Friday, March 29, 2013

President Signs Appropriations Package Including ESSCP for Fiscal Year 2013



News from ASCA
President Signs Appropriations Package Including ESSCP for Fiscal Year 2013

The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP), the only federal program dedicated to creating and expanding school counseling services in America's public schools, remains funded in FY13. Although the House of Representatives attempted to eliminate the program, the Senate and House ultimately agreed to fund ESSCP at approximately $49.665 million. The FY13 funding amount is a cut of more than 5 percent from FY12 levels due to the federal sequester that took place on March 1.

The continued funding of ESSCP, despite numerous proposals to eliminate, is a testament to your grassroots efforts. Thank you to everyone who took time out of your busy day to make a phone call, send an e-mail or visit your elected official to discuss the important work school counselors are doing every day. The Senate stood behind this program, countering the House's request to eliminate the program and saving it from catastrophic cuts. ASCA will formally thank both the House and Senate for preserving this program for another year.

What Happens Next?
School districts that were awarded grants in either FY11 or FY12 will receive continued funding for 2013. Historically, a grant competition has not occurred in years ending in an odd number; instead, the next number of qualifying grants from the FY12 competition would be awarded. If, in fact, a FY13 grant competition does take place, ASCA will send out an alert to all members when the U.S. Department of Education releases the request for proposals and will also post the application process on the ASCA website, the ASCA SCENE, Twitter and Facebook pages.

We Continue the Effort for FY14
ASCA has already initiated advocacy efforts for FY14 (which begins Oct. 1, 2013) funding. In addition to advocacy visits with congressional staff, ASCA member Kristen Sands from Jacksonville Heights Elementary School testified before the U.S. House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee in an appropriations hearing on the importance of the ESSCP. Read her testimony here.

For further information regarding ASCA's legislative affairs efforts contact Amanda Fitzgerald.
Sincerely,


Amanda Fitzgerald
ASCA Director of Public Policy
afitzgerald@schoolcounselor.org

phone: 703-683-ASCA

SB 154: Certified School Counselors

The FSCA Bill is on Committee agenda!
Education, 04/01/13, 3:15 pm, 412 Knott Building
You can watch online live by going to http://www.flsenate.gov/Media/#broadcast

Friday, March 15, 2013

Parents, Guardians, Grandparents: School Counselors Need your Help!









Parents, Guardians, Grandparents: School Counselors Need your Help!

The Florida Legislation is currently in session and considering the Student Failure Prevention Act (see http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2013/0154). This bill will do several things which include:

Defines the best use of these highly trained professionals;
Requires every school provide at least one and sufficient additional full-time school counselors;
Moves Florida's schools closer to the nationally recommended School Counselor to student standard ratio of 1:250 and thus to well-planned and accountable school counseling programs.

Step 1: Look up your legislators

Representatives:
http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/sections/representatives/myrepresentative.aspx

Senators: http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find

Step 2: Use the template below as a guide to write them an email and/or fax. Also feel free to call their offices and speak to either him/her or his/her aid.

Step 3: Call your local media (e.g., news, radio) and make your voice heard.



March 15, 2013

The Honorable ____________________

As a parent of a xxxx school student and one of your constituents, I want to voice my support for the Student Failure Prevention Act being considered in the current legislative session (SB 154 and HB 801). I believe that school counselors are vital partners in helping our children to achieve and succeed. In fact, I am very concerned to have learned that, on average, there is only one counselor to approximately 500 students in Florida schools and some schools have no counselor at all.

Perhaps a personal story or bit of information here ...

I want my tax money to support this bill which will put more counselors in more schools and help them to work directly with our children. Parents, teachers, administrators and others can help although cannot fully prepare our children to be college and career ready, to learn the personal and social skills necessary for the 21st century workplace, or to navigate intricate academic requirements. Without more school counselors who work directly with students, only some will get attention and other students will be robbed of the help they deserve.

School counselors are unique as the only specially trained professional to help ALL students meet academic, behavior and career standards.  They help to protect bullying victims and teach bullies new behaviors; they focus on keeping students in school and moving toward college, careers, and jobs; and they teach the key skills and attitudes that build our future workforce.

By following national and state standards and evidence-based practices, school counselors work with individual and groups of students, teachers, administrators, and families, in and out of the classroom.  They are experts who develop and deliver targeted programs to ALL students, Pre-K through 12.  These standards and practices are supported by diverse state and national groups including both the Florida and American School Counselor Associations, Kresge, Gates, and DeWitt Wallace Foundations and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

The time is now. We are facing a critical crossroads in education and for the first time in our history, this generation of students is at-risk of having lower educational attainment than that of their parents.  Florida in particular is facing historic economic challenges and a high student drop-out rate that can only be cured by investing in its present and future workforce in this way

My child deserves your support for the Student Failure Prevention Act.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXX
District name here

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

We Need Your Help Now!


March 13, 2013

The Florida School Counselor Association Day on the Hill was quite successful. The FSCA delegation was able to hold meetings with Senators Detert and Richter as well as Representatives Eagle, Hudson, Caldwell, Fitzenhagen, Roberson, and Rodrigues. The main focus of our meetings was to advance understanding and solicit support of the Student Failure Prevention Act which you can access online here. Remember, the bill addresses several actions:
  • Defines the best use of these highly trained professionals;
  • Requires every school provide at least one and sufficient additional full-time school counselors;
  • Moves Florida’s schools closer to the nationally recommended School Counselor to student standard ratio of 1:250 and thus to well-planned and accountable school counseling programs.
You can also access a one page flyer that FSCA used to summarize the nature of the bill here.
We Need Your Help Now!

The time is now as our legislators are currently in session. Locate your Representatives and Senators and let them know that you support the bill as a school counselor and/or a constituent. The bill numbers are SB 154 and HB 801. You can use the various documents linked in this update (see below).
NOTE: You should not use your school computer, fax machines, or email address when you correspond with your legislators. Use your personal computer and email address.
Salary Increases

The FSCA Day on the Hill also included  a productive meeting with Governor Scotts Policy Analysts about including counselors in the proposed $2500 salary increase. We believe we made a very compelling and stern case for why this would be appropriate, fair, and equitable. FSCA has also partnered with the FASP and FASSW to write a joint letter which you can access here.
Summary of Important Links
Photos

Check out a few photos of our meetings here.

Letter to School Board Members 2013

Include School Counselors in Salary Increase Proposal