Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful

[Anonymous]

We recently moved to MCPS and have just engage a counselor at one of the schools. The counselor is very unhelpful. What can we do to help our child? She would contact teachers directly or go to the principal?

[Anonymous]

It's hard to know how to advise without more information. What are you hoping to achieve by reaching out to the counselor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's hard to know how to advise without more information. What are you hoping to achieve by reaching out to the counselor?

+1 What level of schooling and what information?

At any rate, involving the principal is the wrong choice. If this is HS, start with the resource counselor.

[Anonymous]

Why would you need to contact teachers at this point? Does your child have an IEP or 504 and you’re hoping to share accommodations? I’m confused as to what is needed. If you clarify, we might be able to help you more.

[Anonymous]

You don't 'engage' a school counselor: they serve the entire school community, and their job goes way beyond just talking with individual students. What do you need that is not happening?

[Anonymous]

There are no teachers to contact. It’s the summer. Don’t start the year off this way.

[Anonymous]

It's the summer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We recently moved to MCPS and have just engage a counselor at one of the schools. The counselor is very unhelpful. What can we do to help our child? She would contact teachers directly or go to the principal?

Responses above are all from MCPS staff.

Call the principal. It is her/his job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We recently moved to MCPS and have just engage a counselor at one of the schools. The counselor is very unhelpful. What can we do to help our child? She would contact teachers directly or go to the principal?

Responses above are all from MCPS staff.

Call the principal. It is her/his job.

Please ignore this person. In the summer teachers don’t work, OP. Counselors can work, but probably different hours. Principals are available.

What do you need help with?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We recently moved to MCPS and have just engage a counselor at one of the schools. The counselor is very unhelpful. What can we do to help our child? She would contact teachers directly or go to the principal?

Responses above are all from MCPS staff.

Call the principal. It is her/his job.

Depending on the school, the principal has responsibility for 600 to 3600 kids. They cannot get involved in individual cases, including whatever placement OP is trying to get for her kid. Before you go to the principal, work the chain of command. If there is a resource counselor listed, cc them in. If there isn't, then cc the AP.

Contacting the principal should be a last resort, because otherwise you are going to be "that parent" for the entirety of your time in the school.

[Anonymous]

Yes, OP. Please tell us more of the story and we can give better advice.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your responses. I don't want to escalate if it is not necessary. The student is coming from a different school system and the counselor is placing them at low level classes without testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your responses. I don't want to escalate if it is not necessary. The student is coming from a different school system and the counselor is placing them at low level classes without testing.

At middle and high schools, there should be a Resource Counselor listed in the staff directory. This is the head of the counseling department.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We recently moved to MCPS and have just engage a counselor at one of the schools. The counselor is very unhelpful. What can we do to help our child? She would contact teachers directly or go to the principal?

Responses above are all from MCPS staff.

Call the principal. It is her/his job.

Depending on the school, the principal has responsibility for 600 to 3600 kids. They cannot get involved in individual cases, including whatever placement OP is trying to get for her kid. Before you go to the principal, work the chain of command. If there is a resource counselor listed, cc them in. If there isn't, then cc the AP.

Contacting the principal should be a last resort, because otherwise you are going to be "that parent" for the entirety of your time in the school.

Thank you, I understand. What exactly is counselor chain of command?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your responses. I don't want to escalate if it is not necessary. The student is coming from a different school system and the counselor is placing them at low level classes without testing.

Then yes, you can provide evidence of your child's learning and capacity to department chairs. They won't respond for awhile, but this is what happens when homeschoolers try to enroll in MCPS high schools.