Counselors, union press Palm Beach school board to remove disputed certified‑school‑counselor job description

Palm Beach County school counselors and the teachers' union urged the School Board on Tuesday to remove a 2016 "certified school counselor" job description they say has led to excessive non‑counseling duties and fewer direct student services.

The issue drew public testimony from counselors and parents and formal remarks from Gordon Longhofer, president of the Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association, who called the job description "improper and likely illegal" and asked the board to remove it immediately.

The matter matters because counselors said the description has enabled administrators to assign duties — including managing 504 plans, leading student study teams and heavy testing logistics — that reduce counselors' time for one‑on‑one and small‑group counseling. Those direct services, counselors and speakers said, affect students' social‑emotional support, attendance and academic…