"Harris effectively serves its students and families - Today, and today only, she met with 2 new students and their families, had an IEP conference with one of them, showed me how to run a Powerschool report, verified schedules, ensured a student was dressed properly for an interview, and covered a class so a teacher could (get something done)."
This is a good summary of what I do on a daily basis. What she didn't hear was the student who came in crying at 7:45 because she had just had a fight with her mom, or the parent who called to ask about Harris, and would Harris be a good fit for her struggling child- I get about one of those calls per week, or me telling a student not to argue with our awesome admin assistant, Mrs. M. I also communicate regularly with the 4 BHS counselors and the 7 AHS counselors who always have an "excellent candidate" for a spot at Harris. Our spots are limited, because we want to keep our class sizes at 16 (state recommendation for an alternative school), and because a small school is what makes us effective for so many of the students.
I also send and receive, as an estimate, over 100 e-mails per day. I have to constantly communicate with our staff, parents, and community partners (such as therapists, trade schools, and educational liasons). Our teachers work tirelessly to help our students earn their credits. We all make joint efforts to call parents, chase them down when they are absent, and chide them when they aren't focused on earning credits, but instead are wrapped up in family or social drama.
Of all of the positions I have had as a school counselor, this one is no doubt the most exhausting, but also the most interesting.
