Governor Abbott Declares This Week as 'School Counseling Week'

The week of Feb. 1 through 5 was recently declared by Governor Greg Abbott to be 'School Counseling Week' in Texas, said a press release Monday. The Governor’s recognition comes as thousands of school counselors from across the state meet in Dallas to celebrate their profession and enhance their skills at the Annual School Counselor Conference. On Tuesday, Feb. 2, State Senator Royce West will visit with conference attendees as part of the event festivities coinciding with ‘National School Counseling Week.’

“It’s exciting to have the spotlight on school counselors right now,” said Sylvia Lopez, President of the Texas School Counselor Association (TSCA). “We work very hard to help our students succeed, and often we wear many hats in the process.”

In his proclamation, Governor Abbott shared Lopez’s view noting that school counselors were dedicated to nurturing well rounded students. “School counselors,” Abbott wrote, “are actively committed to helping students explore their abilities, strengths and interests. [They] identify and utilize community resources,” while working with “teachers and other educators to help students explore their potential,” and “become productive members of society.”

In addition to helping students address normal educational demands such as completing college applications, preparing for STARR exams, managing learning disabilities, and overcoming social pressures, school counselors also work on the front lines to help campuses cope with tragedies such as student suicides or substance abuse.

“Since we provide a variety of services to our students and campuses, it’s always great to connect with so many motivated colleagues every year to learn from and support each other,” Lopez noted. “This year, we are especially excited to not only have Governor Abbott’s show of support for the profession, but also a record number of professional school counselors in attendance at our conference.”

TSCA and the Texas Counseling Association (TCA) co-host the Annual School Counselor Conference. TSCA is a Division TCA, a non-profit formed in 1947 which works on behalf of more than 70,000 professional counselors and school counselors in Texas. TSCA and TCA join organizations nationwide in celebrating and recognizing the important work of school counselors during ‘School Counseling Week.’