Expressing support for designation of the week of February 4 through February 8, 2008 as "National School Counseling Week".

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 932) expressing support for designation of the week of February 4 through February 8, 2008 as ``National School Counseling Week''.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 932, expressing support for designation of February 4 through February 8, 2008 as ``National School Counseling Week.''

I thank Chairman George Miller and Ranking Member Buck McKeon, as well as Vern Ehlers, the lead cosponsor, for their support of this important resolution and the majority and minority committee staff for doing the hard work behind the scenes to get this resolution to the floor.

This resolution is about recognizing and honoring school counselors.

I want to begin, however, with full disclosure: I was not always the biggest fan of school counselors. Unfortunately, one of my own high school counselors suggested to me that I give up on my plans to go to college because I was likely to get pregnant and drop out anyway.

Well, I've learned a few things since then. First, I learned that that particular counselor's fortune telling skills weren't so great, and, second, I've learned a lot more about the counseling profession and come to understand that one bad apple doesn't represent what counseling is all about.

In fact, good counselors do exactly what this person didn't do. They inspire us to dream big, help us get on the road to accomplish those dreams, and, when necessary, they enlist the support of our parents, teachers, mentors, and others to keep moving us down the road.

Counselors can be vital to a student's success, especially in high school. High school is a transition period into adulthood and the world of work. As students make this transition, some need additional help to keep up in class, others get distracted by family issues or bad behavior, and still others might get involved with gangs and crime.

But a good school counselor can intervene, working with parents and teachers to get students back on track. Individual attention and follow-up from a counselor can help a student accomplish amazing things. I want to recognize just two of the counselors from my district who accomplish amazing things every day they go to work.

Cheryl Redgate of Santa Fe High School and Shanna Moore-Garcia of La Serna High School are just two of the many exceptional counselors in my district who have devoted their lives to serving young people. They treat each of their students as if they were their own children by holding them to high standards and providing encouragement, guidance, and support. I understand that local parents have expressed deep appreciation for the work of these two stellar counselors and are glad to know that Cheryl and Shanna are looking out for their children's academic achievement as well as their emotional well-being.

I regret that I don't have time to name every outstanding counselor in my district or across the country. There are just so many who every day go above and beyond the job description to help students achieve academic success and plan for a bright future.

One other thing prevents me from naming more counselors who have made a difference in the lives of their students, and that's the fact that there aren't nearly enough of them. Nationwide, the average student-to- counselor ratio is 476-1, almost double the 250-1 recommended ratio. In California, unfortunately this ratio is a dismal 920-1.

While today's resolution is a great start, to truly honor the work of counselors we must do more to put school counselors where they're needed so that students have access to these professionals who have so much to offer.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleague for his support of this resolution. I would urge all my colleagues to support House Resolution 932.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 932 offered by the Representative from California (Ms. Linda T. Sanchez). National School Counseling Week, which is celebrated annually the first full week of February, helps focus public attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors. School counselors are employed in school districts and public and private schools of all levels across America to help students reach their full potential. They are actively committed to helping students explore their abilities, strengths, interests and talents as these traits relate to academic success and career awareness and development. School counselors serve as a vital resource for parents by helping them focus on ways to further the educational, personal and social growth of their children. They work with teachers and other educators to help students explore their potential and set realistic goals for themselves. They often seek to identify and utilize community resources that can enhance and complement comprehensive school counseling programs that help students become productive members of society.

These comprehensive developmental school counseling programs are considered an integral part of the educational process which enables all students to achieve.

National school counseling week highlights the tremendous impact that counselors have in helping students achieve academic success and plan for their career. This year's theme, ``School Counselors: Creating Pathways to Success,'' truly sums up the effort they put forth daily to ensure that no child is left behind.

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to all school counselors, not only from my home State of Florida but also all across this great Nation. I also wish to thank the Representative from California (Ms. Linda T. Sanchez) and the Representative from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) for bringing forth this resolution today.

I urge all my colleagues to support it.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H Res. 932, Honoring National School Counseling Week. First, I'd like to thank my colleague, Representative Linda Sanchez, for introducing this important resolution.

As a social worker, I recognize the invaluable role that guidance counselors and other social services personnel play in our schools.

These dedicated men and women devote their lives to ensuring the bright futures of our Nation's children, supporting them both academically and socially, and assisting them on the great journey towards higher education and a successful career.

Guidance counselors also play a vital role in our efforts to increase high school graduation and college enrollment rates.

However, despite our reliance on these important individuals for doing the crucial work of preparing our Nation's youth for entry into college and the real world, we often fail to give school counselors the support they need to do their jobs effectively.

Many of our schools are under-staffed with guidance counselors, and these hardworking individuals are tasked with serving an overwhelming number of students with a limited amount of resources. The average counselor-to-student ratio in our Nation's public schools is 1 to 436. We must acknowledge this reality, and direct our efforts in Congress toward increasing both our support and recognition of these hardworking men and women in our schools.

For these reasons, I am a proud co-sponsor of House Resolution 932, to recognize the important work of school guidance counselors, inspiring the youth of America, and providing them with much-needed support in their journey toward high school graduation and a prosperous future.

My fellow colleagues in Congress, I urge you to support House Resolution 932, so that we may celebrate the accomplishments and diligent efforts of guidance counselors in our Nation's schools.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution expressing support for designation of the week of February 4 through February 8, 2008, as ``National School Counseling Week.'' I am proud to be a cosponsor of this resolution, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our school counselors for their hard work.

I am committed to ensuring that all school districts, particularly those with the greatest economic needs, have access to the necessary resources to retain talented teachers and school counselors. I have enjoyed a wonderful working relationship with school counselors in my home State of Rhode Island. I have seen firsthand the difference that the quality school counselors in our State are making in our children's lives and understand the tremendous need for the training and placement of more of these professionals in our schools.

We must make sure that our school counselors have the resources necessary to help our children, and that is why I am a strong proponent of increasing funding for the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program--one of the programs that No Child Left Behind promised to expand. Funding from this program helps to ensure that all school districts have the ability to retain talented teachers and school counselors. However, despite this promise, school counselors and other advocates have had to fight hard to

maintain this program at the elementary level, and this year marks the first time it has enough funding to reach high school students. It has been and will continue to be a priority of mine to ensure that the federal commitment to education matches what we ask of school districts.

While we designate one week to honor our school counselors, let us pledge to help them the rest of the year with the resources they need-- and deserve.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 932.

This resolution signifies Congress's appreciation for the critical work school counselors do to provide students and their families with guidance and support, both academic and emotional, toward obtaining a higher education and entrance into the workforce.

In his 2008 budget, President Bush proposed eliminating federal support for elementary and secondary school counselors. Under Democratic leadership, the President's proposal was wisely rejected and this Congress provided nearly $14 million of additional support to school counseling programs, for a total of over $48 million. I am proud of this accomplishment, but feel there is still more to be done to meet the needs of our children.

In California, eight in nine high school students attend a school with fewer counselors than the national average. This makes California the State with the highest counselor to student ratio in the Nation; over two times the School Counseling Association's suggested ratio. Students attending intensely segregated minority schools are most likely to attend schools with fewer counselors than the national average. Addressing the school counselor deficit is a critical component of closing the achievement gap that plagues our Nation.

As we reflect on the vital role counselors play in the lives of our children, we should remember that investing in our schools is an investment in our future; it is the best investment our country can make.

School counselors create pathways to success and H. Res. 932 will ensure our Nation comes together this February to recognize their vital contributions.