qm_fall_2015

14 / 32

Virginia C apitol C onnections, Fall 2015
14
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
artwork capitol connections 9212015.pdf 2 9/21/2015 9:42:05 AM
First Lady Obama’s Reach Higher initiative has inspired many
to actively support all students to pursue postsecondary training,
whether through a professional training program, a community
college, or a four-year college or university. Significant partners in
this effort include school counselors.
While school counselors have been engaged in preparing all
students to be college and career ready for decades, the First Lady’s
Reach Higher initiative has significantly mobilized such efforts in
unprecedented ways. Her visit and presentation to the American
School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) conference in 2014
represented an important partnership between school counselors
and the White House on reaching the following goals: 1) Exposing
students to college and career opportunities; 2) Understanding
financial aid eligibility that can make college affordability a reality; 3)
Encouraging academic planning and summer learning opportunities;
and 4) Supporting high school counselors who can help more kids
get into college.
A number of White House-endorsed meetings have occurred
over the last couple of years, the goal of which has been for each state
to design and implement strategic plans to reach the above goals. In
November 2014, representatives from the Virginia School Counselor
Association (VSCA) Board attended a White House Convening in
San Diego, CA. There, we consulted and collaborated with other state
teams around how to develop and implement systemic interventions
that would ultimately benefit all K-12 students in Virginia.
We were pleased to be able to share some of the progress we’ve
already experienced in Virginia—for example, having our School
Counseling Specialist position restored at the Virginia Department
of Education, and engaging in conversations with other stakeholders
around the state around strategic left San Diego with
plans to strengthen such partnerships and to begin partnering with
and mobilizing school counselor educators around these efforts as
well.
A year later, we reflect on a very successful Counselor Educator
Summit sponsored byVSCA this past spring, and now look forward to
the work of newly formed partnerships amongst various stakeholders
around the state—VSCA, VDOE, SCHEV, and district school
counseling leaders to name a few. A team representing these entities
will be traveling to the University of North Florida in November for
this year’sWhite House convening to outline specific short and long-
term plans for revision of school counselor training programs and
school counselor professional development as it relates to college and
career readiness.
With the support from our First Lady, the enthusiasm of our
profession, and the shared vision of colleagues in other college
access-related fields, our hope is to see our K-12 students in Virginia
more than prepared to pursue their college and career endeavors. It is
an exciting time!
Dr. Paul Harris is an assistant professor in the school counseling
program in the Curry School of Education at the University of
Virginia (UVA). His research agenda focuses on the college and
career readiness of student athletes, with emphasis on Black
male student athletes. Prior to transitioning to UVA, Dr. Harris
was a high school counselor in Newport News, VA, and Loudoun
County, VA. He is currently President-Elect of the Virginia School
Counselor Association.
Reaching Higher in Virginia
By Paul C. Harris, Ph.D.
V