A full-time counselor for our elementary schools is a non-negotiable for our children/students. Having an objective third party to help kids navigate challenges and conflicts they face day to day is a critical resource we can’t stand to lose.
Cutting counselors would mean sharing and not having a counselor present 100% of the time at our elementary school. You never know when you’re going need a counselor for a situation so this is absolutely unacceptable. It affects every child, even those with great social-emotional health already, as they are affected by what goes ok around them. Our kids can’t learn if they don’t have emotional awareness. Whether it’s an emotional moment happening in class or hopefully never a large school wide scary event, a counselor’s presence can be invaluable, these events can become memories that last forever and can lead to positive growth with the right people available