Advocacy for School Counselors

BRIEF SUMMARY

Advocacy for school counselors is focused on sharing with others in their school, district and the larger community, as to their unique training and role and their contributions to student achievement and success. School counselors are encouraged to advocate for themselves as leaders within the school, their department, their school counseling program and their profession. One way counselors can advocate for their profession is by joining their state and national professional associations, who advocate on behalf of school counselors and the school counseling profession, on a wide scale.

KEY POINTS

• Advocacy can be done with one person, such as a principal, or more people, such as the wider school community.
• Advocacy can be done directly, by speaking to someone or sending them information, or indirectly, by informing the school community of your role through through writing a newsletter article, or with something as simple as a bulletin board focused on what a school counselor does.
• Advocacy can be joining school, district, and local committees and informing these groups as to the role and responsibilities of the school counselor.
• Advocacy can be acting as a leader within the school and school community.
• Gathering data on your duties, responsibilities, programs, and your time use and sharing this information with stakeholders is an advocacy strategy.
• Visibly displaying your credentials is also advocacy.
• National School Counseling Week, an initiative of the American School Counseling Association, is designed as a week for school counselors to advocate for themselves in their school and school community (https://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors-members/about-asca-(1)/national-school-counseling-week).  National School Counseling Week is held annually, in early February.
• Indiana traditionally celebrates National School Counseling Week as a time to focus public attention and recognition on the role of the school counselor and their unique contributions to student success (http://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/student-assistance/natl-school-counseling-week-2015-memo-doe-dialogue.pdf).

SHARED WISDOM

• What I have learned
• What I have learned

RESOURCES

• National Office of School Counselor Advocacy: http://nosca.collegeboard.org/
  Advocacy Tips for Professional School Counselors: http://www.indianaschoolcounselor.org/page-1098807

  Pinterest Board for National School Counseling Week Activities: https://www.pinterest.com/amschlcnslrassn/national-school-counseling-week/

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