FSCA NEWS

This, as in recent years, will be an exciting and challenging year for school counselors. Our professional role is continuing to evolve and Florida’s school counselors are making major strides to meet these role expectations. I was very proud to be one of the 94 professional school counselors representing Florida at the 2006 American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) conference in Chicago. It was evident that school counselors in Florida are active participants in their own professional development, as well as the development of the profession. With the A++ legislation ahead of us, expectations for Florida’s school counselors are varied and challenging. Counselors need to clarify and communicate their ability to impact students’ academic achievement and career development. We must streamline tasks so that we can focus on meeting those needs. These are times of opportunities and challenges, so get ready for a roller coaster ride full of twists and turns, and the warm feelings of relief and accomplishment that overtake us at the end of the ride.

In addition, I am very excited about the future of the Florida School Counselor Association.
As a professional association, we are required to keep up with the ever-changing pace of our educational system and the school counseling profession. As our professional role evolves, so must our association.

I look forward to the challenge of serving as FSCA’s President for the 2006-2007 year. You have elected a group of intelligent, dedicated, and passionate individuals to represent you on FSCA’s board. You can rest assured that these counselors and counselor educators will be working hard on your behalf. We have a busy year ahead: We will clarify our vision and mission; we will assess the association’s internal environment for strengths and weaknesses, and our external environment for opportunities and threats; we will formulate strategies and then develop a work plan to execute those strategies. The end result is that school counselors in Florida will be extended the opportunity to be fully equipped to meet the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities ahead.

It is my hope that Florida’s school counselors will continue to be actively involved in the evolution of our profession. Our role requires us to be leaders within our schools and within our profession. As leaders, we must be open to change, be able to visualize the future and allow that vision to guide our daily decisions and actions.

It is my vision that school counselors be recognized as integral to every student’s academic success by their positive influence on their students’ daily educational experience.

What is your vision for our profession?
What is your vision for your school and your students?
What actions will you take on a daily basis to help all your students succeed?
Please share these visions and ideas with us. Email your responses to Sbanks74@aol.com. I would love to hear from you.

Buckle up…this will be a thrilling ride.
Now is the time to get involved!!!

Shanshera Quinn
FSCA President