Better Relations Between School-Based Counselors and Educational Consultants Is Focus of IECA Effort
by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association
A major source of frustration, based on what I hear when I travel, revolves around the strained relationship between independent educational consultants and school-based college counselors. School counselors feel that students working with consultants are often advised to keep that relationship a secret from the school counselor, leaving the advisor confused about a student’s choices and actions. Educational consultants report that school counselors often tell their students, using direct language, not to hire a consultant or face being cut-off from school assistance. School counselors worry about the message being sent when students choose to go outside of the school for advising, and consultants worry about being ‘discovered’ as involved in the process.
This seems surprising, when both the IECA Principles of Good Practice and NACAC’s Statement of Principles of Good Practice call for an honest, cooperative relationship.
Ways to improve this relationship will be brought to two meetings of regional ACACs this spring. One panel, led by Marty O’Connell of Colleges That Change Lives, was presented this past week in Jacksonville, Florida at the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling Conference (SACAC). The session, entitled “Building Bridges Between Colleagues: It’s All About Counseling Students,” included college counselors from both a public and private high school; John Gaines, associate dean, undergraduate admissions at Vanderbilt University; and IECA member Bill Dingledine (South Carolina), representing independent consultants. The title is the same at next week’s meeting of the Potomac and Chesapeake (PCACAC) chapter. I will be given the opportunity to moderate a session that includes two IECA members (Emily Snyder of Virginia and Shelley Levine of Maryland); a public and a private school counselor; and Shannon Gundy, director of undergraduate admissions at University of Maryland.
These efforts underscore an ongoing effort by IECA to reach out to school-based college advisors, find common ground, and enhance cooperation. In many communities such efforts are producing solid results.
It is still shocking to me that there are a few state or regional ACACs where independent educational consultants are mistreated: not allowed to serve as officers, facing obstacles to becoming members, and denied the right to serve on committees. Yet other ACAC groups have IECA members serving on the Board (and in one case, president) and among the most active volunteers.
As we look forward, IECA is exploring ways to find greater cooperation with NACAC and regional groups, particularly as we plan conferences, training programs, and more throughout the country. The IECA College Committee will also be looking for opportunities to improve relationships, and enhance respect and mutual cooperation.
Related posts:
- National Survey Suggests Students Gain Little Help from High School Counselors in College Search
- IECs and School Counselors: What Do We Have in Common?
- School District Moves to Contract with Educational Consultants for College Advising; are we moving toward the tipping point?
- Looking Back and Ahead: NACAC and Educational Consultants
- Information Dump: The Summer Training Experience for Upcoming Independent Educational Consultants
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college consulting,educational consulting,IECA member consultants,Independent Schools,school-based counselors | 
Tagged: admissions, changes in consulting practices, college committee, college consulting, guidance counselors, independent consultants, NACAC, Principles of Good Practice, school-based counselors
Thanks, Mark. I would like to learn more about the efforts being made to “bridge the gap”, foster cooperation between IECs and hs counselors. Wish I could attend some of the meetings/sessions you describe….My goal is to talk to my local hs guidance dept. when I’ve been up and running for a year or so to explain what I do, etc.
Mark, Thanks for letting the membership know about these sessions. How to help school personnel better understand what we do, how we do it, and why has been the “hot topic” of discussion at both the fall and spring IECA College Committee meetings this year (open to all student, associate, and professional members attending the Conferences) as well as at the monthly phone conferences of the Standing Committee.
I appreciate the opportunity to be part of the panel at PCACAC — to speak not only about my personal experiences as a consultant, but, as the outgoing Chair of the College Committee, to share the wider perspective from the general membership, many of whom, like Pam, want to work towards building relationships with school based counselors that will benefit all the students we work with.
As IECA’s organizational leadership transitions for 2010-2011, continuing this initiative to help consultants develop positive relationships with their local schools remains a top priority.
Following the panel at PCACAC I intend to write up the best ideas and print them in an upcoming issue of Insights.
Mark,
I wish this could be sent to all the state/regional MACAC presidents. Maybe NACAC would be willing to have a session discussing this at their Leadership training session for the state/regional folks.
Valerie
Valerie, a terrific idea. I’d add that it would be terrific if IECA members joined with local school counselors to present similar sessions at all of the regional ACACs (too many for IECA staff to do, so we need members to step forward). The idea of adding this to NACAC trainings is right on.
We are very fortunate because Claire Cafaro is a past President of NJACAC and even though she became an IEC after many years at Ridgewood High School she has blazed a trail for all of us in New Jersey. She is highly respected and we are very proud of her. She is also a respected and active member of HECA. I also try to forge active relationships with many school-based counselors and I attend a bus tour every summer that is run by the New Jersey School Counselors Association that I try not to miss. It is organized by retired Guidance Counselors Carmine and Carol Venes from Cranford High School who are just marvelous and do this out of the goodness of their hearts. It is a wonderful tour and I get to know many fantastic high school counselors with whom I have forged terrific friendships over the past number of years. We do have a lot in common and there is no reason that we cannot work together on behalf of the children and families that we serve!
with a warm smile,
Carolyn