President’s Letter: New Year Excitement

Excited and a bit overwhelmed! That’s how most of us would describe how we feel at the beginning of the new school year, and that’s definitely the way I feel as I begin my term as president of the Kentucky School Counselor Association. As we begin our 50th year, we will honor our past by working to make our future as successful as possible, for our students and our profession as a whole.
 
What a tumultuous year for education in Kentucky! We have endured threats to our pension, changes in KDE leadership and changes in our organization. I am so thankful for Stacey Russell, our past president, who has worked diligently to promote our organization and our profession. I’ll be relying on her experience and our amazing governing board. We have a lot of new faces and each member brings a unique perspective and expertise to the table that will further our goal of representing and supporting school counselors throughout the state.
 
Amazing things are happening for school counselors! We are so fortunate to have a state Comprehensive School Counseling Program coordinator. We wish the best for Robin McCoy as she transitions to her new role, and we’re optimistic that someone as passionate, knowledgeable and personable will take her place. We know Robin will continue to be a huge advocate for school counselors and an asset to KSCA. Many great things are underway in Kentucky – revising school counselor standards, developing a state model of practice and establishing a Counselor Advisory Council.
 
We want to continue that momentum by creating opportunities for membership beyond the annual conference, offering resources, training and networking opportunities. We also want to expand KSCA’s influence through regional meetings and advocacy work. As a benefit of membership, we want to bring professional development to you! This will strengthen our influence, ultimately promoting the importance of school counselors to all stakeholders and decision makers.
 
As the national focus on mental health issues and increasing social/emotional learning opportunities continues, the need for more school counselors will become more evident. As our profession grows, so must our organization. We want to improve the conference experience for all attendees. We have a wonderful conference committee that will be looking closely at how to make this the best conference yet! Ours is the only conference in the state specifically geared toward the unique needs of school counselors, and we need your help to make it the best.
 
I am so excited for this year! (And yes, a little overwhelmed too!)
 
Contact Linda Tyree, KSCA president, at linda.tyree@butler.kyschools.us.