National Summit For
Strengthening State Guidance Leadership,,
Proposed dates: May 14-16, 2008. Location:
Louisville, KY.
For Tentative Agenda, click
here.
Click here for Audio of Summit Keynote Speech,
"The Importance of State Guidance Leadership"
by Dr. Norm Gysbers
SUMMIT PRESS
RELEASE, 5/25/2008
Louisville Hosts National Education Summit
Representatives
from 40 state departments of education, U.S. Territories and national
guidance and school counseling associations convene to address
leadership issues in guidance and school counseling reform
Louisville,
KY. The National Consortium for State Guidance Leadership with
representatives from over 40 states and U.S. Island Territories met at
the Galt House May 14-16 to address how to strengthen leadership at
the state level in order to promote the academic, career, and
personal/social development of all students through the implementation
of comprehensive guidance programs. The Summit was sponsored by the
U.S. Army Command at Fort Knox, the Kentucky Counseling Association,
its affiliate, the Kentucky School Counselor Association, American
Careers, and Kuder, Inc.
Dr. Norm Gysbers,
from the University of Missouri and a national and international
figure in the field of school counseling opened the summit on
Wednesday evening with an historical overview of state guidance
leadership and the continuing importance of state leadership in
supporting comprehensive guidance and counseling programs that play an
integral role in addressing key school reform issues such as the
achievement gap, graduation rates, and successful entry into college,
the workforce, or the military.
On Thursday
morning, Lt General Benjamin Freakley, Commanding General of Army
Accessions Command from Fort Monroe, Virginia, provided the keynote
address of effective leadership skills. He noted that effective
leaders,
.establish a climate of trust and cooperation among those
we serve... and it is the responsibility of effective leaders to
make complex issues simple. Lt. Gen. Freakley identified key traits
of effective leaders including such characteristics as respect, duty,
integrity, and moral courage.
A panel of
representatives from professional organizations that represent
professional school counselors addressed the issue of effective
partnerships between state leaders and their organizations. Richard
Wong, Executive Director of the American School Counselor Association,
Judy Whitaker, Vice President, Guidance Division of the Association
for Career and Technical Association, Pat Martin Assistant Vice
President College Board, National Office for School Counselor
Advocacy, Ray Davis, U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Vocational and Adult Education, Peggy Hines, Director, National Center
for Transforming School Counseling The Education Trust, and Dr.
Richard Lapan, Program Coordinator for the School Counseling Program,
University of Massachusetts, provided insight into the importance of
effective partnerships with organizations that represent professional
school counselors and how those partnerships can improve school
counseling programs at the local level so that all students benefit
from the work of their professional school counselor.
An additional
highlight of the Summit was the discussion, led by Dr Rich Lapan and
Dr. Jay Carey of the University of Massachusetts of a National Academy
for state leaders who are responsible for overseeing guidance and
counseling programs in their states. Such an academy, would provide
both on-site and on-line professional development opportunities for
enhancing the knowledge and skill level of these state leaders.
These types of professional development opportunities geared
specifically toward state guidance leadership is currently lacking in
the field of school counseling, according to Dr. Lapan. As one
participant stated, We need an academy that will help us improve on
the work we are doing, especially in the area of developing
accountability systems that work.
The National
Consortium for State Guidance Leadership is an organization devoted to
supporting the work of state guidance personnel in their efforts
toward continuous improvement of school guidance and counseling
programs throughout the country and the territories.
Contact:
Harry Drier,
Executive Director
National Consortium
for State Guidance Leadership
Career Education
and Training Associates, Inc
5380 Ocean Drive 6
D
Singer Island, Fla
33404
drierh@aol.com
561 842 4335
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