School Advocates Worry About Keeping Counselors as Federal Funding Set to Expire
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CHANDLER – Every day at Hamilton High School in Arizona, Steve Kanner, a school counselor, engages in either classroom discussions with students or personal one-on-one conversations.
Hamilton High School has a counselor-to-student ratio of 1:400, whereas the average ratio in Arizona for K-12 schools is 1:650, as reported by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).
Within the Chandler Unified School District, Hamilton High School employs 10 counselors, two social workers, and three psychologists. In response to the pandemic, the school, alongside others in the country, received federal funding, enabling them to bring in additional counselors and social workers. The funds were allocated at the discretion of the school districts, within certain guidelines.
Chandler Unified utilized a portion of the funding to hire new school counselors and social workers. In the fiscal year 2021-2022, the district had 93 school counselors and 19 social workers. These numbers increased to 98 counselors and 23 social workers for the fiscal year 2022-2023.
Unfortunately, some of the funding will expire later this year, which may result in the termination of the additional counselors hired using these funds, according to Jill Cook, the Executive Director of ASCA. Cook expressed hope that schools in the state will find alternative ways to maintain these positions even as federal funding decreases.
Cook highlighted the evolution of school counselors over the years compared to traditional guidance counselors.
"Today’s school counselors no longer solely handle administrative tasks, such as assisting with college applications or discipline issues. They work with all students in a school and dedicate 80% of their time to providing direct and indirect services, including classroom instruction, small group work, individual counseling, consultation, and family involvement," Cook explained.
ASCA suggests a student-to-counselor ratio of 1:250 for K-12 schools, based on various studies. However, according to ASCA, the national average in 2022 was 1:408.
ASCA’s research indicates that a lower student-to-counselor ratio is associated with improved performance in standardized tests, attendance, GPA, graduation rates, and reduced disciplinary incidents. Moreover, students are more likely to engage in discussions with school counselors about college and postsecondary plans when the ratio is lower.
Cook emphasized the significance of adopting a comprehensive approach to the work of school counselors, citing research findings that demonstrate its positive impact on students.
Modern school counselors, such as Mandy Tietjen, who has been working at Hamilton High for six years, have a wide range of responsibilities that extend beyond academic support.
"They don’t see the days when we’re in classes, presenting for all six periods, or the one-on-one registration meetings we have had over the past five weeks with every student. They don’t witness the meetings we have with families, whether it’s discussing college plans or addressing a student’s reluctance to attend school," Tietjen remarked.
The role of school counselors is to assist students in navigating their high school years, striving to achieve personal goals, addressing social-emotional needs, and maintaining open communication with families. Both Kanner and Tietjen underscored the importance of counselors serving as a communication hub between parents and students, answering questions from parents and facilitating connections with teachers when necessary.
Kanner has been working in the district for 27 years and shared his dedication to providing the best support possible for his students. He emphasized how his focus remains solely on the class or student he is currently engaged with, putting their needs at the forefront of his mind.
The day-to-day responsibilities of counselors revolve around the students and their individual needs. Tietjen described how unexpected events or issues can completely shift their priorities. For instance, when a student walks in with news about a parent’s cancer diagnosis, their to-do list takes a backseat as they provide immediate support, make necessary phone calls to parents and social workers, and search for available resources.
"We express our gratitude for the counselors in our school district each day," stated Franklin R. Narducci, the Superintendent of Chandler Unified School District, in an email. "The school counselors play a vital role in encouraging our students to dream big. We take pride in the exceptional work that our CUSD counselors carry out, even though it may often go unnoticed."
Kanner emphasized the significance of the ongoing connection between counselors and their students as a fundamental aspect of their job. Tietjen concurred, stating, "Our students have the opportunity to build a long-term relationship with the same counselor or administrator throughout their four years in school, allowing effective communication to take place. This enables us to have a deeper understanding of any discipline issues and identify the social-emotional needs of the students that require support."
Kanner and Tietjen both hope that their school, along with others, will be able to retain the counselors who were hired through the use of pandemic relief funds. Tietjen explained, "With a limited amount of time in a day, if we were to lose one of our counselors, it would mean less time available to dedicate to each individual student. Every aspect of our work contributes to the level of support we can offer to our students."
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