The holidays are well on the horizon of our collective rearview mirror. Testing season is fast approaching, and thoughts of warm weather and longer days of sunshine seemingly tease the mind on a more regular basis.

During the week of Feb. 6, school districts across the country celebrated National School Counseling Week. D49 has amazing, dedicated and hard-working school counselors who serve all students across the district, and I am incredibly grateful for the commitment they demonstrate every day for our students and colleagues.

The Colorado School Counselor Association has opened the window for nominations for their School Counselor of the Year Award, and I’d like to invite our D49 workforce family to consider nominating a school counselor for this state-level recognition.

School counselors are a vital component to the success of students and the school. Yet, to many, the role of a school counselor is largely misunderstood—both for students and fellow colleagues. The American School Counseling Association (ASCA) National Model recommends a ratio of students to school counselors at 250:1. The terms "vocational counselor" or "guidance counselor" were historically a common reference and job title for counselors working in schools. However, as the profession has evolved and developed, an official statement was issued in 1990 calling on school districts to change terminology to "school counselor" as the appropriate title for licensed school counselors. Research has shown that title matters in the perceived functions of the school counselor position. Licensed school counselors are master’s degree-trained counselors with 700 additional training hours spent in the school setting through practicum and internship.

Our school counselors are valuable members of our school leadership teams who serve our commitment to “be the best choice to learn, work and lead.” School counselors are key to the school's academic mission and can have a significant, positive impact on the whole child through a data-informed comprehensive school counseling program.

Anyone can nominate a school counselor at:  https://tinyurl.com/CSCAnominate

Upon nomination, the school counselor will then need to complete their portion of the application. Both the nomination and the school counselor portion are required for the review committee to consider the candidate.

Many of the previous winners have had strong nominations that included data reflecting the work of the counselor in their school counseling programs.

• Nominations/applications are due by April 1.
• School counselors must have their portion complete by May 1.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to honor a fellow colleague. I wish everyone a strong and productive 4th quarter, as we continue the important work we do in District 49.

Yours in partnership,

Jason White,
Coordinator of Community Care