September 8, 2025 • 25 mins
Ever walked out of an “advocacy meeting” with your admin and thought, Is anything ever going to change?
You brought the data. You showed the charts. You quoted the position statements. And still, you walked away with the same ridiculous caseload, or worse- another responsibility placed on your shoulders.
All that effort doesn’t move the needle. It just keeps you running in circles.
In this episode of the School for School Counselors Podcast, I’m grading advocacy as it stands in our profession right now... and let’s just say the report card isn’t pretty.
I’ll unpack why the version of advocacy we’ve been handed sets us up to fail, the traps that keep us stuck shouting into the void, and four strategies that actually move the needle.
If you’ve ever wondered why “advocating harder” hasn’t worked for you (and what you can do differently), this episode is your permission slip to stop playing small and start leading with influence.
References (Annotated)
American School Counselor Association. (2017, December). Advocating for your school counseling program using visibility strategies [Online newsletter]. Advocacy Everyday. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/newsletters/december-2017/advocating-for-your-school-counseling-program-usin?st=nj
This piece includes ASCA’s suggestion to print business cards and introduce yourself with the correct title, examples of the “visibility” strategies counselors are told to use.
American School Counselor Association. (2019). ASCA National Model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Author.
The central framework promoted by ASCA, often positioned as the path to respect and clarity for the profession.
American School Counselor Association. (2019). The school counselor and ratios [Position statement]. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/About-School-Counseling/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements
States the well-known 250:1 ratio and is often used by counselors in advocacy conversations with administrators and policymakers.
American School Counselor Association. (2019). The school counselor and the role of the professional school counselor [Position statement]. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/About-School-Counseling/Position-Statements
Outlines the 80/20 direct vs. indirect services expectation, another widely circulated talking point in counselor advocacy.
American School Counselor Association. (2023, July–August). Advocating for the ASCA National Model. ASCA School Counselor Magazine. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Magazines/July-August-2023/Advocating-for-the-ASCA-National-Model
Reinforces the idea that promoting the Model itself is advocacy, often suggesting visibility strategies like correcting titles or distributing materials.
Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in (3rd ed.). Penguin Books.
Classic text on principled negotiation. In this episode, it supports the idea of “interest-based framing”- aligning your advocacy with campus goals, not rigid positions.
Lewicki, R. J., Barry, B., & Saunders, D. M. (2020). Negotiation (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Contemporary negotiation and organizational change research. Cited here for the evidence that small, repeated asks layered over time create lasting change.
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⭐️ Want support with real-world strategies that actually work on your campus? We’re doing that every day in the School for School Counselors Mas
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is supposed to be the magic answer, the fix for
impossible ratios, cafeteriaduty and testing coordination.
They tell you, just advocate.
But if you've actually tried it, you know what happens.
Most of the time, advocacyfeels like you're shouting into
(00:21):
the void.
You bring your data, you tie itto student outcomes, you
explain it a dozen differentways and still nothing changes.
Maybe it even gets a littleworse.
Suddenly you're handed anotherresponsibility in retaliation or
you find yourself sidelined indecisions because you dared to
(00:43):
speak up.
And the answers are they'relaughably predictable.
Your admin says we don't haveroom to take you out of the
master schedule or we don't haveenough extra people to take
away your cafeteria duty.
Your organization says have youeducated your principal about
(01:04):
the national model?
Show them this list or showthem this position statement.
And the experts say just gatherthe data and y'all.
I'm a huge school counselingdata nerd, so stick with me here
.
But even I know that thatadvice is usually a brush off,
(01:26):
that that advice is usually abrush off.
The way that you have beentaught to advocate for your role
on your campus leaves too manyschool counselors feeling
exhausted, second-guessingthemselves and wondering how
long they're going to be able todo this work before they burn
out.
So today we're going to gradeschool counselor advocacy, the
hashtags, the speeches, thefeel-good slogans and the folks
(01:47):
who claim to have your back butdon't, and then we're going to
talk about what advocacy canlook like when it actually works
.
Hey school counselor, welcomeback.
In this episode of our gradedseries.
We're taking on one of thebiggest hot-button issues in our
profession advocacy.
(02:09):
You've been told it's theanswer to impossible ratios,
cafeteria duty and all the otherthings that don't belong on
your plate.
But what does advocacy reallymean and why does it so often
feel like it amounts to nothing?
And why does it so often feellike it amounts to nothing?
I'll share why the way most ofus advocate falls flat the
gaslighting you're up againstand four powerful long game
(02:33):
strategies that can actuallymove the needle.
So if you're ready for somestraight talk, my friend, a
little clarity and maybe a touchof rebellion, you're in the
right place.
I'm Steph Johnson and this isthe School for School Counselors
podcast.
All right, so let's start at thestart, because if we're going
(02:54):
to understand how advocacybecame such a big issue in
school counseling, we have toremember the start of the ASCA
national model.
It rolled out like a shiny newcar at a dealership.
It was polished, packaged andpromised to solve everything.
This was supposed to be theroadmap for what school
(03:17):
counseling is supposed to be Aclear identity, a clear set of
practices and something thatwould finally make us undeniable
.
And we bought in, we went tothe conferences, we downloaded
the templates, we committed thedomains to memory and we
memorized and recited that magic80-20 number like it was gospel
(03:42):
.
And the message was if youfollowed this model, you would
have clarity, credibility andrespect, administrators would
understand you, teachers wouldvalue you and parents would know
what you did.
But here's what happened instead.
Counselors tried to implementit and got punched in the face
(04:06):
by the reality of their campuses.
They battled master schedules,testing demands, lunch duty,
ratios that no sane human beingcan manage, and instead of
anyone saying, ok, well, maybethe model just needs to adjust
to the reality, okay, well,maybe the model just needs to
adjust to the reality, themessage became no, no, no, you
(04:29):
need to adjust.
You're the problem.
You need to advocate harder.
So now we had a framework thatwas supposed to make things
easier but, in practice, addedanother layer of pressure.
It gave us language, sure, butit also gave us one more way to
feel like we were failing.
(04:49):
And because our representativeorganization refuses to act like
anything other than a sororityof industry influencers posting
selfies, handing out plaques andcalling it leadership, that
pressure rolled downhill andit's crushing campus school
counselors, who were alreadystretched to their absolute
(05:10):
limits.
So then the call to advocacygot even louder.
You were made to believe thatit was your responsibility to
make this model fit, even thoughvery little was being done at
the representational level toback you up.
My friend, that is the verydefinition of being gaslit.
(05:37):
And in all of this, when youlooked to your so-called
representative organization forhelp, you looked to your
so-called representativeorganization for help, hoping to
see something of what realadvocacy looks like.
What did they hand to you?
Position statements, charts,infographics, articles.
You've seen them.
A position statement declaringthat school counselors are
(06:00):
advocates for the equitabletreatment of all students and
should strive to establishinclusive and welcoming learning
environments.
The one pager with the magic250 to one ratio?
Or the chart that says youshould be spending 80 percent of
your time in direct servicesnewsletter, that says advocacy
(06:27):
means communicating tostakeholders what the
comprehensive school counselingprogram is, how it makes a
difference and how it affectsthe success of all students, or
the list of ideas like these aremy personal favorites develop a
brochure, print business cardsto show you're an ASCA member or
introduce yourself with theright terminology to show you're
an ASCA member or introduceyourself with the right
(06:49):
terminology.
I mean, it sounds official maybe, but here's the problem.
Those things don't buy your wayout of the master schedule.
They don't keep you from beingassigned 504 coordination and
they don't protect you fromcafeteria duty.
And worse, when you actuallyuse these so-called advocacy
tools, they often get turnedright back on you.
(07:12):
They'll say if you're notspending 80% of your time in
direct services, maybe you'renot following the model
correctly.
Or if you're still being askedto coordinate testing, maybe you
haven't educated youradministrator enough.
Give me a break.
And then, if you hop on ASCA'ssocial media feeds, what do you
(07:37):
see?
You see pageantry.
You see quote graphics,national School Counseling Week,
hashtags, awards, selfies andplaques.
What don't you see?
You don't see a singlecoordinated call for legislative
action, no bold stands onstaffing mandates and no real
(07:58):
pushes for policy change.
Y'all it's branding.
It's not a movement.
And at this point I'd argue itwould actually be more ethical
for ASCA to rebrand itself.
They ought to adopt a name thatcalls it what it really is.
I suggest the SCTA SchoolCounseling Tools Association,
(08:23):
because tools are what theyprovide Position statements,
charts, infographics, toolswithout strategy, tools without
teeth and tools that shift theburden right back onto you.
And if all of that soundsfamiliar, it's probably because
you've seen the same playbook inother corners of our profession
(08:45):
the teachers, pay teachersfolks, the Instagram and TikTok
influencers, the ones that aredesperate to use Ask a Language
to legitimize their ownprintable packs or personal
brands Y'all it's all the samehustle, package the tools,
polish them up with some catchytaglines and sell them as a
(09:08):
solution.
Meanwhile, who ends up carryingthe real weight?
You do, the campus counselor,who's told that if the wrench
doesn't work, you must beholding it wrong.
This is the advocacy myth, whenwe try to advocate through
(09:29):
these printable materials andfeel-good language, with no real
systemic change and constantreminders that it's always your
responsibility to make the modelfit, even when the system
refuses to back you up, refusesto back you up.
(09:52):
I've told this story before,but this is how I conceptualize
advocacy in school counseling.
The way that you were taught toadvocate looks a little bit
like this Imagine youradministrators and stakeholders
for your school all gatheringtogether in a quaint little
cottage somewhere sitting downto have some tea and as they're
(10:13):
sitting down and looking forwardto the conversation, maybe
talking through next steps forthe campus or whatever the goals
might be, all of a suddensomeone comes blazing out of the
forest up to the cottage andstarts beating on the windows
and doors and they're yellingthings like hey, hey, you got to
(10:34):
let me in.
You've got to listen to me.
There is a better way.
I know how to do it.
You've got to let me in.
I've got to tell you how we cando this better.
This isn't fair.
We need to change things.
We've got to do it right now.
What?
This isn't fair.
We need to change things.
We've got to do it right now.
What are the people in thecottage going to do?
Are they going to open the doorand say sure, come on in, crazy
(10:55):
person, come shout at us somemore?
Or are they going to lock thewindows and doors and make sure
they keep you out?
So many school counselors havebeen told if you just print
these materials and present themto your administrator, they
should do the trick.
Have another meeting, haveanother conversation, present
some more information andeventually you will wear them
(11:17):
down.
That is the same as runningaround beating on the windows
and the doors.
What we ought to be doing ispositioning ourselves in a way
that we get invited in throughthe front door, where there's an
open invitation that's extended, where people are glad to see
(11:38):
us show up and they want to hearwhat we have to say.
But when we try to browbeatfolks with all of this
information, it never works, andif you've tried it, you know it
does not work.
I have advised and mentoredthousands of school counselors
across the country and I cantell you honestly, 100 percent,
(12:02):
I have never, ever, ever heardof the typical school counseling
advocacy approach workinganywhere.
There has to be a better way.
So if we're going to gradewhere school counselor advocacy
stands today, well, I'm sure itdoes not surprise you to know
(12:23):
that it doesn't exactly make thehonor roll.
Surprise you to know that itdoesn't exactly make the honor
roll.
I'm going to give it a D+.
Here's why the plus comes fromthe fact that school counselors
are speaking up more than everbefore.
We are naming our roles.
We are putting language outthere that says this is what
(12:44):
school counseling should be and,to be honest, that is progress
compared to where we were 20years ago.
But that flip side of it is, ourapproaches are so reactive and
surface level.
It's like standing in a cornerbegging for recognition instead
(13:05):
of building undeniable influencein a room that was opened for
you.
It's like burning out whileyou're drowning and you're
wondering why nobody's throwingyou anything to hang on to.
So our current state of schoolcounseling advocacy gets a D+.
It's well-intentioned in someways, but it's not strategic
(13:28):
enough.
And it looks good on paper but,honestly, is not moving the
needle.
Now that may make you cringe alittle bit, because I will bet
that you've been trying.
You've sent the emails, you'vehad the meetings, you've shared
the charts and you've doneeverything the so-called experts
(13:49):
have told you to do.
Our lack of progress in thefield of school counseling is
not because of lack of effort.
It's for lack of power.
We don't have the leadership todrive it home and that's why
we're stuck at a D+.
And the truth is we can'tsettle for that, not when the
(14:11):
stakes are this high, not whenour students need more from us
now than they ever have.
So the question becomes whatdoes it take to raise the grade?
If the version of advocacy thatwe've been handed leaves us
pounding on windows or standingin a corner begging for
recognition, then what does realadvocacy actually look like?
(14:36):
Well, I'll tell you.
It's not about adding morenoise to the mix.
It's not about making moreposters or quoting each other
more, or presenting one morestakeholder presentation.
Real advocacy is about power.
It's about shifting systems sothat you're not asking to be
(14:58):
seen.
You're already positioned atthe table.
This is going to be difficultwithout strong representation,
and if you feel like I'm leaninghard on ASCA right now, you are
right, because I am hoping,against all hope, that these
folks are going to listen andunderstand what I am trying to
(15:19):
say.
If we do not dip our toes inthe water of true advocacy soon,
we will become obsolete.
So what can we do?
First, true advocacy requiresdata, but probably not in the
way you've been told.
It's not about cherry picking afew weeks of numbers to paste
(15:40):
into a chart, like you do in aramp application.
It's about consistent.
In a ramp application, it'sabout consistent, credible
evidence of how your time isused, how students are impacted
and how your work connects tocampus outcomes.
Negotiation research is clearPeople who come prepared with
(16:00):
concrete data and defined goalsare far more likely to succeed.
Data is preparation and y'allpreparation is power.
Because when you walk in a roomwith real numbers, you're not
making a plea anymore, you'remaking a case.
(16:20):
Second, advocacy requiresalignment.
I hate to break it to you, butyour administration is not lying
awake at night worrying aboutwhether you're 250 to 1 or
hitting 80-20.
They're thinking aboutattendance and test scores and
behavior and graduation rates.
So the language of advocacy hasto connect your role to their
(16:45):
priorities.
That's what negotiationresearch calls interest-based
framing, where you're focusingon shared interests, not rigid
positions.
So instead of saying I needmore counseling time because
that's what ASCA says, you sayif I'm released from all this
(17:07):
cafeteria duty, I can runinterventions that cut office
referrals by 20%.
That's the kind of advocacythat lands.
It speaks directly to what youradministrator already cares
about.
So it's going to make animpression.
Now you might be wondering howin the world am I going to know
(17:28):
how to make a statement likethat and know that I can live up
to it?
That's a tall order, right?
I can run interventions thatcut office referrals by 20%.
That's a big promise.
I have a solution around thatin just a minute, so keep
listening around that in just aminute.
(17:49):
So keep listening.
Third, advocacy is collective.
One lone counselor asking forchange is easy to dismiss, but
when teachers, parents andsometimes even students are
voicing the same message, itbecomes leverage.
This ties directly intosomething called the anchoring
effect, which says that thefirst clear offer or request in
a conversation often sets thetone for the entire discussion.
(18:12):
Imagine the difference betweenstarting a conversation with I'd
like more counseling timeversus a coalition saying we
believe our school deserves afull-time school counselor.
That anchor, especially whenit's voiced by multiple
stakeholders, changes the entireconversation.
(18:35):
And this is why I come down sohard on ASCA and its subpar
advocacy efforts.
Because if a single counselorcan shift the tone with
coalitions at the local level,imagine what a national
organization could do if itactually prioritized real
advocacy.
(18:55):
But instead we're gettingselfies and plaques and graphics
when what we should be seeingis a national education effort
in the media, pressure campaignswith school boards and
coordinated messaging thatamplifies counselors' voices at
every level.
(19:16):
And finally, advocacy requirespatience.
You will probably not getresults in one meeting or one
email or even one whole schoolyear.
Research on organizationalchange shows that small,
repeated asks, layered over time, are what create lasting shifts
(19:39):
, which means if you tried onceand nothing happened, that does
not mean you failed.
That means you took step one.
And the other part that a lotof people forget about is that
advocacy is relational.
If you want to build a longgame, you have to build rapport
(20:01):
with your administrators.
They may not always say yes towhat you want, but if they trust
you, if they believe thatyou're collaborative and
competent and consistent becausethat's what you've been showing
them they're far more likely toopen the door the next time
that you knock.
True advocacy is cumulative, yes, but it's also relational, and
(20:27):
without rapport, yourpersistence just ends up looking
like nagging.
So if you're listening andthinking, okay, I would love to
advocate in these ways, but Idon't even know where to start.
I will tell you that's exactlywhat we're doing inside of our
mastermind Now nationalcoalitions.
We can't help you there yet.
(20:49):
Stay tuned, who knows what willhappen?
But here's what we can 100% do,and I know it because we're
doing it right now.
We've built systems to help youtrack data without overwhelm,
systems that give you thesupport in a step-by-step
process that makes datacollection manageable instead of
(21:12):
intimidating.
We have also expanded our datacohort to bring in campus-level
metrics alongside of your use oftime, and we're providing the
templates and the trackers thatyou need, plus consultation that
gives you the confidence tomake bold strategic statements.
(21:33):
Remember when you werewondering how you can make those
kinds of statements to youradmin?
I can run interventions thatcut office referrals by 20%.
That's not something that youpick out of thin air or
something that sounds impressive.
That's based off of your campusdata and consultation with
people who have similar campussituations.
(21:55):
When you have the rightbackground knowledge to bring to
the table, those assertionsbecome really easy.
And we also focus hard onrelationships through our smart
school counseling framework.
So you're not just advocatingwith numbers, you're advocating
with trust and credibilitybehind you.
(22:18):
My friend, that's the work,that's the shift, and if you
want to raise your own grade inadvocacy without burning out the
mastermind, is where we aredoing it together and we are
proving that it works.
So here's what I want to leaveyou with in this episode.
I know that advocacy can oftenfeel like a waste of time.
(22:40):
I know it can feel like.
You've tried, you've pushed,you've asked and nothing has
changed.
And I know that all of thegaslighting in our industry has
enabled that little voice in theback of your mind to whisper.
Maybe it's just me, but I'mgoing to tell you, friend to
friend.
But I'm going to tell youfriend to friend, it's not you,
(23:04):
it's the system and it's thebroken version of advocacy that
we've been given.
The good news is you're notpowerless, you're not voiceless
and you don't have to settle forD plus advocacy.
Real advocacy isn't aboutbanging on doors or waving
charts around in the air.
It's about showing up withevidence, speaking the language
(23:28):
your campus already cares aboutbuilding coalitions that can't
be ignored and playing the longgame with persistence and with
trust.
That's how we stop standing inthe corner begging to be seen
and start leading from thecenter of the room, even when we
feel ignored by those that aresupposed to be representing us.
(23:51):
So if you want support for this, if you want step-by-step tools
and a place to practice theconversations with the community
that will back you up everysingle week and know your name,
that's what we have inside ofthe mastermind.
Advocacy isn't something thatyou should have to push through
(24:11):
alone.
That is exhausting.
It feels demoralizing and,frankly, makes you wonder why
you got into this field in thefirst place, this field in the
first place.
I don't want you to be there.
We always say that we arestronger and smarter together,
and I truly believe that.
I also believe in you and Ibelieve in all of us.
(24:35):
I believe that our professiondoes not have to stay stuck.
So are you with me?
I sure hope you are, because weneed all the help that we can
get.
Hey, I'm Steph Johnson.
This has been the School forSchool Counselors podcast and
I'm going to be back soon withanother episode.
(24:55):
In the meantime, I hope youhave the best week Now.
Go raise that grade and we'regoing to talk again soon.
Take care.
It is supposed to be the magic answer, the fix for
impossible ratios, cafeteriaduty and testing coordination.
They tell you, just advocate.
But if you've actually tried it, you know what happens.
Most of the time, advocacyfeels like you're shouting into
(00:21):
the void.
You bring your data, you tie itto student outcomes, you
explain it a dozen differentways and still nothing changes.
Maybe it even gets a littleworse.
Suddenly you're handed anotherresponsibility in retaliation or
you find yourself sidelined indecisions because you dared to
(00:43):
speak up.
And the answers are they'relaughably predictable.
Your admin says we don't haveroom to take you out of the
master schedule or we don't haveenough extra people to take
away your cafeteria duty.
Your organization says have youeducated your principal about
(01:04):
the national model?
Show them this list or showthem this position statement.
And the experts say just gatherthe data and y'all.
I'm a huge school counselingdata nerd, so stick with me here
.
But even I know that thatadvice is usually a brush off,
(01:26):
that that advice is usually abrush off.
The way that you have beentaught to advocate for your role
on your campus leaves too manyschool counselors feeling
exhausted, second-guessingthemselves and wondering how
long they're going to be able todo this work before they burn
out.
So today we're going to gradeschool counselor advocacy, the
hashtags, the speeches, thefeel-good slogans and the folks
(01:47):
who claim to have your back butdon't, and then we're going to
talk about what advocacy canlook like when it actually works
.
Hey school counselor, welcomeback.
In this episode of our gradedseries.
We're taking on one of thebiggest hot-button issues in our
profession advocacy.
(02:09):
You've been told it's theanswer to impossible ratios,
cafeteria duty and all the otherthings that don't belong on
your plate.
But what does advocacy reallymean and why does it so often
feel like it amounts to nothing?
And why does it so often feellike it amounts to nothing?
I'll share why the way most ofus advocate falls flat the
gaslighting you're up againstand four powerful long game
(02:33):
strategies that can actuallymove the needle.
So if you're ready for somestraight talk, my friend, a
little clarity and maybe a touchof rebellion, you're in the
right place.
I'm Steph Johnson and this isthe School for School Counselors
podcast.
All right, so let's start at thestart, because if we're going
(02:54):
to understand how advocacybecame such a big issue in
school counseling, we have toremember the start of the ASCA
national model.
It rolled out like a shiny newcar at a dealership.
It was polished, packaged andpromised to solve everything.
This was supposed to be theroadmap for what school
(03:17):
counseling is supposed to be Aclear identity, a clear set of
practices and something thatwould finally make us undeniable
.
And we bought in, we went tothe conferences, we downloaded
the templates, we committed thedomains to memory and we
memorized and recited that magic80-20 number like it was gospel
(03:42):
.
And the message was if youfollowed this model, you would
have clarity, credibility andrespect, administrators would
understand you, teachers wouldvalue you and parents would know
what you did.
But here's what happened instead.
Counselors tried to implementit and got punched in the face
(04:06):
by the reality of their campuses.
They battled master schedules,testing demands, lunch duty,
ratios that no sane human beingcan manage, and instead of
anyone saying, ok, well, maybethe model just needs to adjust
to the reality, okay, well,maybe the model just needs to
adjust to the reality, themessage became no, no, no, you
(04:29):
need to adjust.
You're the problem.
You need to advocate harder.
So now we had a framework thatwas supposed to make things
easier but, in practice, addedanother layer of pressure.
It gave us language, sure, butit also gave us one more way to
feel like we were failing.
(04:49):
And because our representativeorganization refuses to act like
anything other than a sororityof industry influencers posting
selfies, handing out plaques andcalling it leadership, that
pressure rolled downhill andit's crushing campus school
counselors, who were alreadystretched to their absolute
(05:10):
limits.
So then the call to advocacygot even louder.
You were made to believe thatit was your responsibility to
make this model fit, even thoughvery little was being done at
the representational level toback you up.
My friend, that is the verydefinition of being gaslit.
(05:37):
And in all of this, when youlooked to your so-called
representative organization forhelp, you looked to your
so-called representativeorganization for help, hoping to
see something of what realadvocacy looks like.
What did they hand to you?
Position statements, charts,infographics, articles.
You've seen them.
A position statement declaringthat school counselors are
(06:00):
advocates for the equitabletreatment of all students and
should strive to establishinclusive and welcoming learning
environments.
The one pager with the magic250 to one ratio?
Or the chart that says youshould be spending 80 percent of
your time in direct servicesnewsletter, that says advocacy
(06:27):
means communicating tostakeholders what the
comprehensive school counselingprogram is, how it makes a
difference and how it affectsthe success of all students, or
the list of ideas like these aremy personal favorites develop a
brochure, print business cardsto show you're an ASCA member or
introduce yourself with theright terminology to show you're
an ASCA member or introduceyourself with the right
(06:49):
terminology.
I mean, it sounds official maybe, but here's the problem.
Those things don't buy your wayout of the master schedule.
They don't keep you from beingassigned 504 coordination and
they don't protect you fromcafeteria duty.
And worse, when you actuallyuse these so-called advocacy
tools, they often get turnedright back on you.
(07:12):
They'll say if you're notspending 80% of your time in
direct services, maybe you'renot following the model
correctly.
Or if you're still being askedto coordinate testing, maybe you
haven't educated youradministrator enough.
Give me a break.
And then, if you hop on ASCA'ssocial media feeds, what do you
(07:37):
see?
You see pageantry.
You see quote graphics,national School Counseling Week,
hashtags, awards, selfies andplaques.
What don't you see?
You don't see a singlecoordinated call for legislative
action, no bold stands onstaffing mandates and no real
(07:58):
pushes for policy change.
Y'all it's branding.
It's not a movement.
And at this point I'd argue itwould actually be more ethical
for ASCA to rebrand itself.
They ought to adopt a name thatcalls it what it really is.
I suggest the SCTA SchoolCounseling Tools Association,
(08:23):
because tools are what theyprovide Position statements,
charts, infographics, toolswithout strategy, tools without
teeth and tools that shift theburden right back onto you.
And if all of that soundsfamiliar, it's probably because
you've seen the same playbook inother corners of our profession
(08:45):
the teachers, pay teachersfolks, the Instagram and TikTok
influencers, the ones that aredesperate to use Ask a Language
to legitimize their ownprintable packs or personal
brands Y'all it's all the samehustle, package the tools,
polish them up with some catchytaglines and sell them as a
(09:08):
solution.
Meanwhile, who ends up carryingthe real weight?
You do, the campus counselor,who's told that if the wrench
doesn't work, you must beholding it wrong.
This is the advocacy myth, whenwe try to advocate through
(09:29):
these printable materials andfeel-good language, with no real
systemic change and constantreminders that it's always your
responsibility to make the modelfit, even when the system
refuses to back you up, refusesto back you up.
(09:52):
I've told this story before,but this is how I conceptualize
advocacy in school counseling.
The way that you were taught toadvocate looks a little bit
like this Imagine youradministrators and stakeholders
for your school all gatheringtogether in a quaint little
cottage somewhere sitting downto have some tea and as they're
(10:13):
sitting down and looking forwardto the conversation, maybe
talking through next steps forthe campus or whatever the goals
might be, all of a suddensomeone comes blazing out of the
forest up to the cottage andstarts beating on the windows
and doors and they're yellingthings like hey, hey, you got to
(10:34):
let me in.
You've got to listen to me.
There is a better way.
I know how to do it.
You've got to let me in.
I've got to tell you how we cando this better.
This isn't fair.
We need to change things.
We've got to do it right now.
What?
This isn't fair.
We need to change things.
We've got to do it right now.
What are the people in thecottage going to do?
Are they going to open the doorand say sure, come on in, crazy
(10:55):
person, come shout at us somemore?
Or are they going to lock thewindows and doors and make sure
they keep you out?
So many school counselors havebeen told if you just print
these materials and present themto your administrator, they
should do the trick.
Have another meeting, haveanother conversation, present
some more information andeventually you will wear them
(11:17):
down.
That is the same as runningaround beating on the windows
and the doors.
What we ought to be doing ispositioning ourselves in a way
that we get invited in throughthe front door, where there's an
open invitation that's extended, where people are glad to see
(11:38):
us show up and they want to hearwhat we have to say.
But when we try to browbeatfolks with all of this
information, it never works, andif you've tried it, you know it
does not work.
I have advised and mentoredthousands of school counselors
across the country and I cantell you honestly, 100 percent,
(12:02):
I have never, ever, ever heardof the typical school counseling
advocacy approach workinganywhere.
There has to be a better way.
So if we're going to gradewhere school counselor advocacy
stands today, well, I'm sure itdoes not surprise you to know
(12:23):
that it doesn't exactly make thehonor roll.
Surprise you to know that itdoesn't exactly make the honor
roll.
I'm going to give it a D+.
Here's why the plus comes fromthe fact that school counselors
are speaking up more than everbefore.
We are naming our roles.
We are putting language outthere that says this is what
(12:44):
school counseling should be and,to be honest, that is progress
compared to where we were 20years ago.
But that flip side of it is, ourapproaches are so reactive and
surface level.
It's like standing in a cornerbegging for recognition instead
(13:05):
of building undeniable influencein a room that was opened for
you.
It's like burning out whileyou're drowning and you're
wondering why nobody's throwingyou anything to hang on to.
So our current state of schoolcounseling advocacy gets a D+.
It's well-intentioned in someways, but it's not strategic
(13:28):
enough.
And it looks good on paper but,honestly, is not moving the
needle.
Now that may make you cringe alittle bit, because I will bet
that you've been trying.
You've sent the emails, you'vehad the meetings, you've shared
the charts and you've doneeverything the so-called experts
(13:49):
have told you to do.
Our lack of progress in thefield of school counseling is
not because of lack of effort.
It's for lack of power.
We don't have the leadership todrive it home and that's why
we're stuck at a D+.
And the truth is we can'tsettle for that, not when the
(14:11):
stakes are this high, not whenour students need more from us
now than they ever have.
So the question becomes whatdoes it take to raise the grade?
If the version of advocacy thatwe've been handed leaves us
pounding on windows or standingin a corner begging for
recognition, then what does realadvocacy actually look like?
(14:36):
Well, I'll tell you.
It's not about adding morenoise to the mix.
It's not about making moreposters or quoting each other
more, or presenting one morestakeholder presentation.
Real advocacy is about power.
It's about shifting systems sothat you're not asking to be
(14:58):
seen.
You're already positioned atthe table.
This is going to be difficultwithout strong representation,
and if you feel like I'm leaninghard on ASCA right now, you are
right, because I am hoping,against all hope, that these
folks are going to listen andunderstand what I am trying to
(15:19):
say.
If we do not dip our toes inthe water of true advocacy soon,
we will become obsolete.
So what can we do?
First, true advocacy requiresdata, but probably not in the
way you've been told.
It's not about cherry picking afew weeks of numbers to paste
(15:40):
into a chart, like you do in aramp application.
It's about consistent.
In a ramp application, it'sabout consistent, credible
evidence of how your time isused, how students are impacted
and how your work connects tocampus outcomes.
Negotiation research is clearPeople who come prepared with
(16:00):
concrete data and defined goalsare far more likely to succeed.
Data is preparation and y'allpreparation is power.
Because when you walk in a roomwith real numbers, you're not
making a plea anymore, you'remaking a case.
(16:20):
Second, advocacy requiresalignment.
I hate to break it to you, butyour administration is not lying
awake at night worrying aboutwhether you're 250 to 1 or
hitting 80-20.
They're thinking aboutattendance and test scores and
behavior and graduation rates.
So the language of advocacy hasto connect your role to their
(16:45):
priorities.
That's what negotiationresearch calls interest-based
framing, where you're focusingon shared interests, not rigid
positions.
So instead of saying I needmore counseling time because
that's what ASCA says, you sayif I'm released from all this
(17:07):
cafeteria duty, I can runinterventions that cut office
referrals by 20%.
That's the kind of advocacythat lands.
It speaks directly to what youradministrator already cares
about.
So it's going to make animpression.
Now you might be wondering howin the world am I going to know
(17:28):
how to make a statement likethat and know that I can live up
to it?
That's a tall order, right?
I can run interventions thatcut office referrals by 20%.
That's a big promise.
I have a solution around thatin just a minute, so keep
listening around that in just aminute.
(17:49):
So keep listening.
Third, advocacy is collective.
One lone counselor asking forchange is easy to dismiss, but
when teachers, parents andsometimes even students are
voicing the same message, itbecomes leverage.
This ties directly intosomething called the anchoring
effect, which says that thefirst clear offer or request in
a conversation often sets thetone for the entire discussion.
(18:12):
Imagine the difference betweenstarting a conversation with I'd
like more counseling timeversus a coalition saying we
believe our school deserves afull-time school counselor.
That anchor, especially whenit's voiced by multiple
stakeholders, changes the entireconversation.
(18:35):
And this is why I come down sohard on ASCA and its subpar
advocacy efforts.
Because if a single counselorcan shift the tone with
coalitions at the local level,imagine what a national
organization could do if itactually prioritized real
advocacy.
(18:55):
But instead we're gettingselfies and plaques and graphics
when what we should be seeingis a national education effort
in the media, pressure campaignswith school boards and
coordinated messaging thatamplifies counselors' voices at
every level.
(19:16):
And finally, advocacy requirespatience.
You will probably not getresults in one meeting or one
email or even one whole schoolyear.
Research on organizationalchange shows that small,
repeated asks, layered over time, are what create lasting shifts
(19:39):
, which means if you tried onceand nothing happened, that does
not mean you failed.
That means you took step one.
And the other part that a lotof people forget about is that
advocacy is relational.
If you want to build a longgame, you have to build rapport
(20:01):
with your administrators.
They may not always say yes towhat you want, but if they trust
you, if they believe thatyou're collaborative and
competent and consistent becausethat's what you've been showing
them they're far more likely toopen the door the next time
that you knock.
True advocacy is cumulative, yes, but it's also relational, and
(20:27):
without rapport, yourpersistence just ends up looking
like nagging.
So if you're listening andthinking, okay, I would love to
advocate in these ways, but Idon't even know where to start.
I will tell you that's exactlywhat we're doing inside of our
mastermind Now nationalcoalitions.
We can't help you there yet.
(20:49):
Stay tuned, who knows what willhappen?
But here's what we can 100% do,and I know it because we're
doing it right now.
We've built systems to help youtrack data without overwhelm,
systems that give you thesupport in a step-by-step
process that makes datacollection manageable instead of
(21:12):
intimidating.
We have also expanded our datacohort to bring in campus-level
metrics alongside of your use oftime, and we're providing the
templates and the trackers thatyou need, plus consultation that
gives you the confidence tomake bold strategic statements.
(21:33):
Remember when you werewondering how you can make those
kinds of statements to youradmin?
I can run interventions thatcut office referrals by 20%.
That's not something that youpick out of thin air or
something that sounds impressive.
That's based off of your campusdata and consultation with
people who have similar campussituations.
(21:55):
When you have the rightbackground knowledge to bring to
the table, those assertionsbecome really easy.
And we also focus hard onrelationships through our smart
school counseling framework.
So you're not just advocatingwith numbers, you're advocating
with trust and credibilitybehind you.
(22:18):
My friend, that's the work,that's the shift, and if you
want to raise your own grade inadvocacy without burning out the
mastermind, is where we aredoing it together and we are
proving that it works.
So here's what I want to leaveyou with in this episode.
I know that advocacy can oftenfeel like a waste of time.
(22:40):
I know it can feel like.
You've tried, you've pushed,you've asked and nothing has
changed.
And I know that all of thegaslighting in our industry has
enabled that little voice in theback of your mind to whisper.
Maybe it's just me, but I'mgoing to tell you, friend to
friend.
But I'm going to tell youfriend to friend, it's not you,
(23:04):
it's the system and it's thebroken version of advocacy that
we've been given.
The good news is you're notpowerless, you're not voiceless
and you don't have to settle forD plus advocacy.
Real advocacy isn't aboutbanging on doors or waving
charts around in the air.
It's about showing up withevidence, speaking the language
(23:28):
your campus already cares aboutbuilding coalitions that can't
be ignored and playing the longgame with persistence and with
trust.
That's how we stop standing inthe corner begging to be seen
and start leading from thecenter of the room, even when we
feel ignored by those that aresupposed to be representing us.
(23:51):
So if you want support for this, if you want step-by-step tools
and a place to practice theconversations with the community
that will back you up everysingle week and know your name,
that's what we have inside ofthe mastermind.
Advocacy isn't something thatyou should have to push through
(24:11):
alone.
That is exhausting.
It feels demoralizing and,frankly, makes you wonder why
you got into this field in thefirst place, this field in the
first place.
I don't want you to be there.
We always say that we arestronger and smarter together,
and I truly believe that.
I also believe in you and Ibelieve in all of us.
(24:35):
I believe that our professiondoes not have to stay stuck.
So are you with me?
I sure hope you are, because weneed all the help that we can
get.
Hey, I'm Steph Johnson.
This has been the School forSchool Counselors podcast and
I'm going to be back soon withanother episode.
(24:55):
In the meantime, I hope youhave the best week Now.
Go raise that grade and we'regoing to talk again soon.
Take care.
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