Counselors, Not Cops

School climate must be prioritized

• How school safety measures are implemented will affect school climate.
• Academic achievement and positive behaviors increase in school environments where students and staff feel physically and emotionally safe, connected, fairly treated, and valued. [1]
• GPA affects subsequent delinquency.[2]
• Schools that do not make climate a priority often rely heavily on removing at-risk students.

Authoritative discipline balances strict rules with warm support.

• An authoritative school climate, which combines strict but fair rule enforcement with a high level of support (e.g., warmth, praise, and respect) improves school safety.[3]
• Authoritative discipline also reduces peer victimization.

Law enforcement embedded in schools erodes school climate

• School Resource Officers increase suspensions, school-based arrests and court referrals.[4]
• School hardening measures, like metal detectors, and greater police presence in schools cause staff, students and families to feel less welcome and are not conducive to learning.[5]
• Schools reliance on law enforcement for discipline reduces the interaction between students and supportive staff, such as guidance counselors.

School counselors improve school climates

• Lowering the student-to-counselor ratio reduces the number of students involved in disciplinary incidents and the likelihood of repeated offenses, especially for minority and low-income students.[6]
• Adding one counselor to an elementary school can reduce the misbehavior of both boys and girls by roughly 20% and 29%, respectively, and improve boys’ test scores.[7]
• Counselors focus on addressing students’ unmet needs and addressing root causes of misbehavior.
• Counselors are skilled at helping educators design academic and behavioral interventions.
• Helping administrators design and implement comprehensive mental health strategies and improve school climate.

Invest in Counselors, not Cops

• Approximately 200 Florida schools do not have a counselor.[8]
• The counselor to student ratio, which is nearly double the recommended ratio, has grown by 9% over the last 10 years.[9]
• In the 2016 school year, students had a better chance of getting a cop’s attention at school than a social worker’s or psychologist’s.