President’s Letter: Champions for Equity and Access

Equity and access is an issue that CASC believes in deeply. We are committed to supporting ALL students and providing learning opportunities for school counselors to advocate for equitable practices in schools. California is one of the most diverse states in the nation and ensuring that our students are given what they need to be successful is crucial. Although California does have several laws and programs in place to address equity, the extent to which these laws and initiatives are implemented with fidelity varies from district to district. That is why the theme of this publication, “Equity in Schools” is so important to all of us.

 I believe school counselors are the champions for equity and access for ALL students.  When I visit districts throughout California, I see how much school counselors are doing to make sure every student has access to the services they need to be successful academically and socially/emotionally. I am proud to be a part of a state that values and fights for equity in schools. CASC has been doing some great work in this area, offering several professional development opportunities and providing guidance to state legislators on behalf of school counselors. The new “Best Practice” document that CASC published in September 2019, identifies equity and access as one of nine key areas of importance for the school counseling profession. As many of you know, CASC also has been working very closely with the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) to ensure that every student in California has access to a school counselor with the hopes that students are provided with equitable support and access to resources. Please see the article by CASC’s executive director with more details about this campaign.

Equity and access were also central themes of CASC’s 2019 Annual Conference and Expo. In addition to a conference strand dedicated to equity and access, our keynote speakers Pedro Noguera, Vincent Pompei and the student panel and Brian Coleman all addressed the importance of intentionally looking for areas that we can support students who may be traditionally marginalized. Thank you to all of you who were able to attend the conference. It was truly remarkable to stand on stage and see more than 1000 passionate school counselors and supporters in one room learning to improve our practice to support students. Although the educational field has increased focus on equity and access in the last several years, CASC still acknowledges there is still more work to be done.

I cannot thank you all enough for the incredible work you do for our students on a daily basis. Equity and access is not always an easy issue to take on and can be particularly challenging if you are in a district or school that may be resistant to change, but our students deserve it. I would love to hear more about what your schools and districts are doing to promote equity and access for our students in California. Please email me at ashley.kruger@schoolcounselor-ca.org with your stories.
 
Contact Ashley Kruger, CASC president, at ashley.kruger@schoolcounselor-ca.org.