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Declaring February 3-7, 2020 as “National School Counseling Week” in the City of Philadelphia; recognizing the critical role that school counselors play in meeting students’ academic, social/emotional, and postsecondary planning needs.
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WHEREAS, School counselors assist students in reaching their fullest potential by helping young people explore their abilities, interests, strengths and talents both in school and as related to career awareness and development; and
WHEREAS, School counselors are vital to every school community, supporting students in the areas of academic achievement, personal and social development, and career development, and bringing an important perspective to school staff in order to resolve issues small and large; and
WHEREAS, School counselors play a unique role in working with parents, teachers and other educators to develop and support the educational, personal, and social growth of young people; and
WHEREAS, Comprehensive school counseling programs are considered an integral part of the educational process that enable all students to achieve success in school and in their social and emotional lives; and
WHEREAS, School counselors are valued as essential members of safe and successful school environments. They are particularly crucial in school communities that face poverty, high rates of housing insecurity, and trauma; and
WHEREAS, School counselors work with families, staff, and young people dealing with violence, illness, death and other traumas that might otherwise go unaddressed and unsupported. They are critically important caregivers and hubs for community services in schools; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia school counselors in particular have resiliently served young people each and every day, many of them in spite of inadequate resources and growing caseloads; and
WHEREAS, School counselors serve our City’s most vulnerable students, including City of Philadelphia system-involved youth and students experiencing homelessness; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia school counselors employ developmentally appropriate interventions for our students including trauma-informed care and school-wide positive behavior support; and
WHEREAS, School counselors have worked diligently to support the college admissions process and postsecondary goal setting for students; and
WHEREAS, In light of the above, there are too few counselors in our public schools. Current School District policy allots one counselor per school, with an additional position added when the school’s enrollment surpasses 949 students. The American School Counselor Association recommends a counselor to student ratio of 1 to 250. The average ratio in Philadelphia district-operated schools is 1 to 392; and
WHEREAS, The advocacy of Philly School Counselors United, a professional organization comprised of fearless Philadelphia-based school counselors, has built public will around the need for a counselor to student ratio that appropriately meets the needs of our students and their families; and
WHEREAS, In order to amplify their call for investment in more school counselors, Philly School Counselors United organized a petition entitled “Provide Funding For More School Counselors in Philadelphia and Throughout Pennsylvania”, calling on our City and state governments to allocate increased funding for School Districts to hire additional school counselors to support our students and their families; and
WHEREAS, As Philly School Counselors United explains, “School counselors help children use their inner strength to overcome the obstacles they face as a result of these challenging circumstances. We are a key component of the educational team, not an ‘extra’ if the budget allows...Our students have the drive and ability to reach their goals. If the State of Pennsylvania, City of Philadelphia, and other local governments grant this additional funding to the School District of Philadelphia and other school districts throughout the state, districts can facilitate their students’ success by hiring more school counselors to provide the academic, social/emotional, and postsecondary planning support that students need and deserve to fulfill their potential”; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby declares February 3-7, 2020, as “National School Counseling Week” in the City of Philadelphia; recognizes the critical role that school counselors play in meeting students’ academic, social/emotional, and postsecondary planning needs.
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