Appointing a School Counseling Service Advisory Council
The advisory council is a school and community based group. Its sole purpose is to provide input about the development and implementation of the district/supervisory union or building a comprehensive school counseling Service. The members of the school counseling Service advisory council should have a shared enthusiasm for students and school counseling. The selection procedure will vary from district/supervisory union to district/supervisory union. Advisory council membership may include parents/guardians, school board members, students, community leaders, agency personnel, and teachers. When identifying potential members, the following points are considered:
- The advisory council represents the diversity of the district/supervisory union’s patrons and business community
- Representation is sought from the school board, school staff, parents/guardians, and students
- Community members with diverse viewpoints are included in the committee selection
- Individuals who possess a shared enthusiasm and commitment to students even though their ideas may differ, are included
| Size of the Council | The size of the council depends upon the size of the district/supervisory union. It is most important to have broad representation and good attendance at each meeting. |
Composition | Advisory council membership may include parents/guardians, school board members, students, community leaders, agency personnel, and teachers. |
| Length of Appointment | Appointing members for rotating terms will ensure that there are always experienced members on the council. It is suggested that the terms be from 2 to 3 years and that the number of years are drawn at the first meeting to determine the length of term each member will serve. |
| Reappointment | Determine if advisory council members serve more than one term and, if so, how many times they may be reappointed. |
| Governance of Council | An advisory council chair election process is determined and a chair appointed. |
| Frequency of Meetings | The advisory council meets at least twice a year. With present technology, meetings do not necessarily have to be face‐to‐face, although this is the ideal situation. Video conferencing, instant messaging, and e‐mails are other ways that the advisory committee members can communicate with one another. |
| Structure | The advisory council may be organized at the district/supervisory union or individual building level. |
| Functions |
An advisory council provides support, offers advice, reviews the status of the district/supervisory union Service and encourages further development to meet the goals of a school district/supervisory union’s comprehensive school counseling Service. It is important to emphasize that the council is an advisory group, not a decision‐making body. The advisory council is a channel of communication to and from the district/supervisory union schools and the community. It is a public relations group that interprets the district/supervisory union comprehensive school counseling Service to district/supervisory union patrons.
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