Sponsors (17)
Designating a School Counselor Week highlights and promotes understanding of counselors' academic, career, and wellbeing roles—potentially improving recognition and local support—but it does not fund or change staffing, so it risks creating unmet expectations without addressing persistent counselor shortages.
Students (K–12 and college-bound) and their families: Increased public awareness during the designated week of school counselors' role in academic support, college and career readiness, and financial aid navigation, which can help more students pursue postsecondary options and informed career planning.
Teachers, school staff, and schools: Draws attention to counselors' contributions to social-emotional learning, trauma response, and school climate/safety, which can strengthen support for student wellbeing and safer school environments.
Students and schools: The designation provides no new funding or staffing, so high student-to-counselor ratios (about 376:1) and limited access to counseling services remain unaddressed.
Students and educators: Publicity may raise expectations and demand for counseling services that schools cannot meet under current budgets and staffing, creating frustration or unmet needs.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Designates Feb 3–7, 2025 as National School Counseling Week to recognize school counselors and raise awareness of their role and staffing shortfalls.
Official title: Designating the week of February 3 through 7, 2025, as "National School Counseling Week".
Introduced January 30, 2025 by Patty Murray · Last progress January 30, 2025
Designates February 3–7, 2025 as National School Counseling Week to recognize and raise awareness of the role school counselors play in students' academic success, social-emotional learning, career readiness, financial aid awareness, school climate and safety, and trauma support. It notes the high student-to-counselor ratio nationwide (average 376:1) compared with the ASCA-recommended 250:1 and states that observing the week will highlight the importance of school counselors to students, families, and schools.