they can 
pay for college who could be reached if we simply had the counselors in 
those schools dedicated to those students.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. EHLERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Let me conclude by giving a personal example of why counseling is so 
important, even though I was not counseled by a school counselor, but 
my example illustrates the importance.
  When I was a senior in high school, I had no idea what I was going to 
do with my life and my career. I didn't even intend to go to college; 
fortunately, my father persuaded me to do that. But I had no idea what 
I wanted to do. That summer I was driving a truck. I ended up sitting 
in a diner next to another person. We began speaking, and he told me 
that he was a mechanical engineer at Ford Motor Company. He talked to 
me about what he did, and it sounded really interesting and it sounded 
like fun. So when I got to college, I went through the registration 
line and at one point someone said, what is your major? I said, I don't 
know, I have no idea. They said, well, you have to declare a major. I 
said, well, I'm not sure. So they said, well, you have to pick 
something. I said, okay, I'm going to be a mechanical engineer. And I 
found it amazing that based on a 10-minute conversation with a total 
stranger I decided what the rest of my life was going to be like.
  That illustrates the important impact that a school counselor--or for 
that matter a teacher--can have in advising students on what to do with 
their lives. As it so happens, after one year as a mechanical 
engineering student, my physics professor persuaded me to be a 
physicist instead, but nevertheless, the point is still made: 
Counseling is crucial, and counseling must be done and must be done 
well and professionally if we're going to provide a good service for 
the students of this Nation. And because of that, I am pleased to be a 
principal cosponsor of this resolution, and I urge its adoption.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I am very, very pleased to recognize 
``mi amigo'' from Texas, the gentleman from the 15th District of Texas, 
who also, of course, serves as the Chair of the House Education and 
Labor Committee Subcommittee on Higher Education, Mr. Ruben Hinojosa, 
for 3 minutes.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of House 
Resolution 56, expressing support for National School Counseling Week.
  I thank Congresswoman Linda Sanchez of California and Congressman 
Vern Ehlers of Michigan as well as Congressman David Loebsack for 
bringing this important resolution to Congress.
  Madam Speaker, effective school counseling programs are critical to 
boosting academic achievement and eliminating achievement gaps in our 
Nation's schools. School counselors work with the whole child, 
providing guidance and support for their academic, personal, social and 
career development. And they can advise parents to invest in Children's 
Early Reading Plus Writing Equals Success in Education programs. RIF is 
a good example of reading literacy, and it is being used in my 
congressional district with great support from our school counselors.
  For many first generation college students, the school counselor is 
their lifeline to information about preparing for, applying to, and 
paying for college. In many schools, the counselors office is the safe 
haven where students can turn for help with challenges at home or at 
school.
  Our best counselors see themselves as student advocates. 
Unfortunately, school counselors are not always treated as mission-
critical faculty or staff in our schools; they're often the first to be 
downsized in economic hard times. We can already see what's happening 
as local schools are forced to cut staff to make up for school budget 
shortfalls.
  The American School Counselor Association recommends a student-to-
counselor ratio of 250 to 1. Today, the national average is 475 to 1. 
In my own home State of Texas, the ratio is 437 to 1. And across the 
Nation, only four States meet the target ratio. Some States have ratios 
in the range of 1,000 students per counselor, and we must do better 
than that.
  As we celebrate School Counseling Week, we should thank our school 
counselors for their work to prepare our next generation for success. 
We should also acknowledge our national failure to provide adequate 
counseling for our students. Most of all, we should also pledge to do 
something about it.
  I urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support House 
Resolution 56, supporting National School Counseling Week.
  Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I just want to thank Mr. Ehlers from 
Michigan and all the other speakers on this particular resolution. It's 
a wonderful resolution. As someone who has introduced legislation 
designed to call for more resources to support exactly what we're 
talking about here, I am very happy to support this resolution and call 
on my colleagues to do the same.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of H. Res. 56, ``Expressing support for designation of the week 
of February 2 through February 6, 2009, as `National School Counseling 
Week.' '' I would like to thank my colleague Congresswoman Linda 
Sanchez for highlighting such essential education staff with this 
important resolution.
  This resolution brings public attention to the unique contribution of 
professional school counselors within our Nation's school systems. 
National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school 
counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan 
for a career.
  It recognizes that school counselors help develop well-rounded 
students by guiding them through their academic, personal, social, and 
career development. They play a vital role in ensuring that students 
are aware of financial aid and college opportunities as well as 
encouraging students to pursue challenging academic courses to prepare 
them for college majors and careers in the science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics fields.
  School counselors provide support for students whose family members 
have been deployed to conflicts overseas and help students cope with 
serious and common challenges of growing up, including peer pressure, 
mental health issues, school violence, disciplinary problems, and 
problems in the home.
  School counselors are among the few professionals in a school 
building that are trained in both education and mental health. Despite 
the important contributions of school counselors to student success, 
counseling positions are not always protected when budgets are cut, 
especially in tough economic times.
  The average student-to-counselor ratio in America's public schools, 
475 to 1, is almost double the 250 to 1 ratio recommended by the 
American School Counselor Association, the American Counseling 
Association, and other organizations.
  As chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I understand how 
important school counselors are for our youth. Madam Speaker, today 
many youth face temptations that often lead them down destructive paths 
and it is vitally important that we provide guidance that helps them 
make good decisions.
  Why do we need to highlight the work of school counselors?

[[Page H405]]

  There are 35.2 million young people ages 10-18 in the U.S. today; of 
those young people: 1 out of 4 lives with only one parent; 1 out of 10 
was born to teen parents; 1 out of 5 lives in poverty; 1 out of 10 will 
not finish high school.
  Madam Speaker, a school counselor is sometimes the only person to 
whom our young people can go for advice and guidance. Imagine how many 
young lives could be positively impacted if we increased the number of 
school counselors and remembered their important role when budgets are 
cut.
  School counselors can help give those youth living in poverty to 
strive towards a brighter future for themselves. Every child could 
benefit from having someone in his or her life to turn to for advice 
and help in the time of need.
  The positive relationships and reinforcement that school counselors 
provide is clearly effective. Young people today are confronted with 
many challenges in life. They can find the confidence to overcome many 
of these challenges through quality counseling.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.
  Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Loebsack) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 56.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that 
a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is 
not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________