THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 18, 1994 TAG: 9411170061
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E15 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: TEENSPEAK
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
FOR STUDENTS in public schools, guidance counselors have become as common as teachers or lunchroom monitors.
Traditionally, counselors have helped with tasks such as class scheduling and college or career choices. Today, they are being called upon to help students cope with personal crises or safety issues such as abuse.
Guidance counselors' growing role in students' lives has some parents worried about the influence counselors wield over their children.
These parents demanded changes, and they won a preliminary victory last month. The state Board of Education voted to require parents' permission before a student or group of students can take part in ``structured'' or ongoing counseling sessions involving personal problems, such as dealing with parents who are getting a divorce or are alcoholics.
Under the new rules, counselors still would be allowed to oversee programs such as conflict resolution between students or peer mediation without parents' consent. Counselors also would be allowed to conduct academic or career programs, or counseling for students with ``normal developmental concerns'' or emergency situations.
The proposed rules now must undergo a 60-day public comment period before the state board can give final approval.
Six students at this week's Teenspeak at Indian River High School had mixed feelings about the proposed guidance restrictions.
Three said they favored, in most cases, requiring schools to get parents' permission before exposing kids to guidance programs. Three others said such a requirement would place an almost impossible burden on counselors and would eliminate an important outlet for students who need adult help and guidance.
``It should be up to the students to talk to the parents,'' said Dee Moody, 17, a senior. ``What if it's like, abuse, and they have to get permission from their parents? They're going to get in trouble.''
``The counselor's not going to do anything to hurt you,'' said Margaux Wallace, 17, a senior.
But Marion McCarron, 16, a junior, said parents need to know about guidance activities to ensure that their children are not being hurt psychologically, emotionally or spiritually. Marion recalled when a teacher taught students breathing techniques, like yoga, which go against certain religious beliefs.
Students may not know enough to object, she said.
``I think that's pretty bad,'' she said. ``Probably because I'm a Christian, and I don't believe in it. They work you into it, so you don't know what you're doing.''
``It's just like going to the doctor and getting a prescription,'' said Bahari Harris, 15, a sophomore. Parents know about the medical treatments their children get, he said, and so should know about the counseling their children undergo. Bahari said, however, that parents should not be told personal topics students talk to their guidance counselors about.
``Y'all don't have to act like they're leading you in some satanic ritual or something,'' Dee said.
Anthony Ramos, 17, a junior, said parent permission would be a safety net for parents and the school to ensure that parents get the information they need and schools are not held responsible for guidance programs.
``Parents know their kids better,'' Anthony said. ``They can help them better.''
``Guidance counselors . . . I think they're really a gift, but they should have limits,'' he said.
Brandinika Ritter, 15, a sophomore, said she believes that if parents instill their values in their children, the kids will know whether to accept or reject guidance programs, based on their beliefs.
Margaux agreed.
``In the real world, you're not going to be sheltered by your parents,'' she said. ``Why don't the parents just go talk to the guidance counselors themselves if there are techniques they don't like, instead of involving the whole state?'' by CNB