Counselor's Notebook, March 2013

MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION MARCH 2013VOL. 49, NO. 7

MASCA

Social Justice and the School CounselorBy DONNA BROWN

MASCA Executive Director

I n January, I once again had the op por -tunity to attend the Annual CTAUN

Conference at the United Nations inNew York City. This conference focusedon “Advancing Social Justice: The Roleof Educators.”

CTAUN, the Committee on TeachingAbout the United Nations, is dedicatedto “teaching our children about a worldmade increasingly interdependent byglobalization.” To do this, CTAUN con-ducts conferences at the U.N. as well asseveral other venues around the countryand provides educators with access to themany resources available from the U.N.

Over the past fourteen years, Anne-Marie Carlson, CTAUN chair, has workedtirelessly to plan and execute conferencesthat have addressed some of the mostpressing problems facing the world’s chil-dren. Earlier conferences focused on thechild soldier, literacy, poverty, and edu-cation as a human right. At each con-ference, speakers and panels provide at -tendees with information and personalstories to illustrate and explain the topic.Additionally, teacher resources and bestpractices are provided. These are all ar -chived at www.ctaun.org.

This year’s conference dealt with twoissues facing us all: economic inequalityand human trafficking.

Bringing greetings from the U.N.,

Under-Secretary General for Communi-cations and Public Information PeterLaunsky-Tieffenthal announced the ap -pointment of an Envoy on Youth, AhmadAlhindawi of Jordan, to address the needsof the “largest generation of youth theworld has ever known.” He continuedby discussing how children develop socialconsciousness and the role educatorsmust play. This is an area where schoolcounselors can be leaders. Through ourgroup work, individual sessions, andclass room presentations, we can shareour concerns about equality, morality,and justice and model positive, caringbehavior. He also pointed to the positiveeffect on children of real-life stories ofcourage and strong moral fiber and citedprograms like the U.N.’s Holocaust Re -membrance Program as an example (www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance).

The morning keynoter was Yale pro-fessor Thomas Pogge, who began with aPowerPoint presentation that showedgrowth in life expectancy over the past250 years and the growth in income inthe West. He shared some devastatingstatistics. For example, two billion peo-ple lack medicine and one billion lack

DONNA BROWN

clean water, electricity, and other essen-tials. He continued by informing us thatsince the Cold War, one-third of all deathswere poverty-related from preventablediseases like measles, malaria, TB, andmalnutrition.

His talk was followed by a lively paneldiscussion on economic inequalities andtopics ranging from climate change to“yoyo” (you’re on your own) economies.The morning closed with best practiceawards, poster submissions, and an -nounce ment of a U.N. iPhone app fol-lowed. The focus for the afternoon wasthe second half of the social justice theme:human trafficking.

Social Justice is an area where schoolcounselors can really make an impact.Because we really are the only people inthe school who see the whole child, weare situated to be the first to notice sub-tle changes that signal a child is in trouble.Economic inequality and human traf-ficking both occur in our communities,and it is up to us to work to find solu-tions and raise awareness.

More information about the conferen -ces, teacher resources, and best practicesare all available on the CTAUN website. ■

MASCA Spring Conference 2013Resort & Conference Center at Hyannis

April 7 - April 8, 2013Conference programs have been selected to help school counselors collaboratewith partners in all domains. Among the exciting programs are:• Strengthening College and Career Readiness • Civic Involvement for School Counselors • Data Collection • Impact of the Virtual World • Massachusetts State College Admissions • Current Alcohol, Drug, and Violence Trends • STEM

For more information about the conference, go to www.masca.org.

2 COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

2012 – 2013 OFFICERS

PRESIDENTJENNIFER LISKMedway High School, Medway, MA 02053Tel. 508-533-3228 x5107 • Fax 508-533-3246E-mail: [email protected]

PAST PRESIDENTMICHELLE BURKEBeverly High School100 Sohier RoadBeverly, MA 01915-2654Tel. 978-921-6132 x11107E-mail: [email protected]

PRESIDENT-ELECTTHERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D.Bridgewater State UniversityBridgewater, MA 02325Tel. 508-531-2640E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARYJACQUELINE BROWNEast Somerville Community School42 Prescott Street, Somerville, MA 02143Tel. 617-625-6600 x6517 • Fax 617-591-7906E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGHMARISA CASTELLOE-mail: [email protected] SCOTTE-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARYCARRIE KULICK-CLARKBraintree High School128 Town Street, Braintree, MA 02184Tel. 781-848-4000 ext 2273 • Fax 781-848-7799E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT POSTSECONDARYJOHN MARCUSDean College99 Main Street, Franklin, MA 02038Tel. 508-541-1509 • Fax 508-541-8726E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATORSTBA

VICE PRESIDENT COUNSELOR EDUCATORSMEGAN KRELL, Ph.D.E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT RETIREESJoseph D. FitzGerald, Ed.D.5 Progress Street, Weymouth, MA 02188Tel. 781-264-3426E-mail: [email protected]

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORDONNA M. BROWNAdjunct Professor, UMass BostonP.O. Box 366, 779 Center StreetBryantville, MA 02327Tel. 781-293-2835E-mail: [email protected]

TREASURERASHLEY CARON25 Belmont Ave., Stoughton, MA 02072Tel. 508-212-0676E-mail: [email protected]

SECRETARYJENNIFER McGUIREUpper Cape Cod Regional Technical School220 Sandwich Road, Bourne, MA 02532Tel. 508-759-7711 x247 • Fax 508-759-5455E-mail: [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATORDEBORAH CLEMENCEP.O. Box 805, East Dennis, MA 02641E-mail: [email protected]

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK EDITORSALLY ANN CONNOLLY19 Bayberry Road, Danvers, MA 01923Tel. 978-774-8158 • Fax 978-750-8154E-mail: [email protected]

MARCH 2013 3

Social Justice and Human TraffickingBy DONNA BROWN

MASCA Executive Director

During the afternoon session of theAnnual CTAUN Conference, which

was held at the United Nations in Janu-ary, the second half of the social justicetheme addressed the devastating prob-lem of human trafficking.

Piero Bonadeo, Deputy Representativeof the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime,said that 20.9 million victims are traf-ficked for labor and sex. Child victimshave increased from 20-27% between2007 and 2010, and 55-60% of the vic-tims are women.

Bonadeo was joined by Kerry Neal,Child Protection Specialist for UNICEFand Desiree M. Suo, Foreign Affairs Of -fi cer for the U.S. Department of State,Office to Monitor and Combat Traffick-ing in Persons.

Neal said that many misunderstandingsabout human trafficking exist. Manypeople think only of trans-national sextrafficking, but human trafficking forlabor is far more prevalent in some areas.He also pointed out that traffickingoccurs within our own borders, and it isnot always undertaken by organized crim-inal groups.

No simple, single cause of child traf-ficking exists, he said. Everything frompoverty to migration to war to naturaldisasters impact children, making themvulnerable to trafficking. UNICEF sup-ports the efforts of many countries indeveloping safe-school environments,because educators are often the first tonotice when a child is experiencing prob-lems. For counselors, this is even moreimportant because we have been trainedto identify behavior changes that maysignal problems.

Suo gave historical background for herdepartment’s involvement in trying toprevent human trafficking. By its very def-inition, she said, human trafficking ismodern slavery.

“Trafficking in Persons includes anyvictim, regardless of whether he or shegave their initial consent, participated ina crime as a direct result of being traf-ficked, were transported into the ex ploi -tative situation, or were simply borninto a state of servitude.”

In the ensuing discussion, it becameclear that victims of domestic violencewho are controlled by fear fall under thedefinition. This revelation can have anim pact on how counselors deal withtheir students.

The afternoon keynoter was RachelLloyd, Founder and CEO of Girls Edu-cational and Mentoring Services, whichis this year celebrating its 15th anniver-sary. Energetic and passionate, Lloydshared her own experiences as a sexuallyexploited teen in Germany. Her book,

Many factors make childrenvulnerable to human trafficking.

Girls Like Us, details her extraordinarylife and mission. Currently, Lloyd servesas an advocate for minors forced intoprostitution. She seeks to change the wayeducators interact with girls who havebeen prostituted in our own communities.Her goal is to not only “rescue” thesegirls but to help them reclaim their livesby providing the necessary support.

The closing session of the conferencewas a dialogue between concert pianist,Chloe Flower, and Somaly Mam, Founderof the Somaly Mam Foundation andauthor of The Road of Lost Innocence:The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine.The session began with an original pianocomposition by Flower, who has beenworking with the Mam Foundation sinceshe spent a holiday in Cambodia someyears ago.

Mam reiterated that rescuing girls fromthe brothels is only the beginning. To besuccessful, the girls need education, train-ing, and help developing confidence aswell as long-term goals. She stressed theimportance of education—specifically,music education—in waging war againsthuman trafficking. And she emphasizedthat survivors can often be more helpfulthan social workers.

For more information and resources,go to the website of the Committee onTeaching About the United Nations(CTAUN): www.ctaun.org. ■


ADVOCACY UPDATECollege and Career Readiness

By SHANNON DORANMASCA Advocacy Committee Chair

The 2013-2014 Legislative Session hasofficially begun. Historically, Mass-

achusetts Legislators review more bills perLegislative Session than those in any otherstate: up to 5,000! Fortunately, not allof these bills have to do with K-12 edu-cation and school counseling. To learnmore about proposed mandates (i.e.,bills) that could affect your career,schools, and the students you serve, clickthe Advocacy tab at the MASCA web-site, www.masca.org.

The MASCA website is highlighting acouple of bills, which will hopefully soundfamiliar to you, even though they havebeen assigned different bill numbers forthe 2013-2014 Legislative Session:

• HD2990 – An act establishing six-year career plans for all Massachusettspublic school students

• HD3015 – An act establishing aschool counseling leadership pilot pro-

gram to accelerate college and careerreadiness in Massachusetts public schools

On average, bills which have becomelaw take two-three legislative sessionsto arrive at the Governor’s desk beforethe end of the legislative session. The2013-2014 Legislative Session is the thirdtime that these bills (under different num-bers) have been submitted for consider-ation at the State House. They were firstintroduced for the 2009-2010 Legisla-tive Session by MASCA under the lead-ership of Bob Bardwell and Katie Gray.Currently, these bills are being sponsoredby Representative Alice Peisch.

This is fortunate because Representa-tive Peisch is Chair of the Joint Commit-tee on Education. This bi-partisan com-mittee is the first legislative body tode cide if HD2990 and HD3015 “oughtto pass” and, therefore, continue to thenext stage of the legislative process. Since

these bills have been approved by thisCommittee in the past, there is good rea-son to believe that they will receive apositive recommendation once again.

Additionally, there have been manydevelopments, both statewide and na -tionally, which suggest that the condi-tions are ripe for these bills to becomelaw by the end of 2014. Here are a fewexamples, which suggest that Massachu-setts is ready to commit more resourcesin support of the college and career readi-ness of our students:

• Massachusetts, under the leadershipof the Executive Office on Education,joined the “Pathways to Prosperity Net-work to help advance the Administration’sefforts to create clear career pathways forstudents and adult learners that will equipthe Commonwealth’s workforce for suc-cess in a 21st century global economy.”(www.mass.gov/edu, June 2012)

• “The Board of Elementary and Sec-ondary Education’s task force on Inte-grating College and Career Readiness(ICCR) is recommending the creation ofa comprehensive statewide system com-prised of structured, aligned, and strate-gic partnerships to support students’‘fluid movement’ through elementary,secondary, and higher education intosuccessful careers.” (www.doe.mass.edu/news, June 2012)

• “The Department of Elementaryand Secondary Education (DESE) createda new office—the Office of College andCareer Readiness—and developed a strat-egy to increase College and Career Readi-ness among Massachusetts students.”(www.doe.mass.edu/ccr, November 2012)

For a list of career and college readi-ness developments, research, updates andlinks, click on the Advocacy tab at theMASCA website. ■

For information aboutpending legislation,

go to Advocacy section,www.masca.org/

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MASCA Spring RTTT Workshop

Resort & Conference Center at HyannisTuesday, April 9, 2013

For details, go to www.masca.org.

The bylaws that govern MASCA arecritical in outlining the purposes of

the organization as well as how the busi-ness of the organization is conducted.The bylaws are reviewed periodically andproposed changes must be approved bythe Governing Board and the generalmembership.

The following changes were ap provedby the Governing Board at the January24, 2013 meeting and will be voted on atthe general membership meeting at theSpring Conference in April. The proposedchanges are followed by the rationale forthe change. The full text of the bylawscan be found on MASCA’s website.

• In Article II, delete the last bullet,To provide financial assistance to stu-dents at all levels—elementary, middle/junior high, high school, postsecondary,and graduate level—through scholar-ships, campership, and other appropri-ate forms of aid.

In recent years, the financial supportfor scholarships and camperships hasbeen cut from the budget due to thefinancial constraints of our organization.While the goal of supporting students atall levels remains a valuable one, it hasbecome not a primary purpose of theorganization, but rather a practice thatshould be maintained when possible. Asthis section outlines the purposes of theorganization, it is more appropriatelyreflected in the Policies and ProceduresManual than the bylaw.

• In Article III, Section 1, delete thelast paragraph, Professional Membersshall be required to provide the Associa-tion with their certificate numbers at thetime of membership renewal to qualify for

JENNIFER LISK

MASCA BylawsRevision

By JENNIFER LISKMASCA President

MARCH 2013 7

this category of membership.This has not been a practice that has

been followed for several years.• In Article III, Section 2, delete and

recommended for membership by aschool official.

Student membership should be opento students who meet the criteria and therecommendation is not necessary.

• In Article III, add Section 10, TheMembership Coordinator and/or Execu-tive Director may request proof of eligibil-ity for any of the membership categories.

After deleting the requirement forcertificate numbers for Professional mem-bership and recommendation for Studentmembership, there should be a mecha-nism for verifying eligibility for a mem-bership category if a question of eligibil-ity should arise.

• In Article V, Section 7, fourth bul-let, delete Ballots shall be mailed to eachmember via the Counselor’s Notebook.Ballots may be returned via mail or votingmay take place at the spring conference.

Replace with Ballots shall be distrib-uted to all members via mail or elec-tronic means.

It is common practice to use electronicmeans for distribution of information andvoting by ASCA, and both means are usedfor many other professional practices.

• In Article X, Section 2, second line,delete Strategic Planning.

It has been suggested by past MASCAleaders that the Strategic Planning chairposition should be in place for more thanone year to promote consistency and long-term planning within the organization.

• In Article X, Section 3, delete fourweeks prior to the first day of the annualconference and replace with two weeksbefore the Leadership Development In -stitute.

This change allows the committeechairs to complete the fiscal year anddiscuss the full year in preparation forplanning for the next year, which hap-pens at LDI each summer.

• In Article XVII, Section 1, after Pres-ident-Elect add and/or Executive Directoras of July 1st of the coming fiscal year.

The Delegate Assembly includes pro-gramming for the Executive Directors ofstate organizations. As the ExecutiveDirector position is typically consistentfor several years and the Executive Direc-tor has attended in recent years, thischange will better reflect best practice.

In 2012, ASCA changed the structure ofthe Leadership Development Institute andDelegate Assembly to combine what wereformerly two separate events into onethat occurs before the ASCA conference.As the ASCA conference typically occursat the end of June, past practice was forthe outgoing Past President to attend theDelegate Assembly and the incomingPresident-Elect would attend the Leader-ship Development Institute in July. Nowthat the events are combined, it is morebeneficial to MASCA for the incoming

President-Elect to attend the combinedevent as the content is geared towardsplanning for the future of the organization.

• Replace Department of Educationwith Department of Elementary and Sec-ondary Education wherever the title ap -pears in the bylaws.

The Department changed its officialname since the last bylaw review.

• Replace Executive Committee withExecutive Council wherever it appears.

This will accurately reflect the appro-priate title in places there are errors. ■


The Common Core Standards: A PrimerBy THERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D., MASCA President-Elect

The last few years in education havebeen exciting with the Race To The

Top federal grant and related conversa-tions. One of the areas that school coun-selors must also be knowledgeable aboutis related to the Common Core Standards.Most of the conversations around thistopic area are focused on teachers; how-ever, this should not be overlooked bycounselors. The following briefly sum-marizes the Common Core Standardsand provides some resources for schoolcounselors to use.

A major focus at the primary andsecondary levels affecting all states is theCommon Core Standards. These stan-dards focus specifically on math and Eng -lish language arts content areas. They aredesigned to be implemented across theK-12 grade levels in all states.

The Common Core State Standards“are designed to be robust and relevantto the real world, reflecting the knowl-edge and skills that our young peopleneed for success in college and careers”

(www.corestandards.org). The websitecontinues to differentiate these core stan-dards from previous state standards,which were unique to every state in thecountry:

“The Common Core State Standardsenable collaboration between states ona range of tools and policies, including:(a) the development of textbooks, digi-tal media, and other teaching materialsaligned to the standards; (b) the develop -ment and implementation of commoncomprehensive assessment systems tomeasure student performance annuallythat will replace existing state testingsystems; and (c) changes needed to helpsupport educators and schools in teach-ing to the new standards.”

The Common Core connects with ourefforts around College and Career Readi -ness as a part of the Massachusetts RaceTo The Top application.

The Standards were adopted in Mass-achusetts on July 21, 2010, with a pro-jected full implementation by the 2013-

2014 academic year. Recent data fromthe Common Core Standards websiteshows that forty-five states, the Districtof Columbia, four territories, and theDepartment of Defense Education Ac -tivity have adopted the Common CoreState Standards.

More information about the CommonCore Standards as they pertain specifi-cally to our goals in Massachusetts canbe found at http://www.doe.mass.edu/candi/commoncore.

The standards establish what studentsneed to learn, but they do not dictate howteachers should teach. Therefore, therewill likely be some variability among howbuildings and districts are addressing theCommon Core Standards. The CommonCore website explains that states whohave adopted the Common Core StateStandards are currently collaborating todevelop common assessments that willbe aligned to the standards and replaceexisting end of year state assessments.These assessments are anticipated to beavailable in the 2014-2015 school year.

Two consortia of states are developingcommon assessments: the Partnership forAssessment of Readiness for College andCareer (PARCC) and the Smarter Bal-anced Assessment Consortium (SBAC).These state-led consortia on assessmentare grounded in the following principles:

• Allow for comparison across stu-dents, schools, districts, states andnations;

• Create economies of scale;• Provide information and support

more effective teaching and learning; and• Prepare students for college and

careers.Massachusetts is adopting the PARCC

and more information is available on theDESE website. The model content frame-works that were updated in the fall of2012 are available in Mathematics andEnglish / Language Arts / Literacy. Go tohttp://www.parcconline.org/parcc-model-content-frameworks.

You can download a free app forAndroid users at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.masteryconnect.CommonCore&hl=en/ and for iPhoneusers at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/common-core-standards/id439424555. ■

Taking Your Own AdviceBy JILLIAN M. FAGAN

Master’s Student in School Counseling, Bridgewater State University

THE INTERN’S TALE

“There is a school for everyone.”This is a common phrase heard

in the halls and counseling offices at myin ternship site.

The school counselors work with stu-dents to assist them in creating their plansafter graduation. We begin to tell studentswhen they are ninth graders that they willleave school with some sort of plan. Theycan be centered on postsecondary trainingfor technical or vocational trades, 2-yearor 4-year higher education, a branch ofthe service, or anything else. I believethat there is a school for everyone, buthow is it possible to know all of them?

For the college search process at myinternship site, students and counselorsuse the career planning program Navi -ance. We examine the numbers and graphsof the secondary institutions that the stu-dents are interested in and talk about theschool itself. We then encourage them tovisit the institutions that interest them.

It is one thing for us, as counselors,to talk numbers about a school and relayinformation based upon what we haveheard. Visiting a secondary institutiongives you a feel for its true atmosphere.Is there a lot of activity on campus? Doesthe institution offer a lot of individualizedattention or one in the crowd? What isthe school near? Would any of my stu-dents be a good fit here? You can findanswers to these questions and meet withadmission counselors to find out whatthe numbers are and if certain studentshave a chance of getting in.

Recently, I attended the New Hamp-shire College and University Council Gui -dance Counselor Tour Program. Thirty-four counselors toured eleven institutionsin New Hampshire over the course offive days. I had heard about most of thecollege and universities before; however,I had a completely different opinion ofthem once I actually went on campus.

I experienced the atmosphere of theinstitutions and could picture certaintypes of students attending them. Welearned about admissions processes, whatadmissions counselors focus on in theapplication package, different clubs andorganizations, internship and study

abroad opportunities, residential livingand eatery options for students, just toname a few areas. The information thatI gathered that week will assist methroughout my career.

My advice to other interns: Go outand visit colleges, universities, and other

postsecondary training programs. The in -formation you gain first-hand is far betterthan the information gathered online, evenin the digital age. Visiting institutions is afun way to gather information and helpstudents throughout your career. And whoknows, you might get a free T-shirt. ■

MARCH 2013 9


MASCA Awards 2012-2013

MASCA Counselor of the YearA current MASCA member and a li censedcounselor serving during the currentschool year in an elementary, secondary,or postsecondary school or in a local orregional school system and who has madeoutstanding contributions to his/herschool. The recipient will have excellentrapport with pupils, parents, and schoolpersonnel and is a highly respected coun-selor of students.

MASCA Administrator of theYearAn administrator who has made an out-standing and significant contribution tothe guidance and counseling movement,developed and/or implemented an in -novative program or initiated improve-ments of school counseling services inhis/her area of responsibility.

MASCA Leadership AwardA current MASCA member and licensedcounselor serving during the currentschool year in an elementary, secondary,or postsecondary school or in a local orregional school system and who demon-strates able leadership in the counselingprofession at the local, state, or nationallevel.

MASCA Torch AwardRising StarAn individual who has entered the schoolcounseling profession within the lastfive years. The award winner is a modelfor new counselors, demonstrating thehighest standards of professional com-petence, outstanding contributions to theschool community and/or profession, andexcellent rapport with students, parents,and school personnel.

MASCA Torch AwardRetiring CounselorA counselor who is retiring in the currentyear or has retired within the last fiveyears. This counselor has served as amodel for new counselors, demonstratedthe highest standards of professional com-petence and excellent rapport with stu-dents, parents, and school personnel andhas made outstanding contributions to theschool community and/or profession.

The George ThompsonMemorial Scholarship AwardA $1,000 scholarship award named inhonor of George Thompson, a longtimefriend and contributor to MASCA. Thisaward winner is a school counseling grad-uate student who demonstrates exceptionalpromise for leadership and contribution toour profession. Nominations from Coun -selor Educators are encouraged.

MARCH 2013 11

The MASCA Awards and Publicity Committee encourages you to nominate a deservingcolleague for a prestigious MASCA Award. Please complete the nomination form andsend it to Michelle Burke, MASCA Past President. The committee will review and contactyour nominee. Awards will be presented at the MASCA 2013 Spring Conference in Hyannis.

MASCA Awards Nomination Form 2012-2013Nominator Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________

School/Organization:____________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone: ____________________________________________ E-mail: _____________________________________________________

Award Nominee: _______________________________________________________________________________________________

School/Organization:____________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone: ____________________________________________ E-mail: _____________________________________________________

MASCA Award: ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please include a statement about why your nominee deserves to be selected for this MASCA Award.

Submit nominations to Michelle M. Burke, MASCA Past President.

Nominations can be e-mailed to [email protected], faxed to 978-921-8537, or mailed to:Michelle Burke, 56 Mudnock Road, Salisbury, MA 01952

E-mail nominations are encouraged.

The deadline for submitting nominations is March 15.


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ADVOCACY IN ACTIONIn order to make a difference on the legislative /policy level, wesimply need to communicate and educate stakeholders (includ-ing policy makers) about what we do best.

1. “BE THE BUZZ.” Spread the word in whatever way youcan: initiate discussions, submit information or related articlesto school or professional news letters, and feature informationand links on websites. Invite others to contact the Joint Com-mittee on Education and the House Representative for the vot-ing district they live and/or work in.

2. CONTACT JOINT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATIONMEMBERS. If the House Representative or Senator for thevoting district you live or work in is a member of the JointCommittee on Education, please make an extra effort to callthese bills to their attention. Additionally, consider educatingthem about your role, offer examples of how this will make a

difference in district schools, and/or offer yourself as a resource.3. CONTACT YOUR DISTRICT HOUSE REPRESENTA-

TIVE. This is a good time to start contacting your districtHouse Representative. Introduce yourself, find out about theeducation issues they are passionate about, find out what theyknow about school counseling, tell them about your work,and make sure they are familiar with HD2990 and HD3015.For a guide on how to make contact, visit the Advocacy pageat the MASCA website, www.masca.org.

4. COLLABORATE WITH THE MASCA ADVOCACYCOMMITTEE. Forward relevant information, report on stepsyou have taken, share research and real-life examples of whatwe are advocating for, submit press releases, bring news toyour affiliate, volunteer at ad vo cacy events, and/or join theCommittee. ■

Volunteer OpportunityA subcommittee is forming to coordinate MASCA member-ship advocacy for H2990 (An act establishing six-year careerplans for all Massachusetts public school students) and HD3015(An act establishing a school counseling leadership pilot pro-gram to accelerate college and career readiness in Massachu-setts public schools).

The goal is to include at least one graduate student, twoprofessional school counselors, and a retiree. Additional mem-

bers are welcome. We want to create a valuable and reward-ing collaborative experience, which will be both do-able andsatisfying for those involved.

The Ad vocacy Committee Chair will orient sub committeemembers to the advocacy process, identify resources, partici-pate in setting strategic goals, and support forward movement.To join, contact Shannon Doran at [email protected]. The2013-2014 Legislative Session has begun! ■

MARCH 2013 13

Continuing Education OpportunitiesBy Joe FitzGerald, Ed.D., MASCA VP Retirees

JOE FITZGERALD

T he Osher Lifelong Learning Insti-tute grew out of the Bernard Osher

Foundation, which provided scholarshipsfor students planning to further their edu-cation. On its website, the Institute isdescribed in the following way:

In the fall of 2000, the Foundationbegan to consider programs targetedtoward more mature students, not nec-essarily well served by the standard con-tinuing education curriculum. Coursesin such programs attract students of allages eager to accumulate units to com-plete degrees or to acquire career skills.By contrast, the interest of older adults,many of whom are at retirement age, isin learning for the joy of learning—with-out examinations or grades.

The Foundation was fortunate to havetwo immediate examples of lifelong learn-ing programs from which to learn. Onewas the Fromm Institute of LifelongLearning at the University of San Fran-cisco; the second was Senior College atthe University of Southern Maine.

In early 2001, an endowment grant wasgiven to the University of Southern Maineto improve and extend its excellent pro-grams, and the name “Senior College” waschanged to “Osher Lifelong Learning In -stitute.” Shortly after, Sonoma State Uni-versity, a member of the California StateUniversity (CSU) system became a grantee.Both programs progressed ad mirably, andthe Foundation decided to join the “life-long learning” field in a significant fashion.

In 2003, OLLI expanded nationally,and today it has approximately 125 life-long learning programs on university andcollege campuses across the country, atleast one in each state and the District ofColumbia.

The Foundation also supports a Na -tional Resource Center for the Institutes,located at the University of SouthernMaine. There is considerable variationamong the Osher Institutes, but the com-mon threads remain: non-credit educa-tional programs specifically developedfor seasoned adults who are aged 50 and

older; university connection and univer-sity support; robust volunteer leadershipand sound organizational structure; anda diverse repertoire of intellectually stim-ulating courses.”

In Massachusetts there are four OLLIprograms, at Berkshire Community Col-lege, Brandeis University, Tufts Univer-sity, and UMass Boston. The programsvary, but all of them meet the needs ofolder adults and retirees.

The membership fee ranges from $50

to $690, according to the courses andprograms offered. For example, a fee of$175 at UMass covers membership andany courses a participant can schedulefor that term. At Brandeis, the $690 feecovers two courses per term in additionto lectures and other benefits. When onelooks at the cost of higher education,the OLLI program is a real bargain.

The courses, workshops, lectures, trips,etc., cover a wide range including litera-ture, art, music, and technology. Althoughthe programs vary, most take advantageof the campus facility where they arehoused. I urge you to take a close lookat these wonderful programs:

• Berkshire Community College,http://www.berkshireolli.org

• Brandeis University, http://www.brandeis.edu/bolli

• Tufts University, http://ase.tufts.edu/lli

• UMass Boston, http://www.olli.umb.edu ■


Energy drinks pose risk“A new report warns that popular energydrinks such as Red Bull and Rockstarpose potential hazards to teens, especiallywhen mixed with alcohol.

The report, published in the Februaryissue of the journal Pediatrics in Review,summarizes existing research and con-cludes that the caffeine-laden beveragescan cause rapid heartbeat, high bloodpressure, obesity and other medical prob -lems in teens. Combined with alcohol,the potential harms can be severe, theauthors noted.”

— Randy Dotinga, “Energy Drinks PoseRisks to Teens, Study Finds,” HealthDay News,Accessed on February 1, 2013.

Soda linked to depression“A brand new study makes a connectionbetween sweetened drinks, especially dietbeverages, and depression.

The data comes from a large study doneby The National Institutes of Health. Near-

ly 264,000 adults 50 years and older par-ticipated. Consumption of a variety ofdrinks including soda, fruit punch, tea andcoffee was tracked from 1995 to 1996.

Some 10 years later, researchers askedthe participants whether they had beendiagnosed with depression since theyear 2000. A total of 11,311 had been.Those who drank more than four sodasa day were 30 percent more likely todevelop depression than those whodrank no soda. Four cans of fruit puncha day upped that number to 38%.

Digging deeper, the risk was evengreater for people who drank diet soda,diet fruit punch and diet iced tea—allcontaining artificial sweeteners.

On the other hand, people whodrank four cups of unsweetened coffee aday were about 10 percent less likely tobe depressed.”

— “Diet Soda and Depression?” http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/videos/news/Diet_Soda_010913-1.htmlm, Accessed on January 10, 2013.

Schools reach out to stressedteens“Overall, a recent national survey of ado -lescent mental health found that about 8to 10 percent of students ages 13 to 18have an anxiety disorder. And of thoseteens, only 18 percent received mentalhealth care, according to the NationalInstitute of Mental Health.”

In response, schools nationwide areim plementing stress-reducing measures,such as yoga and break time, to alleviatethe emotional pressure on students.

— Martha Irvine, “Schools work to relieveteens’ stress,” AP, Boston Sunday Globe, February3, 2013, A11.

Obesity reflects performance“Children who grow up obese havemore to contend with than a greater riskof health problems such as asthma anddiabetes. A new study has found they willstruggle more in the classroom as well.

Researchers from three U.S universitiesfound youngsters who were overweightfrom the ages of three to nine performedworse on a math test than their slim peers.

The findings add to a growing body ofresearch that suggests obesity is associ-ated with poorer academic performanceand therefore long-term career prospects.”

— http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2159712/Obese-children-struggle-maths-lessons-feel-lonely.html?ITO=1490, Accessed on 6/15/2012.

Level of education matters“While it’s known that education leadsto better jobs and higher income, researchalso shows strong links between educa-tion and longevity, reduced risk of illness,and increased vitality and school successfor future generations. Yet, changing dem -ographic trends and rising college costsportend poorly for health.

This brief [Why Does Education Mat-ter So Much to Health?] examines therole that education plays in health andfinds that:

• Better-educated individuals live long -er, healthier lives than those with lesseducation, and their children are morelikely to thrive; . . .”

— Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, http://www.rwjf.org/en/research-publications/find-rwjf-research/2012/12/why-does-education-matter-so-much-to-health-.html?cid=xtw_rwjf_040p,Accessed on December 29, 2012. ■

FOCUS ON HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE

MARCH 2013 15

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAIDNEWBURYPORT, MA

PERMIT NO. 96

Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc.COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Sally Ann Connolly, Editor

IN CASE OF NON-DELIVERY, RETURN TO:Deborah ClemenceP.O. Box 805East Dennis, MA 02641

Your membership renewal date is indicated by year and month on your address label above.To renew your membership, go to MASCA’s website, www.masca.org.

MASCA 2013 Spring ConferenceImproving the Utilization of

School Counselors Through PartnershipsResort and Conference Center at Hyannis

April 7-8, 2013

April 7• Keynoter Mandy Savitz-Romer, Ph.D., Lecturer on Education and Director of

Prevention Science and Practice, Harvard Graduate School of Education• Graduate student programming and poster sessions• Welcome reception and concurrent workshops

April 8• Jill Cook, ASCA Assistant Director, Extended session on new 3.0 ASCA Model• Full day of concurrent workshops

April 9• Spring RTTT workshop

For details, go to MASCA’s website, www.masca.org/

23rd Annual Professional Day forGuidance Counselors and AdministratorsSponsored by The Guidance Administrators Forum, an affiliate of MASCA

Friday, March 8, 2013 • Regis College, Weston • 8:30 am – 1:30 pm

Documents

Counselor's Notebook, March 2013