LANSING – On Monday, Oct. 29, State Rep. Marie Donigan (D-Royal Oak) was honored as the Michigan Legislator of the Year by the Michigan School Counselor Association (MSCA) during their membership and celebration luncheon held at Troy's Marriott Hotel.
"This is a tremendous honor for me and I am thrilled to be recognized by the Michigan School Counselor Association," Donigan said. "Education is a top priority of mine and I will continue working toward making sure Michigan schools are the best in the nation. School counselors are critical to our students' success for a variety of reasons. School counselors working with our children will improve our students' ability to go to college and be properly trained for the jobs of the future."
The MSCA promotes excellence in professional school counseling by strengthening the identity and competencies of professional school counselors so that they may more effectively serve their constituents.
According to a recent report released by the MSCA, Michigan's educational environment at the dawn of the 21st century severely lacked the numbers of needed counselors, and the shortage was recognized by state legislators and reflected in the State of Michigan Public Act 288 (PA288), filed on July 10, 2000, which provided new regulations for the endorsement and licensing of school counselors and $10 million a year over three years in "an effort to double the number of school counselors."
Given Michigan's recent economic challenges, this funding is no longer available and school counseling positions are being eliminated in school districts. Michigan has the seventh highest student-to-counselor ratio in the U.S. at 634 to 1, according to data published by the American School Counselor Association (2005).
Donigan is currently working on legislation that aims to have a student-to-counselor ration of 250 to 1. Donigan said school counselors are needed by the students and need to be allowed to do what they are trained to do. She added that when enough school counselors are available doing what they are trained to do, they can have the ability to reach students before they are truants, are expelled and can help students achieve their highest potential.
"Representative Donigan was honored as Legislator of the Year for her continued support of school counselors and her role in promoting a rigorous curriculum for Michigan students," said Claudia Sowa Wojciakowski, President of the Michigan School Counseling Association. "We appreciate Representative Donigan's recognition that school counselors are key personnel in the educational system who contribute to the academic success of students within a strong curriculum." Representative Donigan's hard work advocating for Michigan's students and their need for school counselors will help Michigan become an educational leader, which is essential to our students' future and the future of our state."