Governor Pillen Recognizes National School Couseling Week in Nebraska
Lincoln, NE – It was a bitter cold February 4th during National School Counseling Week, as five Nebraska School Counselor Association leaders entered the Warner Chamber in the Nebraska State Capitol building to attend proclamation signing day. In attendance were Malinda Jean Baptiste, NSCA Assistant Executive Director, Katie Cameron, NSCA Assistant Executive Director, Lori Hemmett, NSCA Government Relations & Advocacy co-chair, Nicki Hanseling, Middle School Counselor of the Year, and Mattie Trejo Amen, Elementary School Counselor of the Year.
Governor Jim Pillen arrived and greeted guests from multiple Nebraska organizations. There were several other education-and-mental-health-related proclamations on the agenda. It was nice to be there to support them as well.
When called to the front, Katie Cameron spoke to the assembly, introducing the proclamation on behalf of over 1100 Nebraska school counselors. She used this opportunity to educate the attendees about the differences between guidance counselors and school counselors, and shared that the professional name had changed to the latter in 1990. Read the entirety of her remarks here.
Senator Rita Sanders of Bellevue and Senator Dave Murman of Hastings, and Sydney Kobza from the Nebraska Department of Education were in the chamber to support the school counselors as well. Governor Pillen read the proclamation, shook our hands, and stood for a group picture along with the two aforementioned Senators. The counselors all remained to share in the ceremony of other proclamation signings and congratulated the attendees.
NSCA at the Captiol
Lincoln, NE – On March 4, 2024 NSCA held its annual Day at the Capitol. The intent of the day is to educate lawmakers about comprehensive school counseling programs, the role of the school counselor and how both benefit Nebraska students. Members of the NSCA Governing Board, staff, and Advocacy and Government Relations Committee along with the 2023 Elementary, Middle and High School Counselors of the Year converged on the Capitol with this goal in mind. Over the years NSCA has learned that legislators are more likely to meet with and listen to our members when the conversation is based around a particular piece of legislation rather than just wanting to talk about the role of the school counselor. This year attendees talked with lawmakers about how passage of LB1322 would allow school counselors to spend their 80% of their time on direct/indirect services to students and 20% of their time on program planning/school support as outlined in the ASCA National Model. Attendees also spoke out against LB 1065 which if passed would allow schools to hire chaplain to fill to role of a school counselor. Both pieces of legislation provided a golden opportunity to educate about the role, training and positive impact of certified school counselors.
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