Letters: Time to change counselor ratios

Over the years, our state has created hundreds of rules that tell educators how to do their jobs. Some tell administrators which books they can and cannot purchase; one even requires the state to review plans for ID badges in every school.

While all have good intentions, when they’re piled on top of one another, they are confusing for educators.

Moving away from this mentality, in recent years our state has increased accountability for actual results rather than micromanagement.

Letter grades rate the achievement of each school. Successful schools receive “Top Gains” status and financial rewards. Failing schools receive stiff consequences. Educators whose students keep pace receive “effective” ratings and increased compensation. Those whose students make no progress see no pay increases and lose tenure protections.

Still, in spite of this accountability for results, there remain rules on the books that tell educators how to educate.

Last week, The Advocate reported on a particular rule that for years has mandated a ratio of at least one school counselor for every 450 students. That seems reasonable; counseling is a critical activity for children.

But consider that counseling 4-year-olds on developmental issues is a world away from counseling high school seniors on college applications or career plans. Counseling in low-income areas is different from counseling in areas with wealthier populations. Some schools are in densely packed urban areas; others are 25 miles from another school.

When we make one-size-fits-all rules, we ignore these differences. Perhaps a school wants to use nonprofit partners or part-time staff, in addition to traditional counselors, to provide counseling services. Right now, the government-mandated ratio of 450 students for every counselor requires they hire one category of employee; it tells them their approach should be the same as everyone else’s; it tells them how to do their jobs.

This week BESE will consider a proposal that requires that schools “shall ensure” that “counseling… career/occupational information, personal/social information services… are available for students.”

At the same time, the proposal shifts the rule that school counselors be hired at a specific ratio from a requirement to a guideline. In doing so, it gives principals the choice to determine the combination of professionals charged with the task.

It does not fire or lay off any employee; it just gives educators a choice in how to accomplish results for which they are accountable.

For years, the state imposed rules on educators. Each rule carried good intentions. But when we don’t trust educators, and when we treat all schools as the same, we limit them in creating solutions for their unique children and communities.

Now that educators are more accountable for results, it’s time to let them make decisions for themselves.

John White

state superintendent of education

Baton Rouge

Comments

1) Comment by Iamhopeful2 - 28/01/2013

White claims he believes educators and schools should make these hiring and funding decisions but at the same BESE meeting he hovered over the board as they approved his contracts including: $2,100,000 for Course Choice (even tho its funding was ruled unconstitutional); $4,661,000 for End-Of-Course testing and revisions to LEAP testing as it is transitioned to new testing regime next year. Does not include costs for ACT for every high school student every year beginning next year or new assessments to align with CCSS; $2,000,000 new schools incubation to transition from direct run schools to charters; Kevin Rodriguez $44,980 to provide substance abuse interventions to referred eligible students; Sliverback Society to implement male mentor ship activities for middle school students; Data Recognition Corp $45,519,362 support services for statewide assessment program implementation; and on and on a d on. . . .do you see any funding to improve learning outcomes?

2) Comment by smuchmore - 15/01/2013

Hmmmm...if anyone thinks John White is doing this so school administrators can decide how they will make counselors available to students and not the state are living in a fool's paradise. He is doing this so his precious charter schools don't have to provide counselors and then he can say all charters are following state standards. It still amazes me how White can slither around an issue. I am so tired of him. Fight on teachers...I'm burning out.

3) Comment by 1ryben - 15/01/2013

I know my plea will go unanswered. I was writing to Mr. White as much as was writing to all who think it is the teacher's fault. That we are the problem. That we do not know what issues face our students everyday. That we do not have possible solutions. Our voice is never heard. Again, we are the ONLY people in direct contact with the student. You'd think that someone would, just once, listen to us. Don't like the unions (if you can call them that), fine, come straight to us. We're not hard to find. We are working, busting our tails, every day to make a difference. What are you doing?

4) Comment by Bouncer - 15/01/2013

Concerned_Parent: Good observation. White had nothing of substance to say, and he fears exposure for the sham he is. Thus, he smiles for the camera and mutters whatever script his handlers have given him. He is not now, nor has he ever been, a teacher. He is a pretender, and for him to have been elevated to the position that he now occupies is ample evidence of how very low the administrative expectations of those in charge of him are.

5) Comment by Concerned_Parent - 15/01/2013

1ryben....I've tried that approach before myself. I found out that Mr. White was going to be making a stop at the school one of my children go to. Which is in one of the top rated districts. I sent him an e-mail asking if he would be speaking to any teachers or parents during his visit as we had lots of concerns. No repsone. No respone to ANY messages I have ever sent him. He made his PR visit, sat in a classroom for a few mins while his picture was taken, and then left. Not one word was spoken to a teacher. He is a puppet. There is a reason an experienced educator was not put into that position.

6) Comment by KilgoreTrout - 15/01/2013

1ryben, I was not referring to you, my apologies. What I was referring to was when these VAM "reforms fail, as they evidently have everywhere they have been implemented, who will be accountable?

7) Comment by Traveler - 15/01/2013

To 1ryben: I hear the honesty and sincerity in your words. However, you are wasting your time pleading with John White. Mr. White is not going to listen to you and your colleagues. The only person he listens to is the governor on whom he depends for his salary, the governor who has an ambitious agenda of his own. Understand: there are people in positions of influence in our country who are determined to ram through radical changes in public education, simply to advance their own power. These individuals are connected to one another through a loose network of organizations that have deep pockets and useful connections in the national news media. Unless both professional educators and informed parents come together to stand up to these self-serving individuals and organizations and the lies they tell the public about you, teachers will continue to be blamed for all of the problems of our very complicated society. And public education will continue to be stripped of the personnel and services that our children desperately need in order to be well-educated----which is, after all, the ultimate goal and plan of those who are destroying our school systems.

8) Comment by 1ryben - 15/01/2013

What do you mean? Where does the buck stop? I don't follow.

9) Comment by KilgoreTrout - 15/01/2013

So where does the buck stop?

10) Comment by 1ryben - 15/01/2013

Mr. White, I'm pleading, begging even for you to come to my school. Meet with us, the teachers. Listen, not hear, but listen to our concerns. Do not avoid us like your boss Bobby does the local media. I am in a good school. Suburban. We, the teachers are scared. The kids know it, they feel it too. I had a student ask me, we have a new principal, if the new principal is really mean because "all the teachers seem so stressed out." No, our new principal is great by the way. We are important. We are the only peole in direct contact with the students on a daily basis. We are the link between your policies and the students. If you take care of us, I promise we will take care of the students. I do not mean coddle us either. Just treat us as humans. As professionals. With respect. We are not kids. As a matter of fact, If I treated my kids...I refer to my students as my kids...as you treat us we would be called hearltless and uncaring. Please, I'm begging, I promise we'll be professional. Closed door, no media, media, whatever, just come. Please. Help us feel better. I know you read these comments. Please respond at least. I know you believe you are doing what is right, we are not the enemy. I'll pay for dinner. Oh, and one more thing, for the teacher bashing crowd, I'm not using teaching time to type this. I am home, with the flu, updating my lesson plans, researching the next unit, working when I should probably rest. I feel terrible guilt because my kids need me. Spring testing is right around the corner afterall.

11) Comment by 1ryben - 15/01/2013

My grandmother always told me, "Be careful what you ask for." Here is a fine example. Charters, Voucher schools, public schools should all be held accountable to the same standard. We've been saying that ever since these reformers have taken over. Well, looks like on some...some...of the issues they are just lowering the standards. Yes, counselors, librarians are important, we all agree and yes, these changes do not mandate elilmination of those positions but in a time where funding is dwindling when the time comes to ask the state to properly fund schools will they? Or will they point to these positions and say according to the policies they are not a point of need? Though alarming, this is not even the most alarming of the changes Mr.White and Co. are pushing through. Teachers will no longer need certification. Imagine improving healthcare by making it easier to become a doctor? No, really, you want to be a doctor, here's a 5 week course, now go get 'em. You need to be certified to drive a car, cut hair, but not teach kids!!! WHAT?!? Anyone can teach? not true!

12) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 15/01/2013

How sad, the comment below, when the needs in so-called "underperforming" schools have some of the students most in need of counseling and help. I am not sure what some people think counselors do, but it is clear that BESE and John White and @tradewinns have no idea what counselors do, or need to be doing. As for "underperforming. I just wish the reformers, for once, would be honest and admit that there claims about "failing" or "underperforming" schools are not based on the performance of teachers or any other adults in the building, but instead are based mostly on the challenges students have faced in their lives before they ever arrived at the school. For middle class families, and those who are wealthy and have taken their children to their family doctor, and a therapist or private counselor for one reason or another... do you really think that kids growing up with no stability in their lives have the same kind of services available to them?

13) Comment by tradewinns - 15/01/2013

counselors in our "underperforming" schools have little to nothing to do. how much time can a counselor take assisting a student in picking out where the student wants to spend their jail time, where to sell their drugs, how to apply for welfare, etc.?

14) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 15/01/2013

First they came for the School Board Members, and some said, "I know some School Board Members who are not so great. Go ahead, castrate them." Then they came for the Principals and the teachers, and some said, "I know some principals and some teachers who need to go, so go ahead and replace them with a warm body, maybe with a few weeks of training." Then they came for the school counselors, and the school librarians, and some said, "students can call The Phone if they have a problem, and get books at the public library, so go ahead and take them out of the schools." Then they came for your child's school, and her Principal, and her teacher, and your precious child came home from school and said, "Mommy, Daddy, I love my Principal, and my teacher. Why did they leave? I went to ask Mrs. Hendry in the Library, but the Library was closed. And when I went to talk to Ms. Gambriel about how sad I was, but the Secretary told me we didn't have a counselor anymore. Please tell me why you let them take all these special people away from me...please?" So you went to the school, and found out that the state had closed your school. And then you realized it was too late.

15) Comment by JohnBoy.White - 15/01/2013

I want to acknowledge a few errors in the above letter written for me by one of my communications people. OK, we all know that letter grades don't actually rate the achievement of the school. I mean, we have to pretend they do, but any idiot knows a school in a wealthy area is going to do better on student achievement than a school where children come to school from poverty, and of course the schools I run directly, which are all failing, are schools where students face many challenges. And come on, do you really expect a school in a juvenile prison to do well? I don't, but trust me, I have to pretend that none of these things matter. OK, yes, there are a few more errors in the letter. Again, I just told them to send it. I didn't write it. About that teacher tenure thing. We have basically eliminated tenure, so keep that in mind. Effective teachers are the ones who are lucky. Even a great teacher is gonna have trouble getting high scores on this formula, and no, I am not going to let you actually see the formula. Sue me, see if I care. And let's be realistic. That paragraph about how 4 year olds are different from high school, and rural schools, and all of that. Just blowing smoke. Doesn't really change the basic fact that, at the end of the day, children need good counselors. But come on, I have been cutting the budgets for schools every year by giving them more things to do and less money to do it with, oh yeah, vouchers too, but I have to give my supers a break. They need something to cut. You have to give me credit though... love that phrase about the idea that schools “shall ensure” that “counseling… career/occupational information, personal/social information services… are available for students.” Supes, you and I know that means nothing. After all, I have already "guaranteed" that every child will get a high quality preschool experience. Yep, just a signature. All done. Wink. Wink. Let's see, anything else, well, plenty, but I'll just mention a couple more whoppers in the letter. You have to love that whole schtick about "when we don’t trust educators" and "it’s time to let them make decisions for themselves." We all know we wouldn't be doing all this testing if we trusted teachers, and there is no way we are going to let teachers make any decisions themselves! Wait, another lie, I mean error... we are going to let teachers make decisions! They can all retire! Chas and I don't like the whole idea of teachers, qualifications, tenure, any of that stuff. And Caroline Roemer and I have a really neat deal worked out with Kira to bring in lots of teachers for two years. That way they won't have time to figure out what we are really doing to "public education." And we can't say that on here anyway!

16) Comment by Chucky - 15/01/2013

With all the kicking and screaming you must be on to something Mr. White.

17) Comment by lovemykids - 15/01/2013

John White, BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. You put Jindal's ambitions ahead of our children.

18) Comment by Traveler - 15/01/2013

Mr. White, you write, "When we make one-size-fits-all rules, we ignore ... differences." How true! Then why have you pushed through one-size-fits-all rules with regard to teacher evaluations (considering the differences among our public schools that serve inner-city youth in contrast to those that serve students in affluent neighborhoods)? Why have you supported a one-size-fits-all, arcane school-improvement score formula that sets good public schools and their employees up for failure? When those one-size-fits-all rules serve your purposes, you like them just fine!

19) Comment by cbelse1 - 14/01/2013

MOST AGENCIES PUT POLICIES LIKE THIS ONE IN PLACE AS A MINIMUM STANDARD OF CARE!!!! DO YOU REALLY THINK LEADERS LIKE THE BUFFOONS IN CHARGE OF EBR WILL BE PROACTIVE IN MAKING THESE DECISIONS, OR WILL THEY SIMPLY SEE THIS AS A QUICK AND EASY WAY TO MAKE BUDGET CUTS???