145In all books such as this, there is a tendency to stress the work of the
teaching staff and administration. This ignores a good portion of the
people whose hard work help make a school work well for students,
parents, and staff. This chapter is devoted to the other members of a
school staff who usually play second fiddle to the teachers and school
leaders.
Guidance counselors are part of the professional staff of a school. Of-
ten, the work they do goes unnoticed, so they may be seen as peripheral
to the smooth running of a school. When the inevitable budget cuts come,
they are often the first to go (along with art and music teachers).
When Mr. Thelen was a teacher at a comprehensive high school, he
had some excellent experiences working with the guidance staff. The as-
sistant principal of pupil personnel services, Ms. Lavender, was a tireless
advocate for focusing on the needs of individual students in a school with
a population of nearly seven thousand. She set up a referral system so
teachers could obtain guidance support for students they felt needed help.
Counselors were always working with students, parents, and teachers to
help each child succeed and not get lost in such a large school. The guid-
ance counselors were respected members of the staff, providing critical
services to students in need.
When he moved on to a medium-sized academic-vocational school as
an assistant principal, Mr. Thelen found a different situation. There were
only two guidance counselors. Many guidance functions were handled
by teachers relieved from teaching duties for one or two periods. These
teachers were called grade advisors and were responsible for student
Chapter Eleven