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A Professional Perspective: My Future In Education

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A Professional Perspective: My Future In Education

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For the past ten years, I have taught at a Title I school where resources were limited but relationships were abundant. It was through these relationships with students and colleagues that I found my true passion and purpose in the realm of education: counseling. I began my first semester at Angelo State in June of 2017, and I am proud to announce that I am in my final semester. Only two classes stand between me and graduation. While the initial plan was to seek employment as a high school guidance counselor, I interview for a counseling position at the elementary campus in my district next Tuesday. Though that was not the initial plan, I am excited about the possibilities that await me.

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Exploration Option 1: Top 5 Legal & Ethical Ramifications According to a High School Counselor

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Exploration Option 1: Top 5 Legal & Ethical Ramifications According to a High School Counselor

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After speaking with Kaye Lynch, the sole counselor at New Waverly High School with over twenty years of experience, it is clear that legal ramifications today are not what they were twenty years ago. Here are the top five legal and ethical ramifications counselors are dealing with today.

#1: Reporting Measures: With so many new issues plaguing the school system due to the rise of technology and social media, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish when to report to law enforcement. Mrs. Lynch discussed the struggle of respecting higher authorities in administration while also adhering to reporting guidelines (K. Lynch, personal communication, June 7, 2018).

#2: School Safety: In the past year, school safety has been a topic for debate across the country. While many support arming teachers and faculty, others want increased law enforcement. Regardless, increased safety measures are inevitable. As a high school counselor, Mrs. Lynch feels the the pressure of ensuring that students are safe by taking all threats seriously (K. Lynch, personal communication, June 7, 2018).

#3: Bullying: With the Texas Education Code mandating that all districts have a bullying prevention and awareness program in place, districts are placing emphasis on reporting procedures and investigative measures. Mrs. Lynch acknowledges that to perform a true investigation is a timely and lengthy process, and by not performing an investigation to the full extent is opening the door for legal ramifications (K. Lynch, personal communication, June 7, 2018).

#4: Special Education Laws: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Texas Education Code (TEC), and the Texas Administrative Code (TAC), are all federal regulations that Mrs. Lynch relies on for special education laws. She also attends regular trainings through Region VI Service Center and online trainings through the Texas Education Agency (K. Lynch, personal communication, June 7, 2018).

#5: State Testing: Training on state testing and procedures must be done on a yearly basis as testing requirements can change year-to-year. While House Bill 5 is what comes to mind when many think of state testing at the high school level, Mrs. Lynch clarifies that Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) and State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) ALT and STAAR ALT 2 are additional state tests that require specific training, and keeping up with the changes can be a daunting task (K. Lynch, personal communication, June 7, 2018).

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This page is designed to answer questions for students/parents and provide information on upcoming events
**Parents and Students, please be aware that there are businesses out there that offer services, or an honor society that are offered here for free. If someone wants you to pay for college admission assistance, please have your student check with the counselor to see if it is legitimate.
SENIOR CHECK LIST FOR APPLYING TO COLLEGE & SCHOLARSHIPS:
August - December:
__ Check in with your counselor, to make sure you're on track to graduate and fulfill college admission requirements.
__ Sign up for the ACT and/or the SAT if you didn't take it as a junior, or if you aren't satisfied with your scores. (or if you've learned a lot since you last took it.) If you need help signing up for these tests, you can get assistance in the counselor's office. Also check to see if you qualify for a waiver!
__ Check the eligibility requirements of the college or university you wish to attend. Review your test results and retest if necessary. If you have any questions on how to do this, come to the counselor's office during lunch or before school.
__ Start asking for letters of recommendation from teachers, leaders of organizations or employers early.

__ Begin your college essays if you haven't already; have a teacher, parent, or Mrs. Kaye check your essay for editing before you submit your essays.

__ Apply for admission at the colleges you've chosen; see the counselor for help if necessary.
__ Request that official transcripts be sent to the colleges for which you apply.
__ Check your email to make sure the college has received your application, admission fees and transcripts.
__ Watch for updates on the Scholarship websites - Check out "Upcoming Scholarships" on this website - there are some applications due in October!

Important Dates and Information

*** For a FREE ACT Test-Day Checklist, Test Taking Tips, Question of the Day, and a FREE COMPLETE PRACTICE TEST, even in Spanish, go to: http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/

For SAT practice
https://sat.collegeboard.org/home??affilliateId=cbhomeexp&bannerId=sat PSAT - Test Date - October 19, 2016

*Community Service- If you are interested in attending college after high school, it is very important that you become involved in their community. Colleges are looking for students who are well rounded in academics, extra-curricular, & community involvement. You should participate in organizations that you have an interest in so that you will enjoy the time they are committing. Some examples of groups/clubs/organizations students may look into are: Boys & Girl Scouts of America, Rita B. Huff Animal Shelter, Church Groups, or Good Shepherd Mission. Please note, some organizations may require an application before beginning, have age restrictions, or require background checks.

*ACT and SAT- It is never too early to start thinking about the SAT and ACT test. We encourage all Juniors to take either the ACT or SAT at least once during their Junior year. Most colleges require at least one of these tests scores to be submitted with an application. It is important to find out what scores are required for the colleges you will be applying to during senior year to determine if you will need to retest. Students should also be aware that a limited number of fee waivers are available to Juniors and Seniors who qualify through free or reduced lunch. Registration for both the ACT and SAT can be completed online by clicking on the link listed above. If students need help registering, please stop by the counselor's office. She will be happy to help you register or give you more information. The dates for both exams are listed above. If you are unsure about which exam is best for you, please have them come by the counselor's office.

*All Student Athletes must register with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) if they have a desire to play sports on the collegiate level. Athletes must be registered before they may begin speaking to college recruiters. Please click on the link to begin the registration process.

Link for NCAA information:

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This page is designed to answer questions for students/parents and provide information on upcoming events **Parents and Students, please be aware that there are businesses out there that offer services, or an honor society that are offered here for free .

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Exploration Option 3: School Out of Line for Disciplining Social Media Post

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Exploration Option 3: School Out of Line for Disciplining Social Media Post

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A federal court ruled that a Pennsylvania high school reacted inappropriately when a student was cut from the junior varsity cheerleading team for swearing on a social media post (Jacobson, 2017). Schools do not have the authority to discipline students for what they post on their own time, as long as the posts do not cause substantial disruption to school material or activities (Jacobson, 2017). School counselors do not always have a clear cut answer as to what they can and cannot police, and as a result, often walk a fine line between not interfering with students' First Amendment rights and trying to keep students' posts and tweets from disrupting a school day.

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Dive Brief:

A federal court has issued a preliminary ruling that a Pennsylvania high school was out of line when it cut a student from the junior varsity cheerleading team for swearing in a weekend social media post, Public News Service reports.

Molly Tack-Hooper, an attorney with the ACLU of Pennsylvania, says the court's message is that schools don't have the authority to discipline students for what they post on their own time, as long as the posts don't create "substantial material disruption to school activities."

The school could still appeal the ruling, the article says.

Dive Insight:

As more student behavior occurs in a virtual space, school administrators don't always have clear direction over what they can and can't police. This piece from the National Coalition Against Censorship suggests that school leaders are often walking a fine line between not interfering with students' First Amendment rights and trying to keep what students post or tweet from disrupting what happens during the school day.

According to the Student Press Law Center, there has been no definitive guidance from the courts on these issues. "Despite the proliferation of student speech on social media and elsewhere online, the federal circuits and state courts remain divided over the level of First Amendment protection that should be accorded to such speech, created by students in their personal time in their homes or elsewhere outside of school," attorney Carolyn Schurr Levin writes. " Whether tweets, Facebook posts and blogs are fully protected by the First Amendment, or whether schools can punish students for such speech, when done off campus, is a question that the United State Supreme Court will ultimately have to settle."

The Pennsylvania case also raises the issue of off-campus behavior in general. While schools want the students who play on their sports teams and represent their schools in the community to be role models, courts have also ruled that school officials can't punish students for breaking the law off-campus. In New Jersey, a student and her family challenged the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District's policy requiring students involved in extracurricular activities, such as sports and clubs, to sign an agreement saying that they wouldn't use drugs or drink even at off-campus events or over the weekend. In this case, a state appeals court ruled that the district had not made a direct connection between students' off-campus behavior and school operations.

In this piece for AASA, education law attorney David Rubin writes that these cases often come down to people's beliefs over whether schools should simply teach academics or whether they should be more involved in the many facets of students' lives.

"How much schools should 'own' off-campus behavior must be considered against the backdrop of this larger debate, and school administrators, as stakeholders in this discussion, should press state legislatures and regulatory agencies to adopt guidelines that reflect the value judgments of the local community," he writes.

Top image credit: Getty Images

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Court rules school out of line in disciplining social media post

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A federal court has issued a preliminary ruling that a Pennsylvania high school was out of line when it cut a student from the junior varsity cheerleading team for swearing in a weekend social media post, Public News Service reports.

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Exploration Option 3: Judge Rules in Favor of Transgender Student Bathroom Case

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Exploration Option 3: Judge Rules in Favor of Transgender Student Bathroom Case

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In an article published in Education Dive, Federal Judge Wright Allen ruled in favor of a transgender student, Gavin Grimm, who sued the Gloucester County School Board in 2014 when he was told that he couldn't use the bathroom that correlated with his gender identity (Riddell, 2018). Judge Allen decided that the school board discriminated against Grimm under Title IX and the Constitution's equal protection clause (Riddell, 2018). Grimm's case could set the precedent for transgender bathroom rights in the future. As a result, school counselors must be conscientious of discrimination and equal rights for all students.

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Dive Brief:

Federal Judge Wright Allen ruled in favor of now-graduated Virginia transgender student Gavin Grimm, who sued the Gloucester County School Board over a 2014 decision that he couldn't use the bathroom corresponding to his gender identity, USA Today reports.

The case was among the highest-profile to involve transgender bathroom rights in schools, at one point being sent to the Supreme Court before being dismissed back to the lower courts.

Allen's decision found that the school board discriminated against Grimm under the Constitution's equal protection clause and Title IX, and no further appeal by the school board has yet been filed.

Dive Insight:

Barring any further appeals, or any similar cases that the U.S. Supreme Court might decide to take on in the future, Grimm's case could now set a precedent on transgender bathroom rights in schools. Prior to this case, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights under the Obama administration reached a resolution agreement in December 2015 with Illinois' Palatine High School District 211 regarding a transgender high school student's ability to use the girls' locker room. Further guidance on the issue released in May 2016 was later rescinded by the Trump administration.

Grimm's case, of course, isn't the only one to be appealed as far as the Supreme Court, as Wisconsin's Kenosha Unified School District in August filed an appeal requesting a decision on transgender students' bathroom rights under Title IX or the U.S. Constitution. So sooner or later, it seems likely a further decision is likely to come from a higher level.

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Judge rules in favor of Virginia transgender student in bathroom case

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Federal Judge Wright Allen ruled in favor of now-graduated Virginia transgender student Gavin Grimm, who sued the Gloucester County School Board over a 2014 decision that he couldn't use the bathroom corresponding to his gender identity, USA Today reports.

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Upon closer research, Title IX seems to be a repeated topic on multiple education websites. Because I am unclear as to what Title IX truly entails and how it will affect my role as a counselor, further investigation is necessary.

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A Closer Look at Title IX and Transgender Rights: Angelo State Resource

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A Closer Look at Title IX and Transgender Rights: Angelo State Resource

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While researching Title IX and how it affects the role of a school counselor, I found the attached article through Angelo State University's online library. The article, "Creating School Climates That Foster Inclusive Community Attitudes Toward Gender Non-conforming Students" addresses that while transgender students are protected through Title IX, many schools are struggling with effective policies that adequately provide these protections (Kurt, 2017).

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Creating School Cimates that Foster Inclusive Community.pdf

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A Closer Look at Title IX and Transgender Rights: Inside HigherEd

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A Closer Look at Title IX and Transgender Rights: Inside HigherEd

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While taking to the internet to find more information on Title IX, an article titled, "Transgender Protections Withdrawn" caught my eye as Title IX seems to be a hot political topic as well. The article dictates that President Trump has reversed Title IX provisions that were put into affect by President Barrack Obama (Kreighbaum, 2017).

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The Trump administration Wednesday evening withdrew guidelines issued by the Obama administration last year to protect transgender students -- in schools and colleges -- from discrimination and to ensure they had access to the bathrooms and other facilities of their choice.

In a statement accompanying new guidelines from the administration, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos insisted her department remained committed to investigating all claims of discrimination, bullying and harassment of the most vulnerable students. But she said the previous guidelines had given rise to legal questions and that the issue was best resolved at the state level.

"Schools, communities, and families can find - and in many cases have found - solutions that protect all students," DeVos said.

Civil rights leaders have long blasted the state solution, noting that it leaves students in some states vulnerable to discrimination and allows some educators to ignore their needs.

The guidance that was withdrawn said that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 applied to discrimination based on gender identity, not just gender.

According to media reports earlier Wednesday, DeVos and Attorney General Jeff Sessions were at the center of a debate in the administration over whether it should withdraw the protections. DeVos, the news reports said, was in favor of a more cautious approach, but agreed to go along with the decision after President Trump sided with Sessions. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer later told reporters that DeVos was "100 percent" supportive of Trump's decision.

Both DeVos and advocates for transgender students said withdrawing the guidelines might have little immediate impact on students or schools or colleges because a federal judge last year blocked their implementation after a legal challenge from several states. Rescinding the protections could also make several other lawsuits challenging the guidelines moot and could factor into a transgender student's lawsuit set to go before the Supreme Court next month. At the same time, transgender college students have used the guidelines to assure that they are protected from discrimination and have access to bathrooms and residence hall rooms consistent with their gender identities.

The withdrawal of the guidance may also affect disputes in states like North Carolina. A state law there bars public colleges and universities from allowing transgender people from using bathrooms associated with their current gender identities. While the law is currently facing court challenges and not being enforced, part of the dispute has been the Obama administration's guidance -- now longer part of the equation.

The transgender policy debate has centered on K-12 public schools but the guidelines have also applied to colleges. Advocates since December 2015 have publicized the decisions of religious colleges and universities to seek exemptions from guidance originally issued by the Obama administration earlier that year. Title IX requires the department to grant exemptions to religious colleges that say parts of the law are inconsistent with the teachings of their faiths.

Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride, the group that publicized those decisions, said colleges can still legally protect transgender students with or without that federal guidance.

"If the Trump administration rescinds that letter or changes that guidance in anyway, it doesn't mean that campuses shouldn't or can't protect students who are transgender or any other students for that matter," Windmeyer said, ahead of the administration's announcement on Wednesday night.

That includes ensuring access to bathrooms or locker rooms consistent with a student's gender identity as well as inclusive housing and other policies, Windmeyer said. In addition to a list of top LGBT friendly colleges and universities, Campus Pride publishes a "Shame List," that cites those exemption requests, among other instances of alleged discrimination.

A "Dear Colleague" letter released Wednesday by the Trump administration said that the Obama administration guidance did not contain extensive legal analysis and did not undergo a formal public process before it was released. The letter said those and other issues with the guidance had contributed to legal challenges. And the letter said the departments believe "there must be due regard for the primary role of the states and local school districts in establishing educational policy."

The letter was signed by Sandra Battle, the Department of Education's acting assistant secretary for civil rights, and T.E. Wheeler II, the acting assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice. It did not set forth new guidelines for institutions beyond rescinding the existing guidelines.

Jenny Pizer, the law and policy director with Lambda Legal, said rescinding the Obama guidelines puts advocates back where they were before the Obama administration's guidance. "But withdrawing guidance is likely to be taken by far too many school districts as (an invitation) to ignore the needs of transgender students," Pizer said. "From a legal view, our perspective is that that would be a mistake."

A coalition of organizations including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the National Center for Transgender Equality, GLSEN, the National Women's Law Center, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., the American Civil Liberties Union, the Human Rights Campaign, and MALDEF release a statement saying that the Department of Education has a well-established role in clarifying and enforcing civil rights protections for students.

The Obama administration's guidelines provided much-needed clarification on transgender protections, the organizations said.

"Additionally, hundreds of thousands of transgender students received a clear message: the law was on their side," the groups said. "By rescinding the guidance today, the Trump administration has taken the opposite stance. They have sent a deeply troubling message to students that the administration will not stand up for students' civil rights."

American Civil Liberties Union LGBT Project Director James Esseks said in a statement that revoking the guidance shows Trump's previous promises to protect LGBT rights was empty rhetoric.

"But the bottom line is that this does not undo legal protections for trans students, and school districts can and must continue to protect them and all students from discrimination," he said.

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Trump administration reverses Title IX guidance on transgender protections

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The Trump administration Wednesday evening withdrew guidelines issued by the Obama administration last year to protect transgender students -- in schools and colleges -- from discrimination and to ensure they had access to the bathrooms and other facilities of their choice.

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What I Learned About Title IX and Transgender Rights

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What I Learned About Title IX and Transgender Rights

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The article "Creating School Climates That Foster Inclusive Community Attitudes Toward Gender Non-conforming Students" first addresses what Title IX encompasses. Under the federal law, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, proclaims that all students have the right to equal educational opportunities free of harassment, bullying, and discrimination (Kurt, 2017). Title IX also prohibits sex and gender discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance; as a result, superintendents are inclined to uphold federal laws as they are susceptible to losing federal dollars which could greatly impact a school district (Kurt, 2017).

While the article gives an accurate description of Title IX and who it protects, it also acknowledges that while districts are told they cannot discriminate, little has been done to show districts how to accommodate the needs of all students. School counselors, in particular, are often placed in a compromising situation when debates arise regarding not discriminating against transgender students while also keeping the rest of the student body safe (Kurt, 2017). While creating a positive school climate is one of the main interests of the school counselor, issues such as shared restrooms and locker rooms is one of the most common debated issues regarding Title IX.

Through further research, it is clear that Title IX is at the center of political debates as well. The article "Transgender Protections Withdrawn" indicates that President Trump withdrew legal provisions set in place by President Barrack Obama to protect transgender students from discrimination to ensure that they had access to bathrooms and other facilities of their choice (Kreighbaum, 2017). The Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos dodged the controversy by proclaiming that her department was still committed to investigating all claims of bullying, harassment, and discrimination, but that the issues would be best resolved at the state level (Kreighbaum, 2017).

One thing is certain: Title IX is not as clear cut as it should be. As a future school counselor, understanding how students, particularly transgender students, are protected by federal and state laws will be critical to ensure that I do not end up in a courtroom. While it is clear that laws and provisions are in place to protect transgender students, it is still unclear as to how districts can provide provisions, specifically access to restrooms and locker rooms, while not violating other students' rights as well.

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Jacobson, L. (2017, October 12). Court rules school out of line in disciplining social media post. Retrieved from https://www.educationdive.com/news/court-rules-school-out-of-line-in-disciplining-social-media-post/507054/

Kreighbaum, A. (2017, February 23). Trump administration reverses Title IX guidance on transgender protections. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/02/23/trump-administration-reverses-title-ix-guidance-transgender-protections

Kurt, L. J. (2017). Creating School Climates That Foster Inclusive Community Attitudes toward Gender Nonconforming Students. Journal Of School Counseling, 15(1),

Riddell, R. (2018, May 24). Judge rules in favor of Virginia transgender student in bathroom case. Retrieved from https://www.educationdive.com/news/judge-rules-in-favor-of-virginia-transgender-student-in-bathroom-case/524226/