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Student representative reports students value counselors and teacher relationships but many freshmen may not yet know their counselor
Summary
Student board representative Esteban reported survey findings from middle- and high-school students showing strong appreciation for guidance counselors and teachers; the report also showed some students—especially freshmen—could not name their counselor, a gap Esteban recommends addressing.
Esteban, the student board representative, presented findings from meetings and surveys with middle- and high-school students about relationships with guidance counselors, teachers and house office staff.
At the middle school, Esteban said he met with 10 students (mainly eighth graders). “When asked if they're able to name their guidance counselor, all of them were able to do so,” he said, and added that students described counselors as generally beneficial. He reported that 4 of 10 middle-school students said their visits were primarily for schedule issues but still found the meetings helpful.
At the high school, Esteban said 58 students responded to his survey. He reported a grade-level breakdown in the meeting transcript that appears inconsistent with the stated total: the transcript records “34 freshmen, 30 sophomores, 25 juniors, and 11% seniors.” Esteban flagged that 17 of the 58 respondents were unable to name their guidance counselor and that 11 of those 17 were freshmen, which he said suggests outreach focused on first-year students could improve familiarity and use of counseling resources.
Students described the teacher qualities they most value: teachers who demonstrate content, combine note-taking with practice, hold open discussions and make themselves available for extra help. Esteban reported that students appreciated being treated “with maturity” by house office staff and counselors and suggested targeted outreach to incoming sixth- and ninth-grade students to make sure they know how to find and contact their counselor.
Board members asked clarifying questions about whether ninth graders had met their counselor in group or one-on-one settings; district staff responded that orientation and house-level introductions occur in late summer and that counselors post regular updates in house Google Classrooms and hold in-person events such as setting up tables in common areas during lunch periods.
Esteban recommended extra outreach to first-year students to encourage early one-on-one relationships with counselors and to promote use of support resources throughout middle and high school.
