Counselors Plan Appearance at Phila. School Reform Commission Meeting

By Mike DeNardo

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --  Guidance counselors in Philadelphia's public schools want to be sure they're not left out of the school district's blueprint for the future.

The group Philly School Counselors United took note that while superintendent William Hite's "Action Plan 2.0" outlines admirable goals including having all students graduate ready for college or careers, it doesn't specifically talk about the role of counselors -- many of whom were laid off in this year's round of budget cuts.

Heather Marcus, a spokeswoman for the group, plans to point that out to the School Reform Commission at its meeting tonight.

"They're addressing teachers and principals throughout the plan and not mentioning any other staff members in the building, such as counselors, librarians, nurses, support staff -- all of the other people who are important in the lives of the students," she told KYW Newsradio.

Members of the group also plan to lobby individual City Council members for more school funding, to pay for more support staff.

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• School District of Philadelphia
• Philadelphia