My Exploration of Legal and Ethical Principles for School Counselors by sarah waggoner https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1 Sarah Waggoner Fall B 2018 en-us 2018-10-23 14:00:28 UTC 2023-05-16 16:22:34 UTC hello@padlet.com Professional Perspective sarah_waggoner https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/297680686 I anticipate completing my M.Ed. in Guidance and Counseling this December. After graduating, my plan is to be a high school counselor.]]> 2018-10-27 19:32:09 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/297680686 Exploration - Option #1: Interview with a Current Professional sarah_waggoner https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298243827 I spoke with the counselor on my campus, Danita Peterman, about current legal and ethical issues that relate to school counseling.

  1. Homelessness is a particular concern in Grand Prairie ISD. Over 1,000 students and family members have been identified as experiencing homelessness (“McKinney-Vento”, n.d.). The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act guarantees students experiencing homelessness certain protections and assistance.
  2. Counselors must understand the assurances students have and do not have related to confidentially.
  3. The counselor must also know how to respond to students exhibiting suicidal ideations or behaviors, and when and how to report it to parents/guardians and administrators.
  4. Grand Prairie ISD has a large population of undocumented students and families. The counselor has an obligation to provided services to all students regardless of citizenship or documentation status.
  5. The counselor is an advocate for the student. He must examine biases and attitudes that will interfere with this duty to the student.

(M. Peterman, personal communication, October 26, 2018).
]]> 2018-10-29 19:40:27 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298243827 Exploration - Option #2: National Education Assiciation sarah_waggoner https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298270263 In my exploration of the National Education Association’s website, I found several pages related to immigration. It advises counselors to advocate for all students regardless of documentation status. Counselors should have the same post-secondary education expectations for all students and assist undocumented students with the college process.

Students should have an equal opportunity to high quality education regardless of a student’s residence. The student’s zip code should not be an advantage or detriment to his educational potential.]]> 2018-10-29 20:56:28 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298270263 Exploration - Option #2: American School Counselor Assiciation sarah_waggoner https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298272231 The National School Board Association website has several resources related to it’s position on undocumented students. All children have a constitutionally guaranteed right to a free pubic education from Kindergarten to the 12th grade. The organization’s website also states schools districts must enroll unaccompanied minor students even if the student does not have documentation. Additionally, the district cannot deny an unaccompanied minor enrollment if he cannot provide residency documentation.

The website also contains articles about a student’s constitutional right to free speech, prevention of unreasonable search and seizure, and due process. The articles discuss these rights in relation to the schools obligation to limit disruption and provide a safe learning environment.]]> 2018-10-29 21:03:07 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298272231 Description of Issue sarah_waggoner https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298293381 I am most interested in legal and ethical issues related to undocumented students and the obligations schools and counselors have to this population. Laws, policies, and actions affect the large number of undocumented students and their families in my school district and in Texas.]]> 2018-10-29 22:44:52 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298293381 References sarah_waggoner https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298321402 McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act – Connections Program. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gpisd.org/Page/37074

National School Boards Association. (2018). Lifting the lamp beside the schoolhouse door: A legal guide to serving undocumented students in public schools. Retrieved from https://cdn-files.nsba.org/s3fs-public/reports/10711-4917_NSBA_Immigration_Guide_Web_FINAL.pdf

Sulkowski, M. L. (2017). Unauthorized immigrant students in the United States: The current state of affairs and the role of public education. Children & Youth Services Review, 77(62-68). doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.04.006]]> 2018-10-30 01:19:10 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298321402 Research - Creditable and Reliable Resource sarah_waggoner https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298327989 National School Boards Association, 2018]]> 2018-10-30 01:56:56 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298327989 Research - Academic Resource sarah_waggoner https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298328028 Sulkowski, 2017]]> 2018-10-30 01:57:13 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298328028 Summary sarah_waggoner https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298340254 Schools are mandated to provided free public education from Kindergarten through 12th grade to all students regardless of documentation or citizenship status. Schools are prevented from barring undocumented students from enrolling in school. In the United  States, 5.3 million youth have an undocumented status or live with a parent with an undocumented status. Students who have a family member who was deported are less comfortable in the school setting and have lower educational outcomes compared to their peers. Assisting students to enroll in Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is recommended as one method to encourage undocumented students to graduate high school and pursue post-secondary education; however, students and their parents fear that DACA may be used to identify, locate, and deport undocumented individuals. School personnel must be aware that undocumented students and their family members are concerned about the disclosure of their documentation status and must carefully research the trustworthiness of community resources they suggest to these students and their families (Sulkowski, 2017).

The publication Lifting the lamp beside the schoolhouse door: A legal guide to serving undocumented students in public schools (National School Boards Association, 2018) provides guidance to schools serving undocumented students. According to the publication, all children are constitutionally guaranteed free public education from Kindergarten to 12th grade. This guarantee is granted to children regardless of citizenship or documentation status. Plyler v. Doe prevents school districts from requiring documentation that would divulge a student or family member's immigration status. Various federal, state, and local school district activities and polices from around the Unites States are briefly summarized. President Donald Trump suspended DACA protections for those enrolled in the program and will begin to expire for certain enrollees as early as March 2018. Several states are challenging the constitutionality of this suspension. Best practices for responding to students and families with undocumented statuses are discussed.

In my future role as a school counselor, I will work with many students and families who have an undocumented status. I must be aware that fear of deportation will be a hinderance to these students' educational achievement. I will inform them that the Family Education Rights and Privacy Acts (FERPA) limits the release of student records without parental consent with just a few limited exceptions (National School Boards Association, 2018). I will stay up to date with current events, laws, and policies pertaining to undocumented students to provide the most accurate information to my clients. As an advocate for undocumented students, I will expect outcomes and achievements for this populations that are equal to their peers.]]> 2018-10-30 03:11:06 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_waggoner/legal_and_ethical_issues_mod1/wish/298340254