Substitute Senate Bill 5030 passed last year. I know a lot of leaders are asking what this means. How does this impact your leadership? Does this change the role of school counselors? We are here to support you and your CSCP through the process, which is going to take time. It can take up to three to five years to truly change systems, so give yourself grace! AWSP is working with OSPI and Hatching Results to provide resources, videos, and tools to support you and your team through building the best possible partnership between building leaders and the school counseling team. In the meantime, check out this primer for understanding the role and working effectively with school counselors.
Leadership Moves:
Strong Communication
- Schedule time to meet and discuss the various aspects of your school counseling plan.
- Plan monthly update meetings to maintain open communication.
- Communicate with staffulty the school counselor role.
- Provide time for School Counselors to share their role with staff.
Use Data
- Utilize and explain school data to convey the importance of CSCP goals and interventions.
Committee Inclusion
- Have principals join the school counseling advisory council and/or have school counselors join the administrative leadership team to aid in role understanding.
Professional Development
- Work together to organize school-wide professional development opportunities that advance social justice competencies ex: trauma-informed education, implicit bias awareness, and ending the school-to-prison pipeline.
Utilize Use of Time Documents
Outlining the amount of time spent on various roles and responsibilities will provide data that can prove ineffective use of time due to role misunderstanding, and can help establish the 80/20 model.
Quick reads to help leaders understand the School Counselor role: