The MTMDSS is a framework (See Figure 1) specifically for school counseling programs to organize a continuum of core instruction and interventions to meet students’ needs with the goals of: 1) Ensuring all students receive developmentally appropriate instruction; 2) Maximizing student achievement; and 3) Increasing the social, emotional, and behavioral competencies of students...

PART TWO -- On May 2014, I was incredibly honored to be invited, with a few national leaders, to come to the White House for a Listening and Learning Conversation about School Counseling. We were asked to provide thoughtful contributions regarding the challenges and barriers faced by school counselors today...

Yesterday I posted a copy of Arne Duncan’s email letter to Chief State School Officers on School Counseling. Arne called for schools and LEAs to “further support student success by engaging school counselors in a leadership capacity to serve as trainers and providers of professional development designed to improve all educators’ understanding of the college awareness, admissions, and financial aid processes.” ... Today’s post serves as a call to school counselors, administrators and others to promote this information with your SEAs and LEAs.

Thank you, Arne Duncan, for the email below sent to SPIs on the eve of the First Lady’s address to school counselors at ASCA. This is a very exciting time to be a school counselor and provides much hope for students who deserve to receive their programs and activities! 

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) replaces California’s state-controlled school finance system with one that has more local control and greater transparency. Under the new system districts will receive base funding, plus supplemental funds for legislatively protected youth. Students classified “protected” include: Low-Income (LI), English Learners (EL) and Foster Youth (FY). The vast majority of school districts will receive more funding under the new formula than was received in previous years.

The elimination of categorical programs that once provided funding for school counselors creates a sense of urgency to advocate for including school counselors in Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAP). Unlike many other states, California does not require school counselors, not even in high schools. There is no guarantee that any student, needy or not, will receive any school counseling services. Some districts “choose” to fund base fund school counselors K-12, and others do not. Many districts that previously utilized categorical dollars to fund base and/or additional at-risk counselors will now need to include them in the LCAP.

California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) spending regulations were finalized at the January State Board of Education (SBE) meeting. Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) templates are now scheduled for release by March 31, 2014. The passing of LCFF eliminated most categorical programs and places decision making for spending in the hands of local school communities. As Governor Brown stated when he visited the SBE: “Instead of prescriptive commands issued from headquarters here in Sacramento, more general goals have been established for each local school to attain, each in its own way.”