116. Podcast Takeover Edition: Cassie Good on The Power of a School Counseling Advisory

Carol: Hey there, counselor friends.

I'm so excited to introduce today's guest takeover on Counselor Chat.

This episode is led by the incredible Cassie Good,

an elementary school counselor from Kansas who's passionate about advocacy and building systems of support.

Cassidy's diving into something that can truly transform your program.

The power of a School Counseling Advisory Council.

And whether you've been thinking about starting one or have no idea where to begin,

Cassie's stories,

strategies and inspiration will give you the boost you need to take that first step.

So, my friends, go grab your favorite drink,

get cozy and let Cassie guide you through how an advisory council changed everything for her and how it can do the same for you.

You're listening to the Counselor Chat podcast, a show for school counselors looking for easy to implement strategies,

how to tips, collaboration, and a little spark of joy.

I'm Carol Miller, your host. I'm a full time school counselor and the face behind counseling essentials. I'm all about creating simplified systems, data driven practices, and using creative approaches to engage students.

If you're looking for a little inspiration to help help you make a big impact on student growth and success, you're in the right place. Because we're better together.

Ready to chat? Let's dive in.

Cassie: Welcome everyone to Counselor Chat.

I'm so glad you're here.

My name is Cassie Good and I'm taking over this podcast episode today for Carol.

Today I want to talk about something that changed everything for me as a school counselor.

The power of a School Counseling Advisory Council.

So let me start with my why.

When I first started as a school counselor,

I didn't realize how isolating it would feel.

Grade level teachers had their teams, specials teachers had their team.

And there I was on my own island.

I was passionate,

I was driven and had a vision for what school counseling could be.

But I didn't have a built in support system in the building.

In those early years,

it was hard,

really hard.

I questioned if I was making a difference.

I felt invisible and overwhelmed.

I knew I was doing important work, but it felt like no one else saw it.

Finding the courage to advocate for myself and my program wasn't easy.

And the Advisory council became the tool that gave me that courage.

So that's when I discovered the power of an advisory council.

This is not just a checkbox for RAMP or a suggestion from a textbook.

It became my lifeline and my launch pad.

I pulled together a group of teachers, administrators,

staff members and even students.

People who had seen pieces of what I was doing.

Then I pulled back the curtain and showed them the whole picture.

So going back to the basics According to the Ask A National Model,

Advisory councils are not optional,

they are foundational.

ASCA recommends that school counselors establish and convene an advisory council at least twice per year.

These councils are meant to review and provide input on the implementation of the school counseling program.

They bring transparency,

alignment with school goals, and help ensure equitable access to services for every student.

When your stakeholders understand the scope of what you do and why it matters,

you shift from being the only one advocating for your program to building a team that advocates with you.

My homegirl Michelle Obama once said,

when you've worked hard and done well and walk through that doorway of opportunity,

you do not slam it shut behind you.

You reach back.

And that's what this is all about.

Reaching back,

reaching out,

and pulling people into the conversation about school counseling.

We can't do this alone,

but we can build momentum together.

Through this process, I strengthened relationships with teachers,

parents, students,

and administrators.

Instead of being just the quote, unquote counselor,

I became a collaborator.

Teachers began reaching out with ideas for classroom topics.

Parents felt more connected and confident in the work I was doing.

My admin began to see school counseling as proactive,

not reactive.

We used the council to brainstorm classroom topics based off of what was happening in our building.

We prioritized prevention because here's the truth.

Without a clearly defined program,

school counselors start to feel like 91 1.

Constantly putting out fires,

constantly reacting,

never having time to prevent.

That's exhausting,

unsustainable,

and not what our students deserve.

And let me be honest.

My role wasn't just school counseling.

I was also the building gifted coordinator,

the person giving intelligence assessments for both gifted and special education evaluations.

I was the 504 coordinator,

the virtual learning online coordinator,

and the state testing coordinator.

Heck, it felt like I had more job titles than time.

But I knew I had to find a way to advocate for the recommended 80% direct and indirect student services and only 20% on program support and system support.

I knew I couldn't do that if no one understood what was actually taking my time.

So through my advisory council, I broke it down.

I showed that time on task analysis chart.

I created a presentation,

handouts, and shared information about outside resources I could connect families with.

I shared APCOM data.

For example,

I had a small group of third grade students who were really,

really struggling with emotional regulation.

Through a targeted counseling group,

we focused on problem solving and emotional management strategies.

As a result,

we saw a noticeable decrease in ISS and OSS referrals for those students.

That data told a story.

It showed that school counseling was not just support.

It was prevention and intervention.

It showed that I was one more person on their side making a difference in their lives.

That's when my principal asked me the golden question.

Cassie,

what non counseling task would you say is taking away from your program the most?

And I didn't even blink.

I said intelligence testing.

I told them flat out that for two hours a day,

school counseling is closed.

There's no one in the building doing what our students need because I'm in a room giving an IQ test.

And here's the ripple effect.

Our district school counseling leader was actually in the room because she heard and saw the data.

The district was able to hire a full time testing diagnostician.

That move didn't just change my schedule. It reshaped how the district viewed the role of school counselors.

It gave me more time in the program.

If you don't fill the space with what matters in your program,

honestly, your admin will fill that in for you.

If they don't know what you're doing,

they will make assumptions.

My counseling friend, Olivia Carter has said it.

School counseling is not the drunk drawer of the school.

And yet,

too often,

we become the go to for every extra task because people don't understand what we should be doing.

This is why the advisory council matters.

It's your space to advocate for more in and not just less out.

It's where you put your program on display,

not just with words,

but with impact.

Look at your school improvement plan or your sip.

Align your school counseling goals with those district priorities.

One of our district SIP goals was to increase belonging.

I saw the chance to connect school counseling to that goal.

With the support of my administrator, I wrote a grant for a TV display in the hallway that showcased positive messages written by students and staff.

It became a way for students to feel seen,

valued and part of the community.

And it tied directly to our building goal of increasing attendance through belonging to that's school counseling as intervention.

That's how we prove our value.

If you're thinking about starting an advisory council,

here's what I recommend.

Be intentional about who you invite.

Make sure you have diverse voices,

diverse grade levels, roles, cultural backgrounds and perspectives.

Include a student or two who can speak on behalf of what they're seeing in the building.

And yes,

invite your administrator.

Heck,

just invite your superintendent.

The more informed people are about your program,

the more they can support and advocate for it.

Make sure you meet twice a year.

Once in the fall, once in the spring.

That's all it takes to make a huge impact.

Provide snacks.

Keep the meeting structured.

Send out an invitation letter that lays out the purpose.

Advisory council members want to know how their time matters,

so show them how you're using their feedback and insights.

One of my students mentioned in the Advisory Council that there were a lot of problems at recess.

Because of that,

I was able to launch a conflict resolution leader program where students help their peers problem solve before going to a teacher.

That never would have been on my radar if I hadn't created a space for students to speak up.

This Advisory council gave me a confidence.

These were people who helped shape the mission of the program.

They knew exactly where my time was being spent because they were part of the process.

They became advocates.

They saw how I used data to drive decisions,

identify equity gaps,

and support systemic change.

I was no longer just explaining what I was doing.

I had people around me saying it for me.

And here's the thing.

It's not easy to open up about your program and let others in.

It's vulnerable.

It's actually a little scary.

But it's also where the magic happens.

You don't grow by staying comfortable.

You grow by taking risks that are aligned with your mission.

As Brene Brown said,

vulnerability is not winning or losing,

it's having the courage to show up and be seen.

Michelle Obama also said,

there's no limit to what we as women can accomplish.

I'd take that a step further.

There's no limit to what we as school counselors can accomplish when we stop working in isolation and start building systems of support.

So show up,

let people in and share the data.

Share the stories,

and don't be afraid to ask for help.

Because when others truly see what you do,

when they see the outcomes, the heart, the strategy,

they will support you.

If you're listening to this and thinking,

I'm not sure where to begin,

here's my advice.

Start small.

Invite a few people who believe in you.

Show them your work.

Be real,

be bold,

let them in,

and then let their voices help carry your mission forward.

You don't have to have it all figured out just to take the first step.

Just start.

Start where you are.

Use what you have.

Do what you can.

That quote from Arthur Ashe has kept me grounded many times,

and I hope it encourages you too.

Thanks again to Carol for the opportunity to share.

Let's keep advocating and showing the world what school counselors are capable of.

Keep doing the work,

keep showing up.

And never forget,

you don't have to do it alone until next time.

I hope you have a great week.

Bye for now.

Carol: Wow.

I hope you're feeling as inspired as I am after hearing Cassie's stories.

From advocating with data to building meaningful connections,

Cassie reminds us that we don't have to do this work alone and that opening the door to collaboration can lead to real,

sustainable change in our schools.

I really want to send a big thank you to Cassie for taking over this episode and sharing her heart and expertise.

And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with a fellow counselor who needs a little encouragement today or the courage to start their own advisory council.

If you want to take over the podcast,

I hope you'll send me an email or get in touch with me on Facebook or Instagram Counselor Essentials because we want to hear you as well.

And as always, counselor friends keep showing up, keep doing the work and remember, you make a difference.

Until next time. I hope you have a great week.

Bye for now.

Thanks for listening to today's episode of Counselor Chat. All of the links I talked about can be found in the show notes and at counselingessentials.org podcast.

Be sure to hit follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast player and if you would be so kind to leave a review, I'd really appreciate it.

Want to connect?

Send me a DM on Facebook or Instagram at Counseling Essentials until next time. Can't wait till we chat.

Bye for now.

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