[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.
____________________