THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND ADVOCACY COMMITTEE (GRAC)
The Government Relations and Advocacy Committee strives to keep the school counseling community connected with important legislative news, updates, and announcements that impact the profession. Additionally, the committee assists in providing advocacy tools and information for school counselors to utilize in order to support the school counseling profession.
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MASCA SUPPORTED LEGISLATION
Bill H.554: An Act Establishing A Comprehensive School Counseling Program
In partnership with ASCA, we have a convenient form to help advocate for bill H.554 directly to your legislators. It can take as little as two minutes to complete! This generated message speaks to the general trends across MA and how bill H.554 addresses them, though you are strongly encouraged to speak to local district concerns related to school counselors and student/community trends.
If you want to include more specific information, or if there is a follow-up conversation, please check out the campaign guide we put together for quick reference of relevant topics, data, and messaging advice.
Help us make a difference today. Together, we can make our voices heard and secure a school counselor for every student in Massachusetts.
EXTERNAL BILL ENDORSEMENTS
- Bill H.543 / S.417: An Act relative to recess for elementary and middle school students
- Bill S.369: An Act to establish the Whole Child Grant Program
Individuals interested in having MASCA endorse bills within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts must submit it to the The Government Relations and Advocacy Committee (GRAC) by utilizing the MASCA Bill Endorsement Inquiry form (see below). During established committee meetings, GRAC members will review the bill adhering to endorsement criteria guidelines. You may review the full endorsement policy here.
MASCA Bill Endorsement Inquiry Form
OTHER LEGISLATION IMPACTING SCHOOL COUNSELORS
ASCA’S Legislative Affairs has an updated list of current issues impacting school counselors. To sign up for alerts and take action on the ESSCP and other legislation, click here.
The Massachusetts Teachers Association has several legislative priorities that directly impact education, therefore impacting school counselors. These initiatives span from advocating for fully funded, sage, and diverse public k-12 schools to ensuring dignified retirement. To urge your legislators to support the MTA’s legislative agenda, click here.
ADVOCACY RESOURCES
CONNECTING WITH YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS
In order to make a difference at the policy level, we need to communicate with all stakeholders about our role as a school counselor as well as advocate for the needs of our students. It is important to build connections with our legislators as well as the legislators for the school community that we work in. There are a number of ways to do that.
1.CONTACT YOUR DISTRICT HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR
Start building a relationship with the state House Representative and Senator who represent your district. You can come visit them at the State House or locally at one of their district meetings. Introduce yourself; educate them on the important role of the school counselor; share some of your success stories as well as some of the concerns that you have for your student population; and let them know about any pending legislation that is important to you.
2.INVITE YOUR SCHOOL'S HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR
Feel free to invite your school's house representative and senator to special events that you have at your school such as Career Fairs, Scholarship Award Nights, etc. This is an awesome way to showcase the role of the school counselor, for them to see first-hand the wonderful and hard work that you do, and for them to connect with their community.
To find contact information for your state Senator or House Representative: www.malegislature.gov
PAST EVENTS:
February 5th, 2024 - Governor Maura Healey proclaimed February 5th through 9th, 2024 to be School Counseling Week, the first formal recognition of this national celebration within the Commonwealth. The proclamation focuses public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within the school systems and how students are different as a result of what school counselors do. School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.
April 14, 2021 - On April 14th, during the The Role of the School Counselor in the Post-COVID Era: Turning Advocacy into Action event, MASCA members came together to advocate on behalf of school counselors in meetings with several staff members of Massachusetts senators and representatives, including Senator Jason Lewis, Chair of the Joint Committee on Education.
March 3, 2021 - MASCA co-hosted an Advocacy 101 event with the Massachusetts School Nurse Organization, the Massachusetts School Psychologists Association, and Tremont Strategies Group. We reviewed the lifecycle of a bill and how to become stronger advocates in our day to day lives. You may still access copies of the recording and presentation.
April 20, 2020 - GRAC Chair, April Megginson, and committee member, Juliette Coatsworth, presented on 5 Tips to Advocate for Your School Counseling Program via a webinar. You may still access copies of the recording (password: 8Y^7G585) and presentation.
Please keep in mind that because the ASCA website was updated in late 2020, several of the links used in the presentation from April 20th, 2020 are not correct any longer. Please refer to the “Advocacy Resources” section below for the indicated resources.
February 4, 2020 - MASCA co-hosted the Be the Change: Advocacy and Leadership Workshop on Tuesday, February 4, 2020. We had over 30 participants in attendance and visited with over 17 different legislators to talk about the invaluable role of the school counselor. Join us next year to learn more about how to advocate at the state legislative level. Check out some images below from the event.
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MASCA deeply values its diverse membership and is fully committed to creating an organization where each individual is welcomed, included, respected and empowered. No person will be excluded from MASCA on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, political affiliation or military status, or for any other discriminatory reason. These activities include, but are not limited to, appointment of its Governing Board, hiring or firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and the providing of services. This policy is fundamental to the effective functioning of MASCA as an organization that supports counselors and promotes equity in our schools, districts and the Commonwealth.