With an estimated ration of one high school counselor for every 300-plus students, it is needless to state that high schools all over Utah need help. With the presentation of HB 65 by Rep. Patrice Arent (D-Salt Lake), these high school counselors might get the help they need.
The “College and Career Counseling for High School Students” bill will create a pilot program for the next 3 years which will give high school seniors much needed encouragement and help getting ready for the transition to high school education.
In the House Education Committee meeting, held on January 27, 2012, Rep. Arent admitted that she saw the necessity to create this bill when she was assigned to a task force to track women’s college completion. There, she realized that Utah students have the talent, but lack the information they need to go on to higher education. She said that many of them are overwhelmed by the admissions process and financial aid paperwork, particularly those in rural high schools.
As explained in the bill text, the pilot program will deal with this issue by hiring 18 school counselor interns (Approximately 1 intern on average per 2.25 school districts, with charter schools considered as a school district) who will have specialized training to help students fill out the necessary paperwork and encourage them to pursue the best education possible.
These professionals can be hired by the school, or be interns from universities who “are getting their masters in high school counseling,” she said.
From my experience, the road to higher education can be a very difficult one. It’s not just about having good grades, but about giving students the confidence they need to seek a brighter future. Working with them from the moment they enter high school, instead of only in their last year, is critical. Also, HB 65 does not suggest that students have the work done for them, but merely gives counselors the time to adequately explain what needs to happen.
Overall, HB 65 has met a very positive response, but concerns still remain. The main one is that it requires money. Education has suffered some major cuts in the last few years, and it’s estimated that $800,000 more will have to be set aside to implement this program.
Responding to this question, Rep. Arent suggested that new money could come from outside grants, but the funding should not be reduced.
Another issue will be accountability. Since it is only a pilot program, it will be crucial to know how well the program performed by measuring the progress of the students affected against those who did not take part in the program.
No one seems to disagree that the problems highlighted by this bill are real. School counselors are currently trying their best to help students obtain all the help they need, but they are simply overworked.
The proposed bill, HB 65, will ease the stress on high school counselors and provide kids with more opportunities. With this bill leading the way, education is getting the attention it needs.
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