President’s Letter: It’s Up to Us to Lead

Leadership is an integral part of school counseling. Because our scope of practice covers three domains – academic, career and social/emotional – leadership is integral in the development of well-rounded students. 

We are asked by teachers, parents, administrators and community partners to field questions, provide resources and give direction. These stakeholders often see us as experts in many areas. Because of this, we must have a seat at various tables. School counselors are usually the common thread through discussions around attendance, academics, careers, at-risk students, IEPs and 504s, to name a few. It is so important for school counselors to continue professional development and seek collaboration to stay on top of all areas, thus strengthening leadership qualities. 

Often, school counselors take the lead on creating programs and how those programs fit into all areas of student development. Many times, the school counselor takes the lead in the development of a comprehensive school counseling plan and other district and school-wide programs geared toward developing resilience in children. 

Another important leadership component of the school counselor is advocacy. School counselors aren't often tooting their horns about the good work we do – we just do it. With the increasing needs of students, it is more important than ever to advocate. It is up to us to lead in advocating both for our students and for our profession. Advocating includes communicating the importance of a 250:1 ratio and the percentage of direct and indirect services we provide. Advocacy also includes conversations with district administration, building principals, legislators and politicians. This dialogue can open the doors to change by clarifying the school counselor role and the value of that role which ultimately benefits our children, our schools, our families and our communities.

Contact Michelle Grimm, OSCA president, at michellegrimm@ohioschoolcounselor.org.