MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION OCTOBER 2012VOL. 49, NO. 2

MASCA

Partnering for SuccessBy JENNIFER LISK, MASCA President

Social Justiceand the

School CounselorBy DONNA BROWN

MASCA Executive Director

Race to the Top Fall Summit • October 22, 2012MASCA Fall Conference • October 23, 2012

Registration form on page 9

While the Massachusetts Model forComprehensive School Counseling

Programs includes collaboration as anim portant component, it is traditionallyin ter preted as collaborating with thosewho work directly with students, such asteachers and other educational and men talhealth professionals. For increased ef fec -tiveness, collaboration should be expandedto include even more partnerships.

MASCA has built some wonderfulpartnerships over the past several years.

We have partnered with the Depart-ment of Elementary and Secondary Edu-cation (DESE) on Race to the Top, therole-specific indicators of the Massachu-setts Model System for Educator Evalu-ation, and, most recently, the task forcefor Integrating College and Career Readi-ness. This last partnership has been char-acterized by open and honest communi-cation and sharing of ideas. Katie Grayhas done a wonderful job of represent-ing MASCA while working with DESE.

These partnerships have given rise toimproved implementation of the MAModel as well as a more reflective eval-uation for school counselors and greateremphasis upon college and career readi-ness. I am truly excited for the opportu-nities for counselors and students inMassachusetts.

At the Governing Board’s LeadershipDevelopment Institute this summer, wedeveloped two goals that you can helpus attain. The first is to increase part-

nership with MASCA’s affiliates. I lookforward to working with affiliate presi-dents to inform local school counselorsof issues of importance to them and tohear what is going on in their affiliates.

The second goal is to partner withbusinesses. This is a different approachfor a profession that has traditionallypartnered with educational institutions.However, with college and career readi-ness as a major goal, it is important forus to acknowledge and appreciate thatthe business world is where many of ourstudents are headed. If we partner effec-tively, businesses can learn more aboutstudents’ needs, and students can learnmore about expectations held by theiremployers.

I encourage you to think about howyou can create partnerships, both thosethat are obvious and those that may beless so. Working together will improveour profession and opportunities for ourstudents. ■

JENNIFER LISK

(continued on page 8)

DONNA BROWN

E very decade has its buzz words. Some -times the term just fades away. Other

times, the term morphs into a very dif-ferent concept. Occasionally, the phrasepersists because it resonates with almosteveryone. “Social justice” is one such term.

If professional school counselors wereasked to define social justice, there wouldbe a myriad of answers. Most would citefairness, equality, and equal opportunitiesas part of their definition, and they wouldbe right.

Recently, in the span of half an hour,I came across a wonderful quote aboutsocial justice by Eleanor Roosevelt twice.The first time was while I was seekingin formation about Roosevelt Universityin Chicago; the second was printed onthe flyer from the Committee on Teach-ing About the United Nations. Address-ing the U.N. in March 1958, Mrs. Roose -velt said:

Where after all do universal humanrights begin? In small places, closest tohome—so close and so small that theycannot be seen on any map of the world.Yet they are the world of the individual

2 COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Driving ImpairedResearch shows that using a cellphone while driving causes “inat-tention blindness.” This inatten-tion is equivalent to driving with ablood alcohol level of 0.08 percent,in other words, driving drunk. OnSeptember 6, 2012, the GovernorsHighway Safety Association calledfor a ban on handheld cell phonesfor all drivers.

FOCUS ON HEALTH AND SAFETY

Distracted Driving:Targeting Younger Drivers

By SALLY ANN CONNOLLY, MASCA Counselor’s Notebook Editor

D istracted drivers cause a half millioninjuries and 6,000 fatalities each

year. Educators can help put the brakeson distracted driving by focusing on

young drivers. The epidemic of distraction has been

fueled by advances in technology, espe-cially the widespread availability of cellphones. The CDC reports that 25% ofdrivers in the U.S. talk regularly or fairlyoften on their cell phones while driving.The percentage is greater among youngdrivers. Forty percent of drivers ages 18-29 use their phones regularly or fairlyoften, and 75% have used their cell phonesat least once within the past 30 days.

The most recent Massachusetts YouthHealth Survey added texting-while-drivingto the list of risky behaviors. The studyfound that the percentage of students whotext while driving increases from sopho-more to senior year. Among seniors, 61%report doing so, putting both themselvesand others at risk.

To send the message of safe, non-dis-tracted driving to teenagers, educatorsneed to tailor their efforts. Teens are notminiature adults. As David K. Urion andFrances E. Jensen—neurologists at Chil-dren’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Med-ical School—have shown, the brains ofadolescents differ from those of adultsin both structure and chemistry.

Teens learn best not from lectures anda focus on long-term consequences but,rather, from developing their own strate-gies for making moment-to-moment de -cisions. And, as both researchers andparents can attest, peers exert a major im -pact upon the behavior of teens. Effectiveefforts to influence teens, thus, shouldin volve peers in the process. Urion andJensen have shown that teenagers can seethe danger in the activity of others beforethey recognize the danger to themselves.

Educators can jumpstart the movementto making roads safer by helping ouryoungest drivers recognize and managedistraction, especially the major distrac-tion of cell phone use. ■

2012 – 2013 OFFICERS

PRESIDENTJENNIFER LISKMedway High School, Medway, MA 02053Tel. 508-533-3228 x5107 • Fax 508-533-3246E-mail: president@masca.org

PAST PRESIDENTMICHELLE BURKEBeverly High School100 Sohier RoadBeverly, MA 01915-2654Tel. 978-921-6132 x11107E-mail: mburke@beverlyschools.org

PRESIDENT-ELECTTHERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D.Bridgewater State UniversityBridgewater, MA 02325Tel. 508-531-2640E-mail: theresa.coogan@bridgew.edu

VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARYJACQUELINE BROWNEast Somerville Community School42 Prescott Street, Somerville, MA 02143Tel. 617-625-6600 x6517 • Fax 617-591-7906E-mail: jbrown@k12.somerville.ma.us

VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGHTBA

VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARYCARRIE KULICK-CLARKBraintree High School128 Town Street, Braintree, MA 02184Tel. 781-848-4000 ext 2273 • Fax 781-848-7799E-mail: jd02375@aol.com

VICE PRESIDENT POSTSECONDARYJOHN MARCUSDean College99 Main Street, Franklin, MA 02038Tel. 508-541-1509 • Fax 508-541-8726E-mail: jmarcus@dean.edu

VICE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATORSTBA

VICE PRESIDENT COUNSELOR EDUCATORSTBA

VICE PRESIDENT RETIREESJOSEPH D. FITZGERALD, Ed.D.5 Progress Street, Weymouth, MA 02188Tel. 781-264-3426E-mail: jdfitz02188@comcast.net

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORDONNA M. BROWNAdjunct Professor, UMass BostonP.O. Box 366, 779 Center StreetBryantville, MA 02327Tel. 781-293-2835E-mail: executivedirector@masca.org

TREASURERASHLEY CARON25 Belmont Ave., Stoughton, MA 02072Tel. 508-212-0676E-mail: ashcicero@hotmail.com

SECRETARYJENNIFER JUST McGUIREUpper Cape Cod Regional Technical School220 Sandwich Road, Bourne, MA 02532Tel. 508-759-7711 x247 • Fax 508-759-5455E-mail: jmcguire@uppercapetech.org

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATORDEBORAH CLEMENCEP.O. Box 805, East Dennis, MA 02641E-mail: membership@masca.org

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK EDITORSALLY ANN CONNOLLY19 Bayberry Road, Danvers, MA 01923Tel. 978-774-8158 • Fax 978-750-8154E-mail: sallyconnolly@att.net

OCTOBER 2012 3

AT&T says “It Can Wait”

To curb the urge to text while driving, AT&T has launched the AT&T DriveModeapp, free for AT&T customers to download. Once activated, the app automat-

ically sends a customizable reply to incoming texts—notifying the sender that theuser is driving and unable to respond. The app also allows disabling of e-mails, in -coming and outgoing calls, and Web browsing.

AT&T wants to inform all wireless users that safety comes first when you’re in thedriver’s seat. To help battle unsafe texting, here are a few key tips, especially for teens:

Be smart. Don’t text and drive. No text message is worth being distracted while youdrive.

Be in control. Remember it’s your phone. You decide if and when to send and readtexts so take control. Consider turning your phone off, setting it to silent, or evenstoring it in the glove box before hitting the road.

Be caring. Never send a text message to a friend who is driving to meet you or toanyone you know is likely behind the wheel.

Be a BFF. Friends don’t let each other text and drive. Visit www.facebook.com/attto take a pledge not to text and drive, and encourage your friends to do the same.You can also print and sign AT&T’s pledge, available in our online toolkit at www.att.com/txtngcanwait. ■

High school senior creates winning distracted driving videohttp://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/18835621/2012/06/20/oak-ridge-high-

school-student-named-video-ambassador#.T-ILRC9V6RM.twitter

4 COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

IntegratingCollege and Career

Readiness (ICCR)“Career ex ploration and applied learningat an earlier age are critical motivationtools that will help our students persistthrough high school and onto success inpost-secon dary education and career.”

— Massachusetts Secretary of EducationPaul Reville

Task Force Recommendations• Incorporate career readiness into

Massachusetts recommended course ofstudy.

• Strengthen school, employer, highereducation, and community partnerships.

• Improve the utilization of schoolcounselors in deployment of career readi-ness education.

• Incentivize schools to create anddemonstrate comprehensive career readi-ness strategies.

• Promote the importance of collegeand career readiness for all students.

• Explicitly identify personnel respon-sible for effectively executing the task forcerecommendations.

Strategies• Expanding the state’s recommended

course of study for high school students,MassCore, to include integrated careerdevelopment experiences.

• Developing career readiness stan-dards and assessments that align to thosestandards at the elementary, middle, andhigh school level.

• Establishing a group of 10-12 Em -ployer Champions to lead statewideefforts around employer participation inprograms that provide career readiness.

• Supporting the development of six-year career plans for all students in grades6-12.

• Creating new tools and resourcesfor employers, parents, and other stake-holders to increase awareness and par-ticipation in career readiness programsand activities. ■

Plan now forNational Career Development Month

November 2012

Demonstrations, competitions, job shadowing,Dress for Success /Career Days, tours

CAREER NOTES

The road to success“Hard work is much more important thantalent….How consistently and diligentlyyou work is the single most importantfactor under your control in determin-ing your success in school and beyond.”

— Carlo Rotella, Director of American Studies,

Boston College, “College, 101,”

The Boston Globe, August 17, 2012, A15.

Key to a job: College degree“The unemployment rate for all four-yeargraduates is 4.5 percent. For recent grad-uates, it’s 6.8 percent. For recent graduatestrying to work with only a high schooldiploma, it is nearly 24 percent….In con-struction and manufacturing, which ac -count ed for two-thirds of all GreatRecession job losses, virtually all of thehiring during the recovery has targetedpeople with at least associate’s degrees....Overall, the growth rate for high-school-only jobs is zero, and those jobs remain10 percent below prerecession levels.”

— Justin Pope, AP, “College degree is key to a

job, study says,” The Boston Globe,

August 21, 2012, B9.

Rural vs. urban graduationrates“The percentage of adults with a collegedegree in urban counties had risen to 30percent by 2010 compared with 15.4 per-cent in rural areas. The gap had widenedfrom six percentage points in 1970 to 14.6percentage points in 2010.”

— Diette Courrege, “Rural College Attainment

Gap Carries Economic Consequences,” http://blogs,

edweek.org, Accessed on May 18, 2012.

Service Academies NightInformation on academy opportunitieswill be available at the 22nd Annual ServiceAcademies Night to be held at Danvers -port Yacht Club on Wednesday, Novem-ber 7, 6:30-9:30 p.m. ■

OCTOBER 2012 5

MASCA Conference at a Glance• Counselor Educator Breakfast Meeting• Morning concurrent workshops• MARC/MARC Jr. Recognition Awards• Exhibitor tables; Membership tables for MASCA and its affiliates;

Advocacy Table• MA Model Institute, MARC Jr., and Graduate Student Poster Sessions• Keynoter Sirdeaner Walker• Katie Gray, Unique Potential, presenting an extended afternoon

session on understanding and preparing for the new SchoolCounselor Evaluation Process

• Opportunities to update material for the 2012-13 MASCA Directory

6 COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Visit Us on the WebBy JOE FITZGERALD, Ed.D.

MASCA Technology Chair

JOE FITZGERALD

When I was beginning to thinkabout topics for my column this

year, I initially felt uneasy. During thefirst part of the summer I did thinkabout what I could write about. But, asmy mother used to say: “You know whatthought did!” I think she meant that notonly should I think but also do. So I amgoing to do by writing.

In the past I have written about ourwebsite, www.masca.org, and this topic,I believe, needs to be emphasized. Theweb site has new features that will be comemore apparent in the next few months.Most importantly, it is a resource for theworking and retired school counselor.

On the homepage you will see loginboxes for username and password. Theselead you into the members-only areas. Ifyou have forgotten your password, fol-low the directions, and you should receivean e-mail that will help you get in.

Under the MASCA logo are the tabsthat take you to various areas of the web -

site. The search box is also on this menubar. To pique your interest, I am going tolist what is on the homepage as of July 31.

On the main part of the homepage thereare announcements and articles about:

• Emerging Leaders Program• Walk To Prevent Suicide• 2013 National Conference on

Bullying• 2012 Diversity Challenge• MASCA signs on!• More articles…links to articles on

counselor evaluation, scholarships, key -note address, and advocacy.

To the right of each item are icons that,if you hover over them, tell you what theydo. Essentially, they allow you to see thecomplete announcement/article, print it,or e-mail it.

On the left sidebar, there is also awealth of information:

• Current issue and back issues of theCounselor’s Notebook

• DESE Counselor Evaluation Rubric• About MASCA• Save the Date (important dates are

listed with a link to view the full calendar)At the bottom of the homepage are our

sponsors and exhibitors. They support usin many ways at our conferences and work-shops, in the Counselor’s Notebook, andon the website. Many thanks to them fortheir continued support over the years!

The MASCA website has improvedand continues to improve. Please makesure to go to it on a regular basis. ■

OCTOBER 2012 7

Urban vs. Suburban vs. Rural School Systems: How to Choose?By SHIRLEY MONTOVANI, Graduate Student, Cambridge College

andAMY MURDOCK, Graduate Student, American International College

THE INTERN’S TALE

E ven with the competitive schoolcounseling job market today, when

choosing an internship or a school sys-tem to build a career as a school coun-selor, there are many factors to consider.You must ask yourself what age groupand location you prefer? Do you wantto work with students on college readi-ness or join the fight against dropout pre-vention? It is also important to considerwhere your strengths as a school coun-selor lie.

A counselor’s job in an urban schoolenvironment can involve working withstudents who have chronic absences,below standard MCAS scores, behav-ioral issues, failing grades, and parentswho may be non-supportive. Urban schoolcounselors often focus on dropout preven-tion and often see students who are notconsidering postsecondary education.

This may all sound challenging, butworking in an urban school environmentcan be very rewarding to a school coun-selor, and there are usually many resourcesfor counselors and students to access. Itis an opportunity to put your strengthsand hard-earned graduate degrees towork. You can become a role model andresource to these students and challengethem to work to their potential.

Rural school counselors face many ofthe same challenges as counselors in anurban school and unique ones as well.Rural communities often lack resourcesand service coordination, and they aregranted less funding per student thanurban schools. Rural education has beendescribed as the “orphaned stepchild ofthe national education research program.”(Sherwood, 2001) Rural counselors musttap into their creativity and find ways tobe effective with less.

Suburban school counselors will findmuch more emphasis on college admis-sions and career counseling. They mustbe able to guide strong course selection,help students identify strengths, and bestprepare them for the future. These coun-selors must be knowledgeable about allaspects of the college application process,financial aid, grants, and up-to-date re -

sources to help students identify collegessuited to their needs.

While school counselors have manyuniversal goals, there are some distinctdifferences between urban, rural and sub -

urban settings. Do some research andidentify your own strengths and prefer-ences prior to choosing an internship oraccepting a position. All school counsel-ing positions are not created equal. ■

8 COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

BROWN (continued from page 1)person: the neighborhood…the school orcollege…the factory, farm or office…Suchare the places where every man, woman,and child seeks equal justice, equal op -portunity, equal dignity without discrim-ination. Unless these rights have meaningthere, they have little meaning anywhere.Without concerted citizen action to up -hold them close to home, we shall lookin vain for progress in the larger world.

This defined social justice over fiftyyears ago, and it defines social justice today.

Social justice is an area uniquely suitedfor school counselors. More than most ofthe other professional educators in theschool, we understand that when all stu-dents are treated fairly and offered equalopportunities, they achieve more. Whenan atmosphere of respect and a cultureof achievement are encouraged, every-one benefits.

Resources for counselorsThe following resources can help you pro-mote social justice in your own school:

Teaching Tolerance (www.teachingtolerance.com). This organization pub -lishes the periodical Teaching Toleranceand provides resources for all grade levels:lesson plans, posters, and a variety of me -dia addressing bullying, gender equality,civil rights, poverty, and equity issues. Aspecial project is Mix It Up Day, whichhas become a national campaign that en -courages students to question and crosssocial boundaries by moving out of theircomfort zones and connecting with some -one new over lunch.

United Nations. The U.N. provides socialjustice materials for teachers at all gradelevels. One of the best places to start isCyber School Bus (http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus). Topics include peaceedu cation, poverty, discrimination, andworld hunger, to name a few. Also foundare on line resources designed specificallyfor use by students. Some of these are in -teractive. Links to other U.N. resourcesare provided and include annotated bookand media lists.

Committee on Teaching About theUnited Nations (www.ctaun.org).CTAUN hosts a conference every Januarythat targets an issue of interest for edu-cators. In 2013, the conference will be“Advancing Social Justice: The Role ofEducators” at the United Nations on Fri-day, January 18, 2013. More informationis available on the website.

A Curriculum of Hope for a PeacefulWorld (9 Old Willimantic Rd., Columbia,CT 06237, $8.00 per year). This “old-timey” newsletter provides a wealth ofin for mation including an event calendar,workshops and conference dates, an no tatedbooks and media, and samples of exercisesand projects. The most recent issue in -cludes the following wonderful assignmentto help students understand bullying:

[The teacher] had the children take a piece of paperand told them to crumple it up, stomp on it andreally mess it up but be careful not to rip it. Thenshe had them unfold the paper, smooth it out andlook at how scarred and dirty it was. She then toldthem to tell it they’re sorry. Now even though theysaid they were sorry and tried to fix the paper,she pointed out all the scars they left behind andthat those scars will never go away no matterhow hard they tried to fix it. That is what happenswhen a child bullies another child. They may saythey’re sorry but the scars are there forever. Thelooks on the faces of the children in the class-room told her the message hit home. ■

MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION Tuesday, October 23 • Holiday Inn, Boxboro, MA

22012 FFall Conference Registrationwwww.masca.org

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TOTAL PAYMENT ENCLOSED $____________ CHECK No.____________ PURCHASE ORDER #***________________

**For PO’s, YOU will electronically be sent an invoice for YOU to submit for payment via your school/business office protocol. Make check payable to MASCA. Please list registrant names on Purchase Order and payments. Mail to: Joe Fitzgerald, Registrar, 5 Progress Street, Weymouth, MA 02188 • registrar@masca.org

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Registration Type (check category and option)

Includes breakfast, snack, luncheon buffet, keynoter, workshops, exhibits and afternoon Institute

MASCA Professional member by 10/1

Non-MASCA member

RetireeGraduate Student*

(*cannot be employed as aschool counselor)

Member Non-Member

EARLY BIRD RATE ENDS OCTOBER 1MASCA member & on-line registration or 10/1 postmark

$115 $170 $60 $80

Regular registration (after October 1) $125 $180 $70 $90 WALK-IN registration: Add $20 to total $20 $20 $20 $20 MASCA PDPs: Add $25 to total $25 $25 $25 $25 PO processing fee: Add $10/invoice $10 $10 $10 $10 Late Registration (after October 20) $20 $20 $20 $20

Total Amount Due $___________ $___________ $______ $______

�� To qualify for member registration rates, MASCA membership must be current (PAID) by October 1, 2012. POs in process are NOT considered paid. Check membership status: CN address label, webmaster@masca.org,or membership@masca.org.

�� Request on-line registration e-mail: webmaster@masca.org. Electronic confirmations for all registrations.�� Paper registration: Print clearly, one registration form. Mailed form must be accompanied by check or PO#.�� Payment options: (1) Online with credit cards (M/C or Visa, per person. No debit). (2) Offline with check or

purchase orders.�� Registrations after October 20 will be charged a late registration fee of $20. �� Refund policy: Written requests by October 18 to pdchair@masca.org. A $20 processing fee will be charged. NO

refunds after October 18 without written approval by conference chair (Ex., bereavement). A replacement may be sent for any registrant unable to attend, since payment is expected for any registrant non-attendance.

�� Registrant name and work mailing addresses will be shared with select sponsors. To opt out, e-mail pdchair@masca.org.

�� If you have special needs or require an accommodation, please notify us by October 20.�� Hotel room reservations: Ask for MASCA rooms, 978-263-8701. AV rentals, 978-263-8701. �� For post-conference publicity, the media has been invited and a photographer will be present.

FIRST NAME __________________________ LAST NAME ____________________________________________E-mail address _________________________________________(required for automated on-line or registrar confirmations)

Preferred mailing address School/Work (Include school name) Home Check here if NEW addressSchool ______________________________________________________________________________Street address__________________________________________________________________________City/town ______________________State______ ZIP____________ Phone _______________________

Position/Title___________________________________________________

Elementary Middle School High School Administrator Retired Grad Student Counselor Educator

OCTOBER 2012 9

10 COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Processing anInvoice for MASCABy DEBORAH G. CLEMENCE

MASCA Membership Coordinator

With our new website and onlinemembership system, it is now

possible to create an invoice with ease,and it will be generated automaticallyand sent to you by e-mail. Needless tosay, this is far more efficient than mail-ing a purchase order and waiting for aninvoice to be issued by post.

Any member, secretary, or adminis-trator can visit www.masca.org and per-form the following steps:

• Select the MEMBERSHIP tab at thetop of the page and BECOME A MEMBERfrom the dropdown.

• Scroll down the page to 3. APPLY WITH AN INVOICE VIA YOUR

SCHOOL/ORGANIZATION.

Click HERE to fill out an invoice.

You will be asked to complete a formanswering a few basic questions andproviding the names and e-mail ad dressesof each member being sponsored.

The invoice will be generated in -stantly and sent to you by e-mail forsubmission to your business office.

Please be aware that a NEW memberwho is enrolled by the Membership Coor -dinator must go to the member profileand enter contact information in orderto receive the Counselor’s Notebook.

Only the individual member has accessto their personal mailing address and con-tact information.

If you still wish to mail a purchaseorder and have an invoice issued, I amhappy to do so, but the majority of schooldistricts are now using this system veryeffectively. ■

MASCA advocatesfor school counselors.Enjoy all the benefits.Renew your MASCA

membership online atwww.masca.org

OCTOBER 2012 11

Date change for workshopThe workshop to be presented by Assumption College in March2013 has been moved to April.

“More on 504 and Student Records for School Counselors andAdministrators” by Matt MacAvoy, Esquire, and Michael J. Joyce,Esquire, will be held on April 5 in Hagan Campus Center Hall. Ifyou have any questions, contact Lucia Doucette at 508-767-7430or l.doucette@assumption.edu.

O ur role as school counselors callsupon us to advocate for the stu-

dents in our schools. However, in orderto do so comprehensively, we need to en -gage all stakeholders, and that includesour local Senators and House Represen-tatives at the state level. They make thefinal decisions about policies that affectthe lives of our students, including ourability to serve them.

The truth is that our local legislatorsare counting on us to engage in the demo-cratic process and provide them with per-spective about the concerns and needs oftheir constituents. Therefore, it is imper-ative that MASCA members reach outto their local Senators and Representa-tives to share their stories and expertise.Your input could have a significant im -pact on the course of education in yourtown and throughout the Commonwealth.

As a member organization, advocacyis most effective when individuals jointogether in a unified effort. Please visit theAdvocacy Works page at www.masca.organd open MASCA Advocacy e-mails toget up-to-date information on the statusof legislation as well as timely and stra -tegic next steps. Additionally, you willfind resources to help you engage legis-lators with confidence through a shortphone call, simple e-mail or letter.

Once you start engaging in the demo-cratic process to advocate for your stu-dents, you just might be surprised to dis -cover how easy and satisfying civic in- volvement and collaboration with ourgovernment officials can be.

Thank you for being a part of educa-tion change in Massachusetts! ■

The SchoolCounselor as

AdvocateBy SHANNON DORAN

MASCA Advocacy Committee Chair

SHANNON DORAN

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAIDNEWBURYPORT, MA

PERMIT NO. 96

Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc.COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Sally Ann Connolly, Editor

IN CASE OF NON-DELIVERY, RETURN TO:Deborah ClemenceP.O. Box 805East Dennis, MA 02641

Your membership renewal date is indicated by year and month on your address label above.To renew your membership, go to MASCA’s website, www.masca.org.

ProfessionalDevelopmentfrom MASCA

Holiday InnBoxboro, MA

Monday, October 22Race to the Top

Fall Summit

Tuesday, October 23MASCA Fall 2012

Conference

Keynoter:Sirdeaner Walker

AfternoonExtended Session,

Katie Gray

For information and forms,go to www.masca.org