ACTION ALERT - School Counselors' Experience: New Requirements Proposed, Deadline Tuesday March 7

The Senate Education Committee will meet on Wednesday, March 8^th at 9 am to consider 7 bills, including SB 798.

SB 798 will remove by statute the requirement that candidates for certification as a school counselor have experience as a classroom teacher.  The Texas Counseling Association opposes the change proposed in SB 798.

CALL TO ACTION
Call or email the senators on the Senate Education Committee ­— especially if one of them represents you, which you can look up here. Contact information for Senators on the Education Committee can be found below. If your local Senator does not serve on the Education Committee, please contact Chairman Brandon Creighton’s office.

Please make your calls today, Tuesday, 3/7 or tomorrow morning, Wednesday, 3/8.  As always, speak from your heart and share why the teaching credential is important.

Sample talking points:

• I am calling to express my concerns about SB 798, which will be heard in the Education Committee on Wednesday. This bill would remove the requirement that certified school counselors have experience as classroom teachers.
• I am opposed to the bill because teaching experience informs the classroom guidance that school counselors provide, and classroom guidance is an essential component of the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs.
• School counselors are educators who elect to expand their expertise and skill set by becoming a school counselor.
• The required teaching experience affords school counselor’s a systemic view of district and campus policies, procedures, and programs. School counselors serve on campus committees that require a thorough understanding of campus climates that support the needs of all students.
• Teaching experience helps school counselors assist teachers with classroom management.
• Most schools that struggle to find school counselors exist in federally designated Mental Health Workforce Shortage Areas. In other words, they likely will not be able to find other mental health professionals to work as school counselors, so this bill will not alleviate the shortage of school counselors that some school districts face.
• The most common reason cited by school counselors for leaving the field or not working in a district is the challenge they face in having the time to fully implement the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs.
• School counselors uniquely focus on normative developmental needs of children while supporting at risk students. Other mental health professionals are not likely to have the background of Tier 1 Response to Intervention as they typically get involved in the Tier 3 level of services. Most students are served at Tier 1.
• Addressing students’ emotional needs is just one component of the very diverse work required of school counselors in Texas. Clinically prepared mental health professionals are NOT trained or qualified to assist students with the guidance they need to be academically successful.
• Thank you very much for your service and for listening to my perspective. Please ask the Senator to oppose SB 798.

If you prefer to send an email, here is some sample text. Please edit to reflect your personal story.
I am writing to express my opposition to SB 798, which will be heard in the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday, March 8^th.
Under this legislation, certified school counselors would no longer need experience as classroom teachers. However, teaching experience makes school counselors much more effective at providing classroom guidance, which is a key component of a comprehensive school counseling program as set forth in Chapter 33 of the Education Code. Through Classroom guidance, school counselors teach students and work with classroom teachers to develop effective lessons. Classroom teaching experience ensures that school counselors are well prepared to deliver effective, developmentally appropriate lessons in the classroom. Teaching experience also enables school counselors to help teachers with classroom management strategies that create safe classrooms and support all students.

I understand that this legislation may seek to address a shortage of certified school counselors. The most effective strategy to address the shortage is to ensure that school counselors are supported in their district to have time to deliver comprehensive school counseling programs. The inability to directly work with students as set forth in the Texas Model is the most cited reason for school counselors leaving the field or not accepting positions. Further, SB 798 is not an effective way to address this shortage. Most schools that struggle to find counselors exist in federally designated Mental Health Workforce Shortage Areas. In other words, they likely will not be able to find other mental health professionals to work as school counselors, so this bill will not alleviate the shortage of school counselors that some districts in Texas face. 

Please do not hesitate to follow up with me if I can provide further perspective about the work of professional school counselors. Thank you for your service to Texas and for listening to my perspective. Please oppose SB 798.