Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Advocacy for FSCA


Advocacy for FSCA

Our bill, SB 0154, Student Failure Prevention Act, has been filed again in Florida’s Senate by our Champion Senator Nancy Detert. Sen. Detert talks about our issue and this bill in every venue and to all legislators as much as possible. It is being drafted in the House and we expect filing before the deadline in early March. Rep. Adkins who filed our bill last year and is still a staunch supporter cannot file for us this year due to changes in her committee assignments. However, she is chair of an important committee to us and is working hard with FSCA to ensure that the bill gets filed and has support.


What you can do?


1. Write a note to Senator Detert thanking her for her tireless support.

2. Write a note to Rep Adkins and thank her for helping us help students.

3. Contact your own legislators (and others who may cover your school district in neighboring jurisdictions) and let each know that you want their support. (You can find your own and neighboring legislator names and contact information at http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find. Florida’s groupings of legislative delegations can be found here. 

Tell them that you support SB 154 and any companion legislation filed in the House to increase school counselors in every school, improve student access to counselors, and to ensure that every student has adequate and sufficient school counseling programs. Florida’s poor graduation rate would be improved by continuous and appropriate school counseling programs that focus on career and academic development. Furthermore, school counselors provide programs and skilled understanding of student’s personal and behavioral development to help be a first line of defense to promote student safety. ASCA’s recommendation of a ratio of 1 school counselor to 250 students coupled with ensuring that school counselors engaging in the jobs for which they are best trained and suited, is imperative to achieve our achievement, economic, and safety goals as a state.

Join FSCA in Tallahassee for FSCA legislative days on March 11 (for training) and 12 to see state lawmakers about school counseling. Please RSVP by emailing fsca@fla-schoolcounselor.org.

What you can do?

1. See if your spring break or school schedule will allow you to be in Tallahassee to join us. If you are on the clock on either of those days, make sure you have noted personal leave to Tallahassee.

2. If you can join us, please to arrive in the afternoon of March 11 for an update and training with our Advocacy consultant Carole Green.

3. Start contacting your legislators now to let them know who you are, what you are interested in, and that you will be contacting them for a brief appointment to see them on March 12 when you are in town.

4. Some tips: Do make arrangements for travel and lodging early as Tallahassee fills up quickly during session. Organize a group to carpool from your area. Invite school counseling students to join you if you have room in your car.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Clubs rather than approve gay-straight club



The Orlando Sentinel reports that the Lake County School Board (LCSB) is considering adopting new rules that would restrict extracurricular student clubs in secondary schools, as it is currently faced with a middle school student’s request, supported by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), to form a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) club. During a recent school board workshop, most members said they want to limit extracurricular student groups in secondary schools.

LCSB’s discussion was prompted by Carver Middle School (CMS) student Bayli Silberstein’s repeated attempts to form a GSA club at the school. After a request during the 2011-12 school year was denied, Silberstein reapplied to form the group in October 2012. CMS Principal Mollie Cunningham has yet to render a decision.

The ACLU, citing the federal Equal Access Act, which applies to secondary schools, says school districts cannot pick and choose which clubs to allow based on what they think students should or should not discuss. If a school allows any student group to meet that does not have a mission directly related to school academics, then it cannot deny other student groups the same access, according to the ACLU.

School Board members Bill Mathias, Debbie Stivender, and Chairwoman Kyleen Fischer spoke in favor of a rule that would ban extracurricular clubs in secondary schools. Board members Tod Howard and Rosanne Brandeburg favored banning extracurricular clubs only in middle schools.

Fischer said the district should focus on education and that “social engineering” is not the job of the School Board. “It is not our job to socially mentor students, but to educate them,” she said.

Howard said he was worried about the clubs that would be lost under stricter rules. “I am very concerned that one club would push out the remainder of the clubs that are doing good things,” he said.

Source: Orlando Sentinel, 2/5/13, By Erica Rodriguez

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

SB 0154, Student Failure Prevention Act


Our bill, SB 0154, Student Failure Prevention Act,  has been filed again in Florida’s Senate by our Champion Senator Nancy Detert.  Sen. Detert talks about our issue and this bill in every venue and to all legislators as much as possible.  It is being drafted in the House and we expect filing before the deadline in early March.  Rep. Adkins who filed our bill last year and is still a staunch supporter cannot file for us this year due to changes in her committee assignments.  However, she is chair of an important committee to us and is working hard with FSCA to ensure that the bill gets filed and has support.

What you can do? 

                1.  Write a note to Senator Detert thanking her for her tireless support. 
                2.  Write a note to Rep Adkins and thank her for helping us help students.
3. Contact your own legislators (and others who may cover your school district in neighboring jurisdictions) and let each know that you want their support.  (You can find your own and neighboring legislator names and contact information athttp://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find.   Florida’s groupings of legislative delegations can be found here.  
Tell them that you support SB 154 and any companion legislation filed in the House to increase school counselors in every school, improve student access to counselors, and to ensure that every student has adequate and sufficient school counseling programs.  Florida’s poor graduation rate would be improved by continuous and appropriate school counseling programs that focus on career and academic development.  Furthermore, school counselors provide programs and skilled understanding of student’s personal and behavioral development to help be a first line of defense to promote student safety.  ASCA’s recommendation of a ratio of 1 school counselor to 250 students coupled with ensuring that school counselors engaging in the jobs for which they are best trained and suited, is imperative to achieve our achievement, economic, and safety goals as a state.
Join FSCA in Tallahassee for FSCA legislative days on March 11 (for training) and 12 to see state lawmakers about school counseling.
What you do?
1.  See if your spring break or school schedule will allow you to be in Tallahassee to join us.  If you are on the clock on either of those days, make sure you have noted personal leave to Tallahassee.
2.  If you can join us, please to arrive in the afternoon of March 11 for an update and training with our Advocacy consultant Carole Green.
3.  Start contacting your legislators now to let them know who you are, what you are interested in, and that you will be contacting them for a brief appointment to see them on March 12 when you are in town. 
4.  Some tips: Do make arrangements for travel and lodging early as Tallahassee fills up quickly during session.  Organize a group to carpool from your area.  Invite school counseling students to join you if you have room in your car.  
 

A bill to keep the SAT and ACT scores for Bright Futures Medallion Program at the same cut score ...

A new bill filed by Representative Rangel of Osceola County and Senator Soto of Orange-Osceola needs your support. The house side bill is HB 387. The senate side bill is SB526. These bills have been introduced to keep the SAT and ACT scores for Bright Futures Medallion Program at the same cut score that they are for the seniors this year which is a 1020 SAT and a 22 ACT. As you know the increase in scores for the 13-14 school year is ridiculous 1170 SAT and 26 ACT. This cuts out about 70% of the students who would qualify under this years requirements. So the bills are extremely important so the students who are juniors this year will have a better chance of getting a scholarship that many Florida students rely upon.