Tuesday, January 05, 2016

FSCA Bill Filed! The time is NOW!

How often have you said, “If only …. “

WHY:            
FSCA recognized that school counselors are far too frequently tapped to use their work time on “other” services, rather than directly impacting students and applying graduate degree level skills and knowledge. Does this sound like YOUR work week?

WHAT:
FSCA worked with the FSCA lobbyist and Senator Detert’s office to draft a bill, now filed as SB 1162 and HB 1045 to address how school counselors can better use their time and knowledge/skills to help students. CLICK HERE for more information about these bills.  

WHERE:
The legislative session begins in Tallahassee January 12th at 10:00 a.m. and bills will begin to be reviewed.  Each Florida school counselor CAN make a difference for this bill. 

HOW: 
This does not require you to take a great deal of your time!
Action is not up to a few of us but each of us.
We all have to depend on each one of us to do AT LEAST one of the following:
  • Email – call - or send a postal letter to your Florida House Representative and Senator.  Click HERE for a sample email #1. Click here for sample email #2. You can copy and paste segments of this email, but please personalize it as well to make it more meaningful.
  • Visit your Legislators at their district office. See talking points on the web or contact summerkuba4@gmail.com
      The FSCA Website has a Find Your Legislator link to assist you with locating the contact information needed

WHEN: 
NOW!! The legislative session begins January 12th… it is critical you act today, tomorrow, this week. Take 15 to 30 minutes of your time to contact your representatives… one voice is nice but the collection of 6,000 school counselor voices is powerful and loud! Time for school counselors to ROAR!

Help YOU and YOUR COLLEAGUES turn the phrase of
“If only…”
into
“Remember When…” 
FSCA will track and post the progress of the bill to the FSCA Blog &/or the FSCA Website.

Questions?
Please contact Advocacy Chair, Summer Kuba, at summerkuba4@gmail.com


Sample Email Text #1 to Send Legislators (remember to add your personal touch!):

The Honorable_______________________,

My name is ________________________ and I am a constituent in your area.  I am currently a school counselor for grades ___________________at _________________________school.  I am writing about a specific piece of legislation, (SB1162/HB1045).  This bill is particularly important for the overall success of Florida's students now and in the future because as you know, State and national workforce projections predict that over 60% of Florida jobs will require some form of postsecondary education or training by the year 2020, yet currently, only 38% of working-age Floridians holds an associate’s degree or higher.  School counselors are able to provide the services students need to help reach this goal such as academic, social and emotional counseling, core curricula programing with structured lessons designed to meet student standards and competencies of the Florida Framework for School Counseling Programs, career and educational counseling, including helping students make informed academic and career choices using multiple student data sources and education and career placement services, individual and group counseling, crisis intervention and preventive counseling, referrals to community agencies, educational consultations and collaborations with teachers, administrators, parents, and community leaders, follow-up counseling services, conflict resolution and peer mediation.  Through all of these direct services, certified school counselors are able to help ensure the academic success, social emotional development, and college and career readiness of our students. 

I am asking you to please consider supporting this critical piece of legislation, our children’s future depends on it.

Sincerely,


Sample Email Text #2 to Send Legislators (remember to add your personal touch!):




Date: ___________________

__________________
____________________
__________________
____________________

The Honorable _________________,

My name is _____________________ and I am a constituent in your area and a _______________________ (your position and if you have children attending school in this you area)

I am writing about a specific piece of legislation, (SB1162/HB1045).  This bill is particularly important for the overall success of Florida's students now and in the future because as you know, State and national workforce projections predict that over 60% of Florida jobs will require some form of postsecondary education or training by the year 2020, yet currently, only 38% of working-age Floridians holds an associate’s degree or higher. 

School counselors are able to provide lessons and interventions that students need to help reach academic, social and emotional, and career goals. School counselors do this via core curricula programing and structured lessons designed to meet student standards and competencies of the Florida Framework for School Counseling Programs. School counselors provide career and educational counseling, including (but not limited to):

  • helping students make informed academic and career choices;
  • using multiple student data sources and education/career placement services;
  • individual and group counseling;
  • crisis intervention and preventive counseling;
  • referrals to community agencies;
  • educational consultations and collaborations with teachers, administrators, parents, and community leaders;
  • school-wide programs (e.g., bullying, character education); and
  • conflict resolution and peer mediation.

Through all of these direct services, certified school counselors are able to better ensure the 
academic success, social emotional development, and college and career readiness of all Florida students.  

I am asking you to please consider supporting this critical piece of legislation, our children’s future depends on it.

Sincerely,



_________________________________