The Foundations of the Field
As school counselors, we focus on the relationships and interactions between students and their school environment to reduce the effect of environmental and institutional barriers on student academic success.
It is our job to foster conditions within schools that ensure educational equity, access, and academic success for all students K-12. To accomplish this, the trained school counselor must be an assertive advocate, creating opportunities for all students to access rich opportunities and achieve at high levels.
Serving both as leaders and effective team members, school counselors work with teachers, administrators and other school personnel to make sure that schools’ structures, policies and practices are designed to ensure student success. As consultants, we empower families to act on behalf of their children by helping parents/guardians identify student needs and access available resources.
While serving all students, school counselors focus particular attention on those students for whom schools have been the least successful–poor students and students of color. It is within our charge to devise strategies and interventions to assist in closing the achievement gap between these students and their more advantaged peers. The success of these efforts can be measured by increases in the number of these students, and all students, completing school academically prepared to choose from a wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including college.