Presidential View
President's View
By Mike Lefort
LSCA President 2011-12
"Growing Old"
When one hears the term "growing old", connotations of the
natural aging process ensue; visions of graying hair, aching
joints, rocking chairs, and passing time enter the
mind. Although my hair is losing its pigment, my joints ache,
I like to rock, and time seems to go by more
quickly, "growing old" to me really means, "old and growing."
Having entered my 39th year in education, 32 as a school
counselor, professional pride and personal humility have brought me
to serve as the President for the Louisiana School Counselor
Association for the 2011-2012 term. Holding this position at
this point in my life was unimaginable three years ago as most my
age are retired or at least considering it. Professional
growth, having always been my priority and remaining current on
what's happening in our profession, has paved the way. This
is vital if we are to provide quality delivery services to
students, parents and teachers. In our state, LSCA has always
been the first venue for professional growth opportunities with an
annual conference that is second to none. Workshops featuring
the current trends in school counseling, presented by knowledgeable
school counseling professionals, are perhaps one of our finest
features. Also included and equally important are the
advocacy efforts made by leaders in our organization…LSCA is your
voice! In today's arena of rampant budget cuts and swinging
axes, our purpose in education must continue to be communicated
loudly and clearly to lawmakers. In addition, the networking
opportunities with people who share the passion of school
counseling are an added benefit as well. As we embrace the
upcoming year, we do it with grace, wisdom and awareness of who we
are and the service we provide. We recognize the needs of our
students and the obstacles that many of them have to overcome in
order for them to have the opportunity to utilize their skills and
ability to learn and become productive individuals in today's
world.
School counseling in Louisiana is currently in its greatest
transition in the history of our state. Our roles are
changing. Long gone are the "guidance counselor" days where
we were viewed as "overpaid secretaries" and "quasi-administrators"
reacting to the needs of students; that is, if paperwork was not in
the way!" Today's professional school counselor is proactive,
addresses student competencies, and provides data-driven delivery
services to students utilizing the Louisiana School
Counseling Model (LaSCM) as a guide. Our
profession has become a priority and it is realized that we can
impact student achievement…it's about time!
Although we have finally established a professional identity and
have a model to follow, by no means can we become complacent…we
must continue to validate our worth. Surely a joint effort,
bringing professional school counseling to where it still needs to
be cannot be accomplished alone…we need your continued help and
support as we have more journeys to travel. With your
involvement, the following goals can be achieved. Walk
alongside me to:
- Increase membership in the organization
- Create attempts to reach all portions of the state
- Develop activities to provide education and training on the
LaSCM
- Promote efforts of the PSC Task Force and recommendations of
the Blue Ribbon Committee
- Update and maintain the LSCA Website
- Obtain and disseminate information on counselor accountability
and "Value Added"
- Continue to move the organization forward
I challenge you to get on the path and continue growing by
joining us in becoming more active in our organization.
Consider undertaking a leadership position and encourage a
colleague to join us. It's time for
change…it's time for action! See you in
September at LCA….and, "like" us on Facebook!
Respectfully yours in professional school counseling,
Mike Lefort,
LSCA
President
National Certified
Counselor/School Counselor
Licensed Professional
Counselor-Supervisor
Marriage and Family
Therapist