A counselor's role in school

I am an elementary school counselor and I love my job! School counselors make a positive difference in the lives of many children each day, preparing them - in cooperation with their parents - for a productive, nurturing, focused life. Counselors teach kids to advocate for themselves, to stand up to bullies, to cope with their parents' divorce and survive the death of someone they love. We teach children kindness, respect, responsibility and cooperation. Counselors also teach kids to work hard and offer children prosocial skills to solve their own problems.

The task of a counselor is to develop and manage plans for children with autism, attention deficit disorder, behavioral issues, depression and anxiety ensuring the child is included and can be productive in their classroom. We help shy children find their voice and confident children use their voice.

Imagine my disbelief this Friday when I read a letter to the editor praising the proposed reform of Idaho public schools stating, "we can even start thinking of how education can actually PREPARE them (the children) for a productive career. Not just a bunch of social stuff." I take issue with this statement.

I don't believe preparing a person for a productive career and the social stuff are mutually exclusive. I believe without one, the other suffers. For children to find success in their future career they need the social stuff. Living successfully in our society and retaining a productive career dictates one understands and is able to display social rules and norms.

If the argument is, "Parents should teach the social stuff," then I offer, "Where better to practice what parents teach than in the safety of the school society?" Parents and schools should be cooperative partners in raising the children of our society.

If the argument is, "Public schools do not prepare children for a productive career," I disagree. I'm in public schools every day. Qualified professionals are teaching with great skill, hardworking children are learning and kids of all abilities are reaching their full potential.

Many schools in North Idaho have eliminated or reduced the school counselor position due to budget shortfalls. Eliminating school counselors negatively affects the success of our children. I wish to offer research by the American Counseling Association on the desperate need for school counselors in every school.

School counselors provide counseling programs in three critical areas: academic, personal/social and career. Their services and programs help students resolve emotional, social or behavioral problems and help them develop a clearer focus or sense of direction. Effective counseling programs are important to the school climate and a crucial element in improving student achievement.

Based on its research, the Institute of Medicine has concluded that mental health and psychological services were essential for many students to achieve academically, and recommended that such services be considered mainstream and not optional.

• Several studies find that elementary guidance activities have a positive influence on elementary students' academic achievement.

• School counseling interventions have reported success for helping students reduce test anxiety.

• School counselors in collaborative efforts can implement both systemic and programmatic changes in schools and communities to prevent students from dropping out of school.

• Studies on high school attrition indicate that preventive counseling, occurring before students are in crisis, reduces the risk of these students dropping out later.

• Counseling decreases classroom disturbances. Counseling services support teachers in the classroom and enable teachers to provide quality instruction designed to assist students in achieving high standards. Students in schools that provide counseling services indicated that their classes were less likely to be interrupted by other students, and that their peers behaved better in school.

• In studies on the effects of a small group counseling approach for failing elementary school students, 83 percent of participating students showed improvement in grades.

• A study done in Gwinnett County, Ga., shows that school counselors impact students' academic performance and can increase the on-task, productive behavior of students and reduce disruptive behaviors.

• School counselors, due to their training, experience and accessibility are considered to be the best-equipped school based professionals to develop and implement both prevention and intervention programs for youth at-risk.

• School counselors have proven effective in preventing students from committing suicide. The most effective prevention programs start with younger students and portray suicide as a mental health problem, not a dramatic way of ending a life.

• School counseling programs have significant influence on discipline problems. Baker and Gerler reported that students who participated in a school-counseling program had significantly less inappropriate behaviors and more positive attitudes toward school than those students who did not participate in the program. Another study reported that group counseling provided by school counselors significantly decreased participants' aggressive and hostile behaviors.

• Mental health care services can play an important role in violence prevention at all levels (primary, secondary and tertiary), including preventing problem behaviors from developing; identifying and serving specific, at-risk populations; and reducing the deleterious effects of violence on victims and witnesses.

• School counselors were effective in reducing victimization by assisting victimized children, reducing bullying behaviors and modifying the school climate and structure.

• Students who have access to counseling programs reported being more positive and having greater feelings of belonging and safety in their schools.

Are learning a career and social learning separate entities? I don't believe so. Can more be done to help students become successful, productive members of society? Probably, but don't condemn schools for teaching children to be prosocial members of society while preparing them for a productive career. Both are important to our children's future.

Bill Rutherford is a psychotherapist, public speaker, elementary school counselor, adjunct college psychology instructor and executive chef, and owner of Rutherford Education Group. Please e-mail him at bprutherford@hotmail.com and check out www.foodforthoughtcda.com.