Volume 44
Number 8
www.masca.org
ARE YOU CRAZY?
THOM HUGHART MASCA Interim Executive Director
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hat question has been the most frequent response to the announcement that I will serve as MASCA’s Executive Director to complete Bob Quist’s term. The simple (and most profound) answer is “YES!” The best response came from a colleague who wrote me: “Your wife must be very understanding.” And again, yes, she is very understanding. Here is my motivation. I have been actively involved with MASCA for the past five or six years. MASCA has developed a new energy and focus that I find refreshing and most beneficial to our profession. (More on this later.) I have watched the executive directors work to benefit the entire organization. I have been impressed with the dedication and commitment of Marilou Cashman, Jan Tkaczyk and Bob Quist. I have been inspired by them and would like to make my contribution to benefit our profession. I am willing to risk starting off on a rocky beginning by asking a rather challenging question. If you are reading this article and you are not a member of MASCA, why not? If you know a counselor who is not a member, do me a favor and ask them why not. Why would a school counselor not support his state organization? We are the major source of professional devel-
opment in the state, with two fantastic conferences per year. We have developed a dynamic, effective model for delivering school counseling services to all of our students. We support local, regional affiliates providing peer support and the sharing of resources. We have established a voice at the Department of Education. And currently, we are focusing on advocating for our profession at the state and local levels. Every school counselor in the state has benefited from the efforts of MASCA, and every school counselor in the state should support this organization by being a paying member. I recommend that all schools pay the membership fee for each counselor. The professional development opportunities are worth every penny. Do me a favor. If you have a problem with my statement, please e-mail me your concern: thom_hughart@wellesley.k12 .ma.us. If any of your colleagues have concerns, have them e-mail me as well. MASCA needs the full support of all the counselors in the state. Oh well, I am really excited about MASCA, its direction, its mission, and your involvement. I look forward to seeing many of you at the conference, and if you get this after the conference, I hope I enjoyed meeting you. ■
April 2008
Jan Parsons receives honor MASCA leader, Jan Parsons, has been honored by the Natick Education Foundation with its Educator Shining Light Award. Jan received the award at a champagne reception in March along with two other award recipients, Dick Cugini, superintendent of the Natick Recreation, Parks and Human Services Department, and the Fair and Yeager Insurance Agency. Jan Parsons has been the department head of the Natick High School Guidance Department since 1989 and she has contributed to the success and support of Natick students directly since 1981. Jan has been a resident of Natick since 1973. She has participated in the Natick schools as a parent of two children, a volunteer, an intern in counseling while a graduate student at Boston College, and as a guidance counselor and head of the department for many years. She has been active in the Massachusetts School Counselors Association throughout her career, serving as President and trustee in various years. She was an adjunct professor in counseling at UMass Boston, and has served as a faculty advisor and co-director of the New England School Counselor Practi(continued on page 18)
Inside . . . A Career Model: One Man, One Career By Jennifer McGuire ........................ 4
MASCA Human Rights Award Nomination Form ........................10
Meet Me In Atlanta By Bob Bardwell .............................. 6
MA Model Implementation ................. 12 & 13
The Value of Affiliates By Karen D’Amour ........................... 8
Moving Forward in Congress......15 ASCA National Conference.........19
MASCA representatives attend ASCA’s Advocacy and Public Policy Institute
COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK 2007– 2008 PRESIDENT JENNIFER JUST McGUIRE Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School 220 Sandwich Road, Bourne, MA 02532 Tel. 508-759-7711 x247 • E-mail: jmcguire@uppercapetech.org PRESIDENT-ELECT KAREN M. D’AMOUR Manchester Essex Regional High School 36 Lincoln Street, Manchester, MA 01944 Tel. 978-526-7641 • Fax 978-526-2044 E-mail: damourk@mersd.org PAST PRESIDENT ROBERT BARDWELL Monson High School, 55 Margaret St., Monson, MA 01057 Tel. 413-267-4589 x1107 • Fax 413-267-4157 E-mail: bardwellr@monsonschools.com VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARY AMANNDA BARTRAM Lynn Public Schools, Lynn, MA 01902 E-mail: bartrama@lynnschools.org VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGH CELESTE CIANFRANI Gateway Regional High School 12 Littleville Road, Huntington, MA 01050 Tel. 413-685-1109 • E-mail: ccianfrani@grsd.org VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARY MATT COLEMAN Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School 250 Foundry Street, South Easton, MA 02375-1780 Tel. 508-238-4371 • E-mail: mcoleman@sersd.org VICE PRESIDENT POSTSECONDARY JAY LEIENDECKER Vice President Enrollment Services, Dean College Tel. 508-541-1509 • Fax 508-541-8726 E-mail: jleiendecker@dean.edu
Don Coverdale (left) and Brad MacGowan (right) meet with Sen. Ted Kennedy’s senior education advisor, Roberto Rodriguez, in Washington, D.C. in March.
VICE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATORS TBA VICE PRESIDENT COUNSELOR EDUCATORS REBECCA A. SCHUMACHER UMass Boston, Boston, MA 02125 Tel. 617-287-7651 • Fax 617-287-7667 E-mail: Rebecca.Schumacher@umb.edu VICE PRESIDENT RETIREES RALPH SENNOTT P.O. Box 1391, Westford, MA 01886 Tel. 978-692-8244 • E-mail: ralphsennott@hotmail.com INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THOMAS HUGHART Wellesley High School, Wellesley, MA 02481 Tel. 781-446-6305 x5142 • Fax 781-446-6308 E-mail: thom_hughart@wellesley.mec.edu TREASURER TINA KARIDOYANES P.O. Box 1007, Monument Beach, MA 02553 Tel. 508-759-3986 • E-mail: tkaridoyanes@gmail.com
We offer Degrees and Certificates in
SECRETARY ANN HOURIGAN North Reading High School, North Reading, MA 01864 Tel. 978-664-7800 • E-mail: annhourigan@yahoo.com Questions concerning membership in the Massachusetts School Counselors Association should be addressed to: MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR DEBORAH CLEMENCE P.O. Box 805, East Dennis, MA 02641 E-mail: DeborahClemence@verizon.net The Counselor’s Notebook is published by the Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. 10 times a year, September through June. The yearly subscription rate is $20.00; individual issues are $2.00. Opinions expressed in the articles published herein represent the ideas and/or beliefs of those who write them and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. The acceptance of an advertisement for publication does not imply MASCA endorsement of the advertiser’s programs, services, or views expressed. © 2008 by the Massachusetts School Counselors Association. All rights reserved. Questions concerning submission of articles, publication deadlines, advertising rates, etc., should be addressed to: SALLY A. CONNOLLY, Editor 19 Bayberry Road, Danvers, MA 01923 Tel. 978-774-8158 • Fax 978-750-8154 E-mail: sallyconnolly@att.net
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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
EXEC’S NEWS: A Fond Farewell As we hit the final stretch of this school year, I wish you well in your schools. Please continue to check out all of the changes on the MASCA webpage. Ron
ROBERT QUIST MASCA Executive Director
Miller has done an outstanding job continuing to make our webpage a tremendous and relevant resource. Best wishes . . . ■
Keep up to date. Visit MASCA’s website regularly. www.masca.org
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ear colleagues, as I write my last Executive Director notes, I want to thank all of you for your support and the help that you have given me over the past ten months. Unfortunately, due to family health and work circumstances, I am not able to continue in the role of Executive Director. Although I will be stepping down in an official capacity, I will continue to be active in many of the areas that are important to all of us in school counseling in Massachusetts. Currently, we are continuing to work with the Department of Education around their impending implementation of the Educational Proficiency Plans. The Plans are scheduled to take effect next year for all of our students who do not score a minimum of 240 (proficient) on the MCAS ELA and /or Math components. As you know, this can conceivably impact more than twenty-five thousand of next year’s juniors and more than fifty thousand, when you add in the following year. We continue to be concerned about the implementation instrument and, ultimately, who will oversee the instrument. As I step down, Thomas Hughart, director of guidance at Wellesley High School, has been appointed to fill my position. I hope that he will be confirmed as executive director at the MASCA Governing Board meeting in April. Thom brings a breadth of experience to this position, and he has been very active in MASCA as well as in our work with the DOE. He is a fine person and a super administrator, who has already hit the ground running. I know he will be an invaluable resource to MASCA and to school counselors across the Commonwealth. APRIL 2008
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A Career Model: One Man, One Career
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hope that many of you are reading this article while in Hyannis for MASCA’s spring conference. We are fortunate to have a full schedule, complete with inspiring keynote speakers and dynamic program breakout sessions. Attending the conference allows every counselor to choose from the offerings and maximize his or her own professional development experience. As you all know by now, I believe that no professional development goes without career planning these days, and I am thrilled that career planning is a part of our conference agenda. Throughout this year I have been fortunate to work with and interact with many colleagues who are in the process of improving career planning in their schools or who are embarking upon career planning for the first time. It is an exciting time. This winter, the Cape and Islands Guidance Association lost a long-time member and friend, Dick Warren, who passed
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JENNIFER McGUIRE MASCA President away as a result of a skiing accident. Dick was a teacher and counselor for many years in the Barnstable school system. However, he was also known for his other career as owner of Four Seas Ice Cream in Centerville, which his son took over a few years back and now currently owns. Anyone who lives in this area or vacations here is sure to be familiar with this popular spot. All summer long the lines at the shop stretch through the parking lot. Dick has also written books about his
industry, including The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Homemade Ice Cream, and he has taught courses at the college level. I first met Dick when I was a new counselor and a new member of CIGA. In all honesty, I thought it was pretty neat not only that I knew the owner of Four Seas but also that he had been a guidance counselor. During the time I worked at Barnstable High School, I knew several teens who worked at Four Seas, and from those students, I learned about the impact that he had on them. He would stay in touch with his former employees as they went off to college, and he even hosted a ski weekend each year. You are probably wondering where I am going with this article, because I started by addressing career planning and quickly switched trains of thought. After I learned of Dick Warren’s passing, I found myself reflecting upon his career, and it got me to thinking about our role as school counselors in helping students choose a career path. One thing in career planning that we always need to be conscious of is the need for individuals to use multiple assessments in determining what careers might be a good fit. The touching pieces in the Cape Cod Times about Dick’s life brought to mind how best to describe him: caring, dedicated, compassionate, and interested in making a difference in the lives of others. It made me think that if I were working with a student who had those qualities — a student who said to me, “When I grow up, I want to make a difference in the lives of others”— what careers might I steer him or her towards? Perhaps teaching or counseling or maybe another helping profession. But would I have pictured this individual as a business owner? In Dick Warren’s career as a business owner, he had a great impact on the lives of others. He was a role model, surrogate parent, and counselor. What we learn from him is that the characteristics making us who we are as individuals will dictate the kind of person we are in our profession. “Career” is not a job. It is a pathway, a journey, that we follow throughout our lives, often stopping along the way or turning in directions we least expect. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
APRIL 2008
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Meet Me In Atlanta
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t’s April and that means it is conference time once again. While the MASCA conference is the climax for the majority of our members here in Massachusetts, I want to talk about the ASCA conference, which will be held this year in Atlanta, Georgia, June 28 – July 1. Here are my top ten reasons why you should attend the 2008 ASCA National Conference in Atlanta: 1. You will get to network with more than 2,000 professional school counselors, graduate students, and counselor educators from all over the country and even the globe. You can learn so much from your peers, who have a wealth of information and expertise to share. You will make numerous new friends just like you. 2. You will be able to choose from over 115 educational breakout, extended breakout, and keynote sessions covering a wide variety of topics such as advocacy, student improvement, cyberbullying, working with data, and National Model Implementation. Keynote speakers this year include Pedro Noguera (The Role of
ROBERT BARDWELL MASCA Past President Counselors in Creating Caring and Equitable Schools), Ken Beller (Leadership Principles of Great Peacemakers: Teaching Our Children Peace) and Brian Perkins, Cheri Lovre and Betsy Thompson (Conversations about Crisis and Climate). 3. If you are not reimbursed by your employer to attend the conference, you can deduct related expenses from your 2008 income taxes. 4. You can join the other Massachusetts attendees at the annual MASCA party to be held on Sunday, June 29 at
6:30 p.m. at Max Lagers. 5. You can incorporate the conference into your summer vacation. For the past two years my family has joined me (in Chicago and Denver) to begin our annual summer vacation. Atlanta, a great southern city, has many vacation activities to choose from, including Coca-Cola World, Stone Mountain, and the famous Peachtree Street. 6. You will get to visit with over 200 exhibitors, who represent a wide variety of products, services, and resources for school counselors. I always bring home bags of materials and information. Be sure to pack an empty suitcase for all of the things you can pick up in the exhibit hall. 7. You can earn PDPs for recertification as a school counselor in Massachusetts. 8. You will never go hungry. Between conference meals, refreshment breaks, and receptions, there is always something to eat around every corner. 9. It’s been a long year. You are tired. You need to get away. What better way to start your summer break and get reenergized professionally than to attend a top-notch conference, which will undoubtedly help you and your students. I guarantee that it will be worth whatever sacrifice — financial or time-wise — that you have to make in order to attend. 10. And lastly, you will get in the mood for 2010, when ASCA comes to Boston for the National Conference. What better way to be prepared than to check out the goings-on in Atlanta? So, while I will see some of you in Hyannis this month, I look forward to seeing many more of you in Atlanta in late June.
Emerging Leaders Program deadline Don’t forget that the deadline to apply for the 2008-09 Emerging Leaders Program is April 15. If you are a professional school counselor who has not been an elected or appointed member of the Governing Board and you are interested in participating, go to http://www.masca.org/Information/ Emerging_Leaders/Emerging_Leaders_ 2008.doc. You can also contact me at bardwellr@monsonschools.com or 413267-4589 x1107. ■
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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
APRIL 2008
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The Value of Affiliates
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elcome to MASCA’s spring conference! I hope you are reading this while you are attending the conference or shortly thereafter. I say this because I know you will be impressed with the wealth of topics, information, and networking that defines this event. If you would love to be involved in the planning of such an event in the future, you can be. Contact Helen O’Donnell (helenod@att.net), Conference Chairperson, and she can tell you about the many ways you can participate in future MASCA conferences. As I have mentioned a few times this year, sharing your ideas is also a form of participating. Don’t be shy.
KAREN D’AMOUR MASCA President-elect While you are thinking about what you have learned at the conference or what you have shared with co-workers who also attended, please keep in mind
Mission of MASCA The mission of MASCA is to advocate for school counselors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by providing leadership, collaboration, and professional development.
CURRY COLLEGE
1071 Blue Hill Ave. • Milton, MA 02186 www.curry.edu curryadm@curry.edu Since its founding in 1879, Curry College has been a forward-looking institution that emphasizes individualized education and personal development. Curry is a private, four-year, co-educational college offering programs in the liberal arts and professional fields leading to bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Q UICK FACTS
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• Curry serves over 2,000 full-time, traditional undergraduate students from 40 states and 32 countries • Curry’s wooded, 137-acre New England campus is locatedjust minutes from downtown Boston • Approximately 1400 Curry students reside on campus • Curry offers 20 majors and 50-plus minors and concentrations • Curry’s student/faculty ratio is 12:1. The average class size is 20 students • Approximately 70% of undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid • Students can choose from a wide array of extra-curricular activities including 13 NCAA Division III athletic teams
ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE IN ALL THAT YOU DO (800) 669-0686 or (617) 333-2210
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your MASCA affiliate. For those not familiar with local affiliates, they are local, regional counselor organizations that are affiliated with MASCA. They participate in MASCA by having trustees, who attend Governing Board meetings and who are often represented at MASCA conferences. These smaller, local affiliates can be invaluable to you in your profession. There are eleven throughout Massachusetts, and by logging onto the MASCA website, you can click on “Affiliates” and find the one closest to you. Local affiliates truly offer something unique. They offer you the benefit of meeting with others who share the same regional culture and may be addressing some of the same local issues. Some affiliate members share valuable resources such as school facilities for meetings and student testing. Another benefit is networking solutions to issues. I have seen various high school counselor members get together and create a regional college /career fair. I particularly like to be able to e-mail or call another member to ask a question, get a copy of a protocol, or share a resource. Once you are a member of an affiliate, you feel as if you are not working in a vacuum. You can share ideas and concerns. The ultimate benefit is to your students, and isn’t that the bottom-line? Your local affiliate is also a great place to start taking a leadership role in your profession. When you become responsible to an organization, you take on a more global or, at least, a more regional view. It stimulates your passion for the profession of school counseling, and, yes, it does require you to do more. Doing more may sound unpleasant with all that you already do. But getting involved doesn’t mean more busy work. It can mean helping members with technology, providing learning environments, or finding opportunities to network, share, and sometimes just decompress. The term “affiliate” says it all. According to the thesaurus, an affiliate is a partner, member, or colleague. I smile when I think how fortunate I am to be among a group of supportive and talented professional colleagues, both as part of two local affiliates and as a member of MASCA. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
APRIL 2008
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2007- 2008 MASCA Human Rights Award We are seeking nominations for our MASCA Human Rights Award. MASCA would like to recognize an individual who has been involved in the sponsoring or delivery of outstanding human rights projects or activities. Our preference is a school counselor, but other nominees will be considered. The candidate should be someone who not only embraces the tenets within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also leads by example and actively engages in activities that promote human rights for all. Perhaps you know someone who has sponsored outstanding human rights projects or activities, which may include, but are not limited to, the following: • Organized a club or focus group • Led a workshop or community event • Developed lessons advocating human rights • Planned activities that encourage interaction between racial and ethnic groups • Provided tolerance education program around stereotyping or discrimination with regards to sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity, economics
MASCA Human Rights Advocate of the Year 2007-2008 Nominee Form County ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Name of Nominee ___________________________________________________________________________________________ School/Agency _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please describe the extraordinary human rights contribution(s) made by the above nominee. Be specific! Provide us with names, dates, places, description of program, testimonials, etc. Describe his/her personal characteristics. Attach your essay to this form and return your nomination by June 1 to: Kim Gangwisch-Marsh, Franklin County Technical School, 82 Industrial Blvd., Turners Falls, MA 01376 413-863-9561 x 144 Or copy and paste the nominee form and attach your essay and email me at kgangwisch@eagle.fcts.org Your name_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Title ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ School/Agency _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Signature ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone number _____________________________________________________________________________________________ E-mail _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
APRIL 2008
11
Collaboration is Key to Model Implementation
MA Model Implementation Institute Offers a 45-PDPs certificate from MASCA Optional (for additional fee): 3 graduate credits from Fitchburg State College For course description, requirements, and registration, go to www.masca.org/ Trainers: Katie Gray, Jan Tkaczyk, Helen O’Donnell
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By CYNTHIA ESIELIONIS Counselor, Ayer Middle High School
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o begin implementation of the MA Model in my school district, collaboration was critical. My previous article in the Counselor’s Notebook discussed the involvement of the administration. One of our assistant principals, a former guidance counselor, heartily supported my efforts to implement the Model. The principal was open to discussions, read the Model, and discussed the initiative with the superintendent, who subsequently gave his support as well. The principal even attended the MASCA fall conference. My next step was to find a curriculum that was appropriate for grades 6-12 and that all of the counselors were comfortable using. I presented three options to the counselors, and we agreed on the Choices program through Bridges Transitions, Inc. The next issue was to find the funding to purchase the site license. There was no money in the budget available for such an expense, but the Ayer Education Foundation was accepting grant proposals. The AEF is a local organization comprised of community members. Its goal is to support initiatives of teachers that will help the students of the Ayer Public Schools. Since the grant needed the approval of the principal and superintendent, I attached a copy of the Model to ensure that the committee had as much information as possible about the direction school counseling is going and the rationale behind implementing the Model. My grant was approved, and I learned later that its approval was, in part, due to the fact that the initiative would serve all students in grades 6-12. In mid-December we had a representative come to the school and train the counseling staff and the teacher who would be assisting in the initiative. In order to complete the training, the adminCOUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
istration agreed to have the counselors in training for the day, and they arranged for a substitute for the middle school technology teacher, Barbara Dyer, who had agreed to work with us. Next, the counselors collaborated with Mrs. Dyer and agreed to devote the third term of her technology class to using specific portions of the Choices Explorer program for the entire middle school population. We held class meetings with the students, staff, and administration at the end of the first semester to introduce the program to everyone. We also held a meeting with the other enhancement teachers, so that the entire faculty would be aware of what we were doing. We then followed up with an e-mail to both the middle and high school faculties. After the first rotation, we saw what incredible work the students had done. Mrs. Dyer displayed their projects on the technology bulletin board by grade level. The students were able to synthesize the information they found on the Choices site into clear descriptions of an occupation of the individual’s choice, which made it meaningful to each student. We made members of the AEF aware of the bulletin board, and they have responded favorably. The task for the remainder of the year is to integrate the Choices Planner into the high school curriculum. Again, with the collaboration with teachers and the continued support of the administration, Ayer Middle High School should be able to achieve this goal. ■
SAVE THE DATES! 2nd MA Model Implementation Institute 2008-2009 Wednesday, July 16 • Dean College (Lodging arranged at Dean College)
Thursday, July 17 • Dean College Thursday, October 23 • MASCA Fall Conference Wednesday, November 19 • Dean College Implementation sharing at the MASCA Spring 2009 Conference
Look Forward To Your Future
With Mitchell College’s outstanding 4 and 2-year academic programs, along with the Thames Academy pre college experience , we can provide you with the education and support you need for the future you envision. SM SM
New Programs and Highlights for 2007-2008:
Implementation workshop offered MASCA members are welcome to attend the workshop, “Collaborating with Community Partners to Implement the Massachusetts School Counseling Model.” Sponsored by UMass / Boston, the workshop will be held on Thursday, May 1 in the Campus Center, 3rd Floor. The presenter is MASCA Past President Katie Gray. PDP documentation will be available. ■ APRIL 2008
• Thames Academy, an innovative • New Bachelor Programs: one-year certificate Post-Grad/ Communications, Tourism & Pre-College experience Hospitality, Homeland Security and Environmental Science • Mitchell’s Learning Resource Center is one of the nation’s premier programs for students • NCAA Division III Athletics with documented learning disabilities and AD/HD
Mitchell College • 437 Pequot Avenue • New London, Connecticut 06320 (800)443-2811 • www.mitchell.edu
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Preparing Graduates for an Expanded Role
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his year I had the opportunity to go out and recruit students in a few of our sending schools. One of the first questions I asked the middle school counselors was “Do you teach career education?” Middle school counselors are very important players in a student’s future education and career plan, regardless of whether the student chooses comprehensive or vocational education. When I was a middle school counselor, I went in a rotation with other “itinerants,” and I was lucky enough to have a principal who believed in developmental guidance and made a room available for us to teach in. “Itinerant” means “those who travel from place to place.” As a former health education teacher, I know how uncomfortable it can be to move into another teacher’s room and use his or her space. Most teachers whose rooms I used were wonderful and understanding. Some were not.
MATTHEW COLEMAN MASCA VP Secondary What concerns me most about the guidance counselor’s teaching role is not lack of curricula, space, or time. It is the lack of required graduate coursework in teaching methods. We can’t expect school counselors to learn on the job or in their practicum. That is not realistic, considering the amount of training a regular or special education teacher has. And it is not fair to school counselors who spend
Massachusetts School Counselors Association
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If paying by credit card, please check this box ■ and forward to Jan Tkaczyk. If mailing the form, please send to: Janice M. Tkaczyk, P.O. Box 318, East Dennis, MA 02641
Your name and contact information: Name: ______________________________________________________________ School District/Business: _______________________________________________ Mailing Address: _____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________ E-mail Address: ______________________________________________________ Phone: _____________________________________________________________
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the recommended 25-35% of their job teaching in middle school and 15-25% of their time teaching in high school. We all know that teaching special classes is not easy. Students often view these classes as free time, a time to relax, and, sometimes, a time to test an unfamiliar adult. To be successful, an itinerant teacher needs strong classroom management techniques, such as being on time and looking professional, having a lesson prepared and never “winging it,” taking attendance, reviewing the last lesson, previewing the current lesson, model, using perimeter teaching and teaching geared to different learning styles, redirection . . . . Having completed a CACREP portfolio myself, I can say that my four-inchthick portfolio has few lesson plans in it. The common core curricular experiences include: Professional Identity, Social and Cultural Diversity, Human Growth and Development, Career Development, Helping Relationships, Group Work, Assessment, and Research, and Program Evaluation. There is emphasis on career guidance and group counseling but not a lot of emphasis on teaching strategies in the classroom, lesson planning, use of computer-assisted career guidance, teaching to different learning styles, or classroom management. There are some graduate classes that address this need. The best example that I am aware of is UMass /Amherst’s graduate-level counseling education course entitled “Curriculum—Development and Implementation.” Many colleges simply expose student to frameworks and benchmarks, but that is simply not enough. Neighboring Rhode Island requires two years of documented teaching experience at the elementary or secondary level for licensure as a school counselor. Some graduate programs require elective classes, and taking one in teaching methods is a great way to get young counselors ready for this large new role in school counseling. Our friends in higher education are producing great school counselors, with strong skills and knowledge. With more and more schools implementing the MA Model, it’s important that young school counselors graduate with the skills needed to survive in the office and the classroom. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
Moving Forward in Congress By BRAD MacGOWAN, MASCA Government Relations Chair
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he Urban Counselors Association’s MASCA trustee, Don Coverdale, and I attended ASCA’s Advocacy and Public Policy Institute (APPI) in Washington, DC, on March 2-5. APPI attendees from around the country received training that was designed to help them advocate for school counseling issues on the federal level and in their home states. On Capitol Hill, Don and I visited with Roberto Rodriguez, Senator Kennedy’s senior education advisor; Lindsay Ross, Senator Kerry’s legislative correspondent; and Celine McNicholas, Christina Tsafoulias, and Carolyn Blaydes, legislative assistants for education for U.S. Representatives Tsongas, Capuano, and Tierney, respectively. In the offices of our senators and representatives, we and the other ASCA members at APPI thanked our legislators for passing a resolution making the first week in February “National School Counseling Week.” This is the first time that our profession was recognized in this way by both chambers of Congress. ASCA members also advocated for restoring funding for the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP) and 47 other programs at the federal level that support school counseling. All of these programs have been eliminated or drastically cut in the budget that Bush sent to Congress. Programs slated for elimination include: School Dropout Prevention, Career and Technical Education State Grants, and Tech Prep Education State Grants, among others. In addition, APPI attendees asked our senators and representatives to cosponsor the Put Counselors Where They’re Needed Act (HR 3439), the Reducing Barriers to Learning Act (HR 3419), and the Mental Health in Schools Act (HR 3430).
Featured Alert Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D-CA) has sponsored the Put Counselors Where They’re Needed Act (HR 3439). This bill provides funds for the neediest school districts (drop-out rates 40% or higher) to hire and train school counselors for the purpose of getting at-risk students back on the right track. It also recognizes the role that quality school counseling plays in student achievement and college access.
Congresswoman Sanchez needs cosponsors for this bill. Urge your U.S. Representative to sign on to this important legislation. Taking action is easy using NACAC’s Legislative Action Center Online. For more information or to send an e-mail to your legislators, go to http:// capwiz.com/nacac/home/ For more information on ASCA’s and MASCA’s government relations activities, contact me at bmacgowan@comcast.net. ■
Counselors taking action We hope that these efforts are effective; however, nothing is more effective in influencing policy than e-mails and calls from constituents. Please contact your legislators and ask them to support school counseling. Specifically, ask your congressperson in the House of Representatives to cosponsor the bills under consideration: HR 3439, HR 3419, and HR 3430. The telephone number for the U.S. Capitol switchboard is 1-202-224-3121. APRIL 2008
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ED’S VIEWS By ED BRYANT, MASCA Life Trustee
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ED BRYANT, NCC
his has been a rough winter to weather. Did you get a flu shot? My theme this month relates to counselors and fighting infectious diseases. The U.S. Naval Academy is increasing preventative and protective measures to combat MRSA/Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus and other communicable diseases. MRSA is “most often spread through
direct contact with contaminated skin, shared clothing, towels, personal hygiene items, or training equipment. Prolonged person-to-person contact and lapses in personal hygiene can create ideal conditions for MRSA transmission.” Are you following protective measures regarding skin infections? Do you urge your counselees to wash their hands with soap and water, especially before meals and after toileting? How about daily showers? Does your school disinfect athletic areas and sports equipment at least weekly? Does your school have MRSA prevention education? The USNA has proven that these preventive initiatives, especially hand washing, have reduced the incidence of MRSA infections. We hope that our schools, with the help of parents, are monitoring MRSA cases.
Sleep deprivation On another topic, are you sleep deprived? Does your work suffer because you are sleepy? My secretary said that my predecessor would fall asleep in the guidance office, causing a problem. Volunteer work Do school counselors have time for volunteer work, doing good deeds and swinging hammers rather than golf clubs? This would be a good topic for a Retirees Session at this month’s conference. Our Rotary Club has a “Lend A Hand” program to assist senior citizens with minor projects. A fond farewell After forty-four years in education, George Ramsden, guidance director at Rockport High School, is retiring. A program is planned for June 8 at Rockport High School. Another event will be held in the fall of this year. Sounds like fun. Well done, George. Since I am writing this article in March, here is a final thought from the Irish: “May the good Lord take a liking to you, but not too soon.” Keep up your good work and stay healthy. ■
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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
Strategic Planning and the Professional Development Committee By HELEN O’DONNELL Professional Development Committee Chair VISION: Moving from good to great! GOAL: Statewide recognition of MASCA as a quality provider of affordable professional development programs for school counselors in the Commonwealth. MISSION STATEMENT: The MASCA Professional Development Committee develops, presents, and promotes relevant and accessible professional development opportunities for Massachusetts school counselors. The PD Committee supports and assists other MASCA committees (Conference, MA Model, Technology, et al.), and it is available to assist MASCA affiliates in planning their educational programming. Through professional development initiatives, MASCA memberships are cultivated. Under the leadership of Jane Rathbun, director of guidance in South Hadley, many MASCA members participated in strategic planning sessions, which were held at the Summer LDI (along with Mike Vaughn and Erin McCrave), the fall Governing Board meeting and Conference Committee meetings. The diversity of the spring 2008 conference keynoters and program offerings, the summer 2008 MA Model Institute, and the fall 2008 conference showcase the results of the PD Committee’s action planning. ALL programming of the committee is designed specifically for school counselors and their mental health colleagues.
Reminders: • Don’t forget your PDPs! Save your Certificates of Attendance, complete your Evidence of Learning forms, and submit for PDPs using your school’s professional development protocol OR contact me at helenod@worldnet.att.net. • MASCA is not a CEU provider because the Massachusetts Department of Education requires PDPs for continued school counselor certification. ■ APRIL 2008
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15th Annual Summit of Peacemakers: A Conference of Peer Mediators June 2, 2008 (Grades 6-12) • June 3, 2008 (Grades 4-6) Hampshire College, Amherst School peer mediation teams and advisors, all welcome. Send inquiries to Helen O’Donnell at helenod@worldnet.att.net 2007 photos and registration form can be found on MASCA’s website, www.masca.org
PARSONS (continued from page 1) tioner Institute at Lyndon State College in Vermont. “I appreciate the invaluable support that the Natick Education Foundation gives to Natick educators and am honored to be the recipient of the 2008 Educator Shining Light Award. I believe that this award also gives well-deserved recognition to the members of the Natick High guidance department for their hard work and dedication serving the students of Natick,” says Jan Parsons, on learning of her designation as the Educator Shining Light Award winner . . . . “Each of these recipients represents the important role that citizens, educators and businesses can all play in working to support excellence in the Natick school system,” said Jan Phlegar, NEF co-president and board member. “We’re thrilled to be able to honor the contributions that Dick Cugini, Jan Parsons and the Fair and Yeager Insurance Agency have made enriching the education experience of Natick children over many years.” The NEF will honor the Shining Light Award recipients at a ceremony on Wednesday, March 18 at TCAN. The event will begin at 7 p.m. and a champagne and dessert reception will follow. Members of the community are encouraged to attend this free event and join the celebration. Each recipient will receive a plaque and proclamations in their honor from state and local government. Award plaques will be on display at the Morse Institute Library. A one-year NEF grant to support an educational initiative in the schools is named after the recipient of the Community Business Shining Light Award, and the recipients of the Harriet F. Siegel and Educator Shining Light Awards are each given the opportunity to direct $1,000 of NEF funds to an educational project or improvement in the Natick Public Schools of the recipient’s choice. ■ — Reprinted from Wicked Local, Natick, Gatehouse Media, March 8, 2008, http://www.wickedlocal.com/natick/ news/education/
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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
ASCA in Atlanta 2008: Setting New Standards ASCA’s 2008 annual conference, “Setting New Standards,” June 28 – July 1, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, will bring together approximately 2,000 pre-kindergarten to postsecondary professional school counselors, counselor educators, supervisors and graduate students. From educational sessions to networking events, pre-conference workshops to inspiring keynote speakers, ASCA’s conference helps professional school counselors across the country meet their professional development needs. Conference sessions allow attendees to take away solid, practical ideas they can put to work tomorrow, make valuable contacts in the school counseling field and discover the latest techniques in school counseling.
Benefit from conference attendance • Take away practical, nuts-and-bolts ideas you can put into practice immediately • Re-energize your passion for your career • Have the opportunity to earn CEUs, graduate credit, and NBCC contact hours • Learn from motivating keynote speakers Deduct your expenses If you are paying for the ASCA Annual Conference out of your own pocket, you can deduct the expenses from your taxes. Registration fees for educational conferences are 100 percent deductible if the education provided maintains or improves the skills related to the attendee’s trade or business. Additionally, your transportation expenses, including airfare, automobile mileage, reasonable taxi or shuttle fares, etc. for traveling from your regular place of business to the conference are 100 percent deductible, as are lodging expenses. Meals are 50 percent deductible. Remember to keep your receipts. Of course, if your employer reimburses you for your expenses, you may not deduct them from your taxes. For further details, check with your tax professional. ■ APRIL 2008
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MASCA 2008 Spring Conference The Resort & Conference Center at Hyannis Thursday – Saturday, April 10 -12, 2008 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Thursday, April 10 Jim Desrosiers, author of Charting the Course: One Life. Endless Possibilities. Getting Started
Friday, April 11 Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees & Wannabes, Queen Prom Moms & KingPin Dads, Owning Up Curriculum
3 full days of professional development activities, networking, and hospitality.
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When you renew your membership, return both the application and your check made payable to “MASCA” to the Membership Coordinator. To receive an acknowledgement of your membership, please include your e-mail address.
Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK Sally A. Connolly, Editor
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