Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Lack of counselors/ who is minding the store?
We are hearing reports that there is NO guidance counselor at Peabody and Oliver and no social worker at Langley because positions were cut or someone is on leave and has not been replaced. Students at these schools are at risk and need assistance accessing social services. Also, because they have been to many different schools, placements, institutions, it is time consuming to straighten out their schedules, records and transcripts to make them "Promise Ready." A social worker and AT LEAST one counselor are needed. Who on the School Board is watching out for adequate staffing?
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17 comments:
Again, a question of equity- why is PPS planning the future Westinghouse as a "full service school" when other schools are missing basic counseling or social worker services?
Or, why should we believe this will happen at Westinghouse when there is no evidence that basic services can be provided to current students.
With PELA now firmly in place, the idea is that Principals can do their shtick and teachers can do the rest. No need for VPs, no need for counselors. Amazing.
Even when positions are kept, student services are pulled off to other work like testing.
How does PPS plan on getting students "Promise Ready" when there is minimal student service staff to work with students? Counselors that retire are not being replaced. Counselors/social workers on medical leave do not have a substitute. Social worker/Counselor positions have been cut. Yet student services is expected to get students "Promise Ready" and to "Dream Big and Work Hard". There is minimal office staff; some high schools are operating with only a part-time information processor and no secretary. Book/Record clerks have been cut. Counselors/social workers have no time to do record maintenance of transcripts because they are too busy doing testing or doing the jobs of 2, 3, 4 people who have been cut. PPS claims they want to be "customer friendly" yet the district is just getting worse. PPS likes to say they care about students, but really they don't. It's all about money. Shame shame shame PPS!
Could the staffing be affected by the launch of the PRC? The thinking being that teachers looping 9th and 10th are adequate substitutes for real live counselors and social workers. When will the deep thinkers realize where the investments need to be made. More staff with direct student contact.
Teachers are not trained to be counselors and social workers. They do not have masters degrees in counseling and social work. PRC and looping might be a good idea, but it cannot and should not replace student services. It will be interesting to see how PRC turns out, but I believe teachers and other staff will still turn to the counselors and social workers when it comes to getting students the social services and emotional/behavioral/mental help they need. I also must mention that counselor/social workers are expected to be part of PRC, but are not included in the financial incentives in the new contract.
I bet that most boardmembers have far less than an adequate understanding of PRC as it relates to and is integrated into EET/RISE. BTW, there apparently is no opportunity to make schedule changes in HS after today. Sounds like chaos is coming soon.
One day we will look back and wonder how we could have let things get this way.
"One day we will look back and wonder how we could have let things get this way.
August 25, 2010 9:13 PM"
That sums it up.
In the recently released school safety reports, for PPS 2008-2009,
under "remedial programs"--including things like "psychological evaluation", "drug/alcohol counseling", and "anger management"--the answer "none" was entered for 20,794 safety incidents that might have been followed up with remedial action. Every other remedial category/action besides "none" got a big goose egg. No counseling, no evaluation, nothing. How can that be?
Maybe someone needs to audit these results. What obligation does the school system have to follow up with evaluations and referral for treatment? Is the necessary follow up not being done, or is there just a problem with record keeping or the state's data system? PURE can pass this issue along to WPXI which published the report.
I think the numbers are useless. There must have been a reason A+ stopped including a disciplinary section on the Report to the Community.
DAAAAAAA
Like I have said before, A+ is in bed with PPS. A+ is funded by the foundations PPS receives money from those same foundations.
PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER!!!
Kathy and Annette I know you have tried to work respectfully and not step on PPS's toes but I think its time to make a major move!! Campaign to throw this administration out? Impeach Roosevelt? Law Suit?? Discrimination law suit??
FAMILIES WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO MOVE OUT OR CHOOSE PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE SCREWED AND WILL HAVE PUT UP WITH THE CRAP PPS DISHES OUT!!!
We need to STOP playing nice in the sand box.
Kathy and Annette cannot make major moves without major participation! Some individuals and groups have indicated that they are exploring various options. Email to PURE if you would like to participate in planning future moves.
Regarding remedial reporting after a safety incident: most troubled students are referred to the school's Student Assistance Program for anger management, drug/alcohol counseling, etc. The school social worker is the coordinator of the Student Assistance Program. The social worker meets with the student and parent and discusses the needs of the student and then connects the student to the appropriate service provider. At the end of the school year the SAP data goes to the state. With social worker/counseling positions being cut or reduced part - time then many more students will not get the help they need. It is UNACCEPTABLE that student service positions are being reduced or eliminated from the budget when we want to increase student achievement for all of these at-risk, high risk students in poor neighborhoods. As for remedial reporting after a safety incident, my question is who is to record this data? Where is this data (or lack of) supposed to come from?
Besides this blog site, does PureReform use other media to disseminate their message; like local radio/tv, as well as, national radio/tv. More frequent editorials in local newspapers would capture public attention. Flyers posted in and around neighborhoods would spark interest.
Any plans to hold strategic meetings with members? Strong grassroot organizations need foot soldiers on the ground. A good recruitment tool is to have each member bring a different friend/neighbor with them to every meeting.
There is strength in numbers. I dare any local media to ignore a huge PureReform rally outside while Roosevelt meets with a select group of parents, teachers, a/o community members to discuss PPS concerns. Rally during a board meeting. PureReform has legitimate concerns that demands local and national attention.
Eli Broad, Roosevelt, and the rest of the Broadies will back down and eventually leave if this grassroot effort truly organizes and pushes back. They do not want opposition. They do not want exposure.
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