California Schools Lack Counselors

National Average:  477 students per 1 counselor.

California Average  945 students per 1 counselor.

California has made important strides in class size reduction, higher academic standards, greater accountability, and improved teacher preparation. The important missing link in these initiatives to improve student learning is the need for more school counselors and other student support services, such as school psychologists, school social workers, and school nurses. Traditionally, California students' access to counselors varies by grade level, and 29 percent of California school districts have no counseling programs at all. When counseling programs exist, counselors are often asked to add administrative duties such as testing, supervising, and class scheduling. The ratio of students per counselor in this state averages 945 to 1, compared to the national average of 477 to 1, ranking California last in the nation.

Also;

In another sign of the changing of the guard in the leadership of education policy in California, former Stanford professor and leading researcher Linda Darling-Hammond was selected to be president of California’s State Board of Education by fellow board members on Thursday, a month after Gov. Gavin Newsom named her to the post.

Complete Final speech by Michelle Obama as First Lady (C-SPAN)

Pre-K for all California Children- Proposal

And, a response

SB 837 would make Transitional Kindergarten Available to All Four-Year-Olds in CA

(Sacramento) – In recognition that too many California children are missing out on the early education they need to succeed in school, Senate President Darrell Steinberg is introducing the Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2014, which will make one year of high quality, voluntary transitional kindergarten available to every four-year-old child in California.

By providing transitional kindergarten (TK) for all, SB 837 will fill the gap in critical early education for our youngest students, where only one in every four preschool-age children is now eligible for the current transitional kindergarten program and only half of California’s low-income children are served in Head Start or State Preschool. Study after study has shown that children attending high quality preschool programs perform better throughout their subsequent years in school and graduate from high school at a higher rate than their peers. This is especially true for low income students, and SB 837 will help bridge that achievement gap.

Ed.note. 

This is a worthy endeavor. However, while proposing this important new program the California legislature has not fulfilled its prior duty.  We, the people, passed Prop. 30 to adequately fund the schools. School funding has not been restored- yet.California ranks 49th. of the 50 states in counselors per student, 49th. in students per classroom,   and 50 of the 50 states in librarians per student.

The legislature should first provide adequate class size and  counselors for the existing schools.  They should restore an environment for teaching and learning.  Then, they should provide social workers for all low income schools to develop programs to lower the drop out rates. It is policy subterfuge to propose new programs while the state continues to dramatically underfund the existing programs. 

Back to the press release from Senator Steinberg.