Welcome Back! My name is Tanya Bulette, and I am the new counseling coordinator at the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE). If you haven’t heard, Tracy Wilson was hired as a director for college and career readiness for the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD). Tracy has been a huge advocate for school counselors and developed numerous programs such as the New Counselor Institute, the San Diego School Counselor Leadership Conference, and kept us connected with the School Counselor Network and newsletter. Tracy put school counselors on the map in San Diego County, and I’m excited to announce that these programs will continue, and we will introduce new events as well.
Prior to this new role, I worked in GUHSD for more than 20 years. I started as the book clerk/counseling clerk at Valhalla High School in 1999, and it was there that I found my passion to become a school counselor. After going back to school for my master’s degree and Pupil Personnel Services Credential, I landed my first job as a school counselor at El Cajon Valley High School. I have also worked at Monte Vista High School, West Hills High School, and the Career Technical Education department at the district office; however, I spent the last seven years back at Valhalla High where my journey began. In addition to being a proud school counselor, I am also an adjunct instructor in the graduate program for future school counselors at Point Loma Nazarene University.
|
|
I have lived in San Diego my entire life, even attended San Diego State University (SDSU) where I served as an SDSU ambassador and orientation leader. Go Aztecs! I have been married for 22 years to my husband, Steve, who is a math teacher and the athletic director at Valhalla High. I have two sons: Gage, who graduated from Valhalla High in 2017 and is now a junior studying mechanical engineering at UC Irvine, and Jake, a senior at the Idea Center in GUHSD who has an interest in filmmaking and would like to attend a specialized program to learn film production and editing.
I am excited about this new opportunity at SDCOE and about working directly with school counselors in all 42 districts in San Diego County. Please invite me to your school sites to see the great work that is happening. I am here as a resource, as a voice, and as support, so please do not hesitate to reach out to me throughout the school year.
|
|
New! San Diego County Counselor of the Year Awards
|
The San Diego County Office of Education is excited to announce that, in partnership with North Island Credit Union, we will present two awards to deserving school counselors. One award will be presented to a K-8 school counselor and another will be presented to a high school counselor. Both recipients will receive their awards at the San Diego School Counselor Leadership Conference in spring 2020. Application and nomination details will be available soon.
|
|
FAFSA — San Diego County “Race to Submit” Campaign
|
The 2019-20
Race to Submit is a statewide campaign that aims to increase the number of financial aid applications for California high school seniors who complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and California Dream Act Application. Filling out the FAFSA is the first step toward college success and helps students qualify for federal and state aid to help pay for college. Last year, 48% of all seniors in San Diego County completed and submitted the FAFSA, and we know that we can improve and encourage more seniors to follow through with completing this important step in the college application process. Details will be shared soon regarding a countywide campaign and competition. Stay tuned!
|
|
San Diego School Counselor Leadership Conference
|
We are in the planning stages for the
fifth annual School Counselor Leadership Conference. Details about the event will be coming soon. Along with workshops and connecting with colleagues, San Diego County’s first high school and K-8 school counselors of the year and high school counselors who increased their school’s FAFSA submission rate will be recognized. If you are interested in leading a workshop at this year’s conference, we will send out a call for presenters once the venue and date are finalized.
|
|
Drive your school counseling program to the next level. Show your administrators, school board, and the community at large that you're committed to delivering a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program. The Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) application process should be the culmination of the implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program. Once your school has a program in place, you will need at least one entire academic year to collect the data and information needed to fulfill the RAMP application requirements.
Currently, there are 15 RAMP schools in California and only one is in San Diego County. We know that there are schools that have outstanding comprehensive school counseling programs and understand that time is a factor when putting together this application; however, we would like to see more schools gain recognition.
If you or your counseling department are interested in jumpstarting this process, or you would like to learn more about RAMP, please make sure to check the box on the needs assessment survey at the end of this newsletter.
More information on RAMP:
|
|
California State University (CSU) Counselor Conference
|
The CSU Conference, held on Sept. 16 at the San Diego Convention Center, was attended by numerous counselors throughout the county. If you would like to access workshop presentations and guides, click here:
CSU School Counselor Resources.
Along with a college fair and a variety of workshops, there was an announcement regarding a proposal to add an additional “a-g” requirement for admission to a CSU, explained below.
CSU Considering Additional Course Requirement for Admissions
By Caitlin Jung, Legislative Counsel
Sept. 20
The CSU Board of Trustees met to hear a proposal to require an additional year of quantitative reasoning coursework for admission to a CSU.
What is quantitative reasoning?
Quantitative reasoning is defined by CSU as “the ability to think and reason intelligently about measurement, dimensions, design, capacity, or probability in the real world…. It invites students to think critically about problems in real-life contexts and intelligently develop and test solutions.” According to CSU, inadequate quantitative reasoning preparation at the K-12 level worsens equity gaps that have lasting impacts on students’ academic and career options.
What exactly is being proposed?
CSU is proposing to add an additional quantitative reasoning course to the “g-college preparatory elective” area of the “a-g” requirements. The requirement could be fulfilled through an additional course from area “c-mathematics,” area “d-laboratory science, “ or a quantitative reasoning course from area “g,” which could include computer science, financial literacy, or career technical education courses with quantitative reasoning components. A student would not be required to take the qualifying course in their senior year and could satisfy the requirement with a course taken as early as middle school. The requirement would increase the number of “a-g” courses that a student must take to be eligible for admission to a CSU from 15 to 16.
If approved, the new requirement would go into effect with the graduating high school class of 2026 (current 6th grade students).
|
|
University of California (UC) Counselor Conference
|
The UC Counselor Conference was not available in San Diego this year, however many school counselors made the trek up to Anaheim or Ontario in early September and were able to get a coveted spot at one of the sold out venues.
My former colleague, Anne Holechek was able to attend and shared with me some of the updates and changes to the UC Application.
“The UC system rolled out a new application this year and made some user-friendly changes that should be helpful to students,” said Holechek. “Students fill out all of their demographic info at the beginning now so they know from the get-go whether or not they qualify for a fee waiver, which is a nice change from waiting until the end of the application. They’ve also expanded the character count of the activities and awards section, giving students more room to describe their involvement. Students can also now enter up to 20 entries for the section as a whole, as opposed to being restricted to only five activities, five awards, five work experience entries, etc. It just allows more freedom, so if students want to list six activities and only four awards, they can. There is also no longer a limit to the number of scholarships students can apply for. The application is generally more modern looking and more intuitive.”
Holechek also mentioned that UC San Diego would be opening Seventh College in 2020-21, so it would be an option on the application this year.
|
|
College Board (SAT) Workshop Highlights
|
College Board hosted their annual workshop on Sept. 20 at the University of San Diego. Local representatives provided updates and introduced new programs to counselors and educators. Below are quick links to free tools and handouts to assist students through the college planning stages. More resources can be found on the Counselor Page on the
College Board website.
FREE RESOURCES:
|
|
ACT held a College and Career Readiness Workshop on Sept. 26 at the University of San Diego to share their products and resources with school counselors and educators. Some of the updates mentioned included a new Pre-ACT 8/9 to administer to 8th and 9th grade students. The cost of the test will be $14 and can be administered at anytime during the school year. They also shared that there would be a new online reporting system to replace paper copies. This will roll out in December, and access will be given to the superintendent of each school district. Click on the link for more resources, handouts, and materials;
ACT Resources for K-12 Educators and Administrators
|
|
SCHOOL COUNSELOR SPOTLIGHT
|
2019 Jonasson Endowment Award Recipient
Frank Jonasson was a long-time employee of SDSU, working for more than 30 years in Admissions and Financial Aid. He retired from SDSU as the associate director of Student Recruitment and School Relations in 2002. Shortly after his retirement, he donated money to SDSU to establish an endowment and award to be given out on an annual basis. The Jonasson Endowment recognizes a high school counseling professional in San Diego or Imperial counties who is dedicated to assisting students in achieving their goals of higher education. In short, the endowment recognizes a school counselor who has gone above and beyond the call of duty for students. This is an award in recognition for superior service in preparing students for higher education, no matter which institution of higher learning these students end up choosing.
The recipient of the 2019 Jonasson Endowment Award was awarded to
Rah-Ben Coates, Director of College Advising at High Tech High Chula Vista.
|
|
Left to Right. Picture 1: Matthew Hebert (SDSU Director of Admissions) and Rah-Ben Coates, Picture 2: Ray-Ben Coates family, colleagues, and friends, Picture 3: Frank Jonasson and Rah-Ben Coates.
Coates was recognized in front of his peers at the CSU Conference on Sept. 16. Along with the award, he received a $1,000 check, an all-expenses paid trip to the next WACAC conference, and his name has been added to a perpetual plaque that will be on display in the Prospective Student Center at SDSU. Congratulations Rah-Ben for your outstanding work.
|
|
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
|
|
Mark your calendar and start the approval process now for some great professional learning opportunities this year.
CASC Conference
The
California Association of School Counseling (CASC) Conference is
Oct. 3 and 4 at the Riverside Convention Center. Attendees will be able to choose from more than 70 topics, including effective technology integration, social-emotional learning, strategies for student transition, and college and postsecondary training. I will be attending and presenting How to Host a College and Career Signing Day. I would love to connect with you up there!
Email me.
|
|
Data-Driven School Counseling in a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)
WEBINAR: Oct. 7 — 3:30 p.m.
Presented by Trish Hatch
School counselors are charged with implementing a comprehensive, data-driven program to promote the development and achievement of all students. This means developing school counseling core curriculum, connecting with students and families, helping teachers manage classroom behaviors, analyzing data, sharing the results with stakeholders, and delivering responsive services and supports as needed to individual students. This webinar focuses on a multi-tiered school counseling system of support and offers examples, step-by-step guidance, and plenty of tools so school counselors and those who support them don't have to do it alone!
|
|
CSU/UC Highlights Day
Conference
I encourage you to attend a CSU and UC conference, but that may not be possible for everyone. We work with our partners at SDSU and UC San Diego to provide information from the conferences at
CSU/UC Highlights Day on Oct. 9 for counselors and other educators.
Registration is now open.
|
|
California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) Counselor Training
The
High School Counselor Workshop series is offered for high school counselors, student advocates, and community partners
Oct. 10 and 11 at the San Diego Scottish Rite Center. This series is a partnership between the California Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the California Community Colleges Student Financial Aid Administrators Association, the Educational Credit Management Corporation, and the California Student Aid Commission. Topics include updates to the FAFSA and California Dream Act Application, Cal Grant program updates, and Middle Class Scholarship information. The workshops will also review the Chafee Grant and new programs designed to assist college students who are or have been in foster care.
|
|
New School Counselor Leadership Institute
Join a cohort of credentialed school counselors who are getting familiar with their new roles. Counselors working in K-12 schools for three years or less can grow and learn through the year with peer networking, coaching, and direct training that aligns with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Mindsets and Behavior Standards in the areas of academic, career, and social and emotional development. Topics across the six sessions align with Local Control and Accountability Plan state priorities. The first session is
Nov. 7.
Registration is now open.
|
|
2019 Counselor Conference:
Counseling for Careers
The
2019 Counselor Conference: Counseling for Careers, which includes all-day workshops for K-14 counselors, administrators, and educators will take place at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina on
Nov. 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The San Diego Community Colleges and the Center for Excellence designed the conference for participants to learn about leveraging Strong Workforce program dollars, local career pathways, high-growth industry sectors, labor market information, and how to incorporate career exploration into your practice. The conference fee is $50 per attendee and includes parking, continental breakfast, and lunch.
Registration is now open.
|
|
Equity Conference 2020
Save the date and
register for SDCOE’s statewide
Equity Conference in January 2020 at the San Diego Convention Center. The event on
Jan. 16 and 17 will be a valuable time for county offices, districts, schools, community partners, and parents to collaborate and learn together on how to engage effective, systemic change. This conference brings together nationally recognized speakers and spotlights current research and best practices. The Equity Conference sessions are focused on strengthening our systems to better respond to the linguistic, cultural, social-emotional, and mental health needs of all students, and create the conditions for them to thrive and make healthy choices.
|
|
SDCOE 2019-20 Workshops
SDCOE’s Student Support Services division offers numerous workshops and professional development opportunities to school counselors throughout the year. Click on each topic for more detailed information on how to register. For a complete list of workshops,
click here.
|
|
SDCOE School Counselor Website
Explore the curated list of websites, resources, best practices, and articles that school counselors and others can use in their practice. Click on the categories below to be directed to the School Counseling page on the SDCOE website. If you have a resource you think should be added,
fill in this form or email SDCOE Counseling Coordinator
Tanya Bulette.
|
|
2019-20 College and Career Fairs
|
|
FAFSA Opens Oct. 1, 2019
The 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available as of
Oct. 1. Both new and returning students who plan to attend college between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible. The deadline for high school seniors to submit the FAFSA to meet eligibility requirements for state and federal grants is March 2, 2020.
|
|
Common Black College Application
The
Common Black College Application allows students to apply for up to
54 Historically Black Colleges and Universities
for only $35. School counselors must create an account to upload the student’s official transcript in the School Counselor Dashboard.
|
|
Stay connected and share your work by following these accounts and tagging these handles in your social media posts.
- Search: San Diego School Counselors
- Twitter: @SDSchCounselors
- Instagram: sd_SchoolCounselors
- Website: www.sdcoe.net/schoolcounselors
- Hashtag: #sdcounselors
|
|
Share Your Work
Great work is happening all over San Diego county by school counselors and I want to share your programs. I understand the time and energy it takes to develop and implement a classroom guidance lesson or organize a senior awards night, and your efforts do not go unnoticed. If you have a program that you would like to share, please invite me to your campus to watch or even participate. I love the energy of a school campus and would love the opportunity to be involved. You may find your program highlighted in the next newsletter.
|
|
I Need Your Help
Please take one minute to complete this
12-question survey regarding areas where I need your counseling advice. Your input in appreciated and valued.
|
|
If you have any questions or comments on the
Counselor Network
newsletter, please contact
Tanya Bulette.
|
|
Get up-to-the-minute information about what's happening at SDCOE and in our districts across the county.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
