Legislative Forum

Each year some members of the UFT guidance counselors chapter participate in the Legislative Forum, a two-day conference in Albany sponsored by a consortium of organizations that include professional organizations such as NYSSCA, colleges including SUNY, CUNY, private institutions and the College Board. We lobby on issues relating to K-12 education as well as on higher education and guidance issues.

This past August I attended a steering committee meeting to discuss how to get more participation from New York City counselors. I suggested that we provide a bus from the city since it was difficult for counselors to get released for two days and it was a long trip for only one day.

This idea became a reality when 30 brave souls signed up for a bus that left from Columbus Avenue and 61st Street at 5:30 a.m. Feb. 6. They traveled on that bitter cold Tuesday morning to meet the rest of the group from around the state in Albany. There were counselors from every level, parents, counselor educators and students attending counseling programs. They were able to meet with their state assembly members and senators during appointments that were previously scheduled by the College Board.

We were lobbying primarily for a bill —sponsored by Assemblyman Felix Ortiz from Brooklyn and Senator James Padavan from Queens — that would mandate a full-time counselor in every school and is especially targeted at elementary schools where counselors aren’t mandated.

The counselors, parents and counselor educators were able to tell their personal stories. They were able to give the lawmakers clear examples of how guidance counselors have helped students. They were able to tell about the huge caseloads and how it affected their counseling the students. The parents were able to relate their concerns of how their children needed counselors to help them with their everyday stresses. The counselor educators and students showed our representatives that they are preparing these counseling students in New York City to help our students and they can provide data to prove that the guidance services improve student success. We lobbied and our representatives listened.

This initiative was a huge success. We have already received a letter and a photo from Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV who promised to “continue fighting to provide adequate funding for K-12 schools as well as insuring there’s a counselor in every one of these schools. We must provide our young people with the tools they need to succeed.”

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Reformato and a group of counselors meet with Manhattan Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (seated second from left).

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The counselor/lobbyists who traveled to Albany via bus assemble before heading to lawmakers’ offices.

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Counselors meet with Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV in his Albany office.

Angela Reformato does a little one-on-one lobbying with Brooklyn Assemblyman Felix Ortiz.

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Guidance counselors tell Ortiz about their impossible caseloads and other problems.

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Some of the counselor/lobbyists in the State Capital as they are about to head off to legislator’s offices.

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Among the counselors who made the early morning bus trip to Albany were a mother and her young daughter.