FALL REPORT 2007
TSCA’s governing board met in July after the close of the TCA Leadership Conference. We established several goals for the year, including the following:
IDEA EXCHANGE AT THE TCA CONFERENCE-TSCA is seeking to augment the Idea Exchange session at the annual TCA Conference with a resource document featuring the best practice ideas from counselors across our state. Ideas will be submitted by counselors and counselor educators across Tennessee and featured on the TSCA website and in a formal document for school counselors and school counselor educators.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT-TSCA is planning a professional development workshop on coping with crises and traumatic events. The details of this workshop will be available as soon as the time and location for the workshop are finalized. This opportunity will build on the pre-conference training sponsored by TSCA at the annual TCA Conference.
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP-WANDA SHELTON
The morning session will be an overview of school shootings including the information on our shooting in Lincoln County in 1998. The title of this morning session will be "School Shootings: A Threat Assessment Perspective". I will include information on the FBI's four pronged threat assessment that can be used by school counselors and their crisis teams. I will review my research in detail and discuss the profile of a school shooter developed by the FBI in 2000. The afternoon session will be on the Bully, Victim, and By-Stander Triad as it relates to school violence. The session will include presentation of materials, presentation of current research, group discussion, role play activities, book study ideas, and each counselor will receive some tips for working with bullies in their individual schools.
ADVOCACY/GOVERNEMENT RELATIONS-
The primary focus of the Advocacy /Government Relations Committees continues to be the
promotion of National Board Legislation for School Counselors
Plans are already being formulated to promote NB Legislation in the 2007-08 legislative session, meet with the Governors’ advisors, and enlist the efforts of more teachers and counselors. Debra Watson and Randy McPherson will present sessions on NB Certification and Lobbying opportunities at the TCA annual meeting and the School Counselor Institute.
The TSCA board will meet on Sunday, November 18 to continue planning for the 2006-2007 year. Nominations for President-Elect- Elect will be held at this time.