COUNSELORS: Try this instead

The Coeur d’Alene Press has asked citizens to support our Coeur d’Alene 271 school board by commenting about the need for counselors. The Idaho School Counseling Model and Rules Governing Uniformity for the state of Idaho are the controlling documents that discuss counselors. Not surprisingly, neither document allows “academic counselors” to act as psychological counselors for potentially suicidal students in junior and senior schools in Idaho.

A far better solution (than to hire counselors) is to thoroughly investigate the absence of rigor (tougher classes and the expectation of “learning to mastery”) in our Coeur d’Alene 271 schools. Every graduate need be prepared to a threshold which best guarantees that our kids can function well in our society. If all of our kids were deeply concerned with tough academic tests and focus on their futures, the need for psychological counseling would largely evaporate. In that regard: Mr. Nelson (director of curriculum and assessment at Coeur d’Alene 271), just what is your plan to solve the issue of only 32 percent of the district’s juniors able to perform at grade level on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT)?

Many foreign school systems now outperform our American public schools, and, they often have class sizes of 40-60 students. The class size ruse is promoted by districts to bolster the concept of more teachers and larger public school budgets. The data strongly suggests that the determining ingredient in the classroom is, and always has been, the quality teacher. Class size reductions are effective only when decisions are made in concert with teacher effectiveness. Effectiveness is measured by quality evaluations, a sorely missing aspect of our public schools.

Almost yearly, Coeur d’Alene 271 asks for additional funding in the form of levies. Polling places for such levies are mainly at public schools in Coeur d’Alene 271. Therefore, teachers’ voices (votes) are the voices predominantly heard above that of the public. Most often, less than 20 percent of our population votes in such elections, and the vote is largely made up of Coeur d’Alene teachers. Without accountability, continued unconditional financing of our Coeur d’Alene public schools works against the best interests of our community.

Again, the law does not permit academic counselors to act as psychological counselors — higher expectation of rigor does. Therefore, this would be a great time to put these newfound funds in “our” pocket and prepare to not have to ask for additional funds in the form of future levy requests. I am sure the state of Idaho and our taxpayers would gladly approve of such thriftiness.

RON DEADY

M.S. in marriage and family counseling.

Resident of Coeur d’Alene for 3 1/2 years.

Previous public school teacher for 5 years.