Title
Recognizing the critical role that guidance counselors and play in meeting students' academic, social, and emotional needs and urging the School District of Philadelphia to devote additional resources to expanding the number of counselors in high schools with the highest needs.
Body
WHEREAS, School counselors are vital to every school community, supporting students in the areas of academic achievement, personal/social development, and career development, and bringing an important perspective to school staff in resolving issues from small to large; and
WHEREAS, The number of counselors working in Philadelphia schools was slashed 30% as a result of budget cuts in 2013, plummeting from 285 to 200 in one year; and
WHEREAS, The School District's decision in 2016 to ensure that each school in the system has at least one counselor has been universally applauded and has been an important step in repairing the net of student support services that was slashed in recent budget cuts; and
WHEREAS, The School District can take important steps to repair the student support services lost during the budget cuts of 2013 by allocating essential resources to the most needy schools; and
WHEREAS, Neighborhood and some citywide high schools are significantly more likely to fulfill their mission of educating all students, regardless of challenges than their special admissions counterparts; and
WHEREAS, Neighborhood high schools on average serve 14% English Language Learners, 22% students with special needs, 22% DHS-involved students, and 95% students who are low-income; and
WHEREAS, Magnet schools on average serve just 1.9% English learners, 4% special education students, 11% DHS involved students, and 69% low-income students; and
WHEREAS, But many district schools that have predominantly minority and low-income student populations have only a single school counselor despite having as many as 949 students, the same as more well-resourced schools one-h...
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