Running head: THIS I BELIEVE

This I Believe
Zoe Romero
Seattle University
EDUC 520


Running head: THIS I BELIEVE "

Abstract
Social Justice is deeply rooted within the professional practice of school counseling. The
essence of the school counselor position is to ensure equal and equitable education for all
students. Counselors possess a position within the school that promotes work on behalf of the
students. Advocating for the underserved and underrepresented populations promotes a school
climate that is promoting social justice. Counselors must also be accountable for identifying
barriers to learning. It is human nature to resist change, which can be a roadblock for
interventions. Counselors can gain buy-in from educators and community members by
collaboration and forming alliances. Collaboration, cultural competency and critical thinking
serve as necessary skills to promote social justice. By incorporating social advocacy into the
counseling processional practice, we can work towards creating a system that promotes a holistic
approach to academic achievement for students.


Running head: THIS I BELIEVE #

Social Justice and School Counseling
Social justice is incorporated into school counseling on many different levels. A social
justice lens is essential to counseling in order to reduce institutional and societal barriers students
face. School counselors are situated within schools to serve as advocates and empower students.
Counseling must focus on open and meaningful dialogue. Students also deserve the right to
voice their opinions and feel empowered. Counseling never involves making assumptions about
the students personal experiences. Counselors must learn, unlearn, and relearn the effects of
oppression on students. Social justice in schools means challenging the status quo and becoming
a change agent. In turn, they will achieve a school climate that supports equal and equitable
education. The creation of a just education system involves the ability to provide students with
the strongest and most effective services available. A counselor who promotes social justice will
collaborate and form alliances with school and community stakeholders to provide necessary
services.
$% What do you believe is your responsibility in promoting social justice in your
professional practice?
I believe it is my responsibility to be an advocate for all students and hold ourselves
accountable for effective change. It is our job to ensure underserved and underrepresented
students receive the services they need. Counselors need to utilize formal and informal data to
evaluate existing programs and identify at-risk populations. They are also required to implement
services that align with the students belief system. If an intervention is not effective, the
counselor needs to assess the cultural implications of the intervention. Social justice involves a
sense of curiosity. It is our responsibility to be culturally competent and come from a place of
learning. Counseling cannot follow the banking method of information sharing. Paulo Freire
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(1993) believed students received and stored knowledge for the purpose of learning. Freire
preferred learning to be free and emerge through the experience we have with the world and each
other. Counselors cannot make assumptions because they are not the expert on the students life.
The student is the expert. We must learn from our students just as much as they learn from us.
"% How can you/will you promote social justice in your roles as a professional? What
personal challenges or barriers do you expect to face? What systemic or organizational
roadblocks do you expect to face? How will you deal with those potential roadblocks?
Change starts with dialogue that is meaningful and purposeful. School counselors are
positioned within a school to work toward social justice and focus on strategic interventions to
remove barriers to learning. Social justice will be promoted by looking at education from
multiple perspectives. Social justice also needs to be promoted by challenging the status quo. I
expect to encounter barriers when discussing the impact of oppression on schools. People can
possess oppressive thoughts and behaviors and consider them as, the natural order of things
(pp. 32, Bell, 2007). This internalized domination can be hard to recognize because it
normalizes internalized feelings of privilege. Creating an open dialogue to discuss the impact of
intentional and accidental oppression begins with a conversation. This will be one of the ways I
will bypass the system and organizational roadblocks. Collaborating with all necessary
stakeholders will help overcome the adversity of new beginnings.
#% What skills do you possess that will enable you to make a difference? How will you use
these skills? What skills will you target for further development? Why?
I possess the ability to collaborate, be culturally competent, and critically think. I will use
my ability to collaborate by working with like-minded groups and individuals to advocate for
underrepresented groups. Collaboration also needs to happen on state and federal levels. Much
of the funding that is allocated to schools and their counseling department is linked to data driven
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decisions. Ayvanzian (2004) states, Like waves upon the shore, we are altering the landscape-
but exactly how, may be hard to discern (pp.628). We are never fully aware of the affect we
might have on a schools students, and often cannot measure the extent of our impact.
Collaboration is important to highlight our impact on a school and secure funding for counseling
positions. Our schools are becoming more diverse each day. Cultural communication is a
necessary skill to work with the variety of cultures and subcultures. It is important to use
universal guidance, and recognize the unique aspects of each student. A combination of universal
and individual services will bring the most positive impact to a school. Finally critical thinking is
a skill I will use to make a difference. I am always challenging what is assumed by myself and
others. I have broadened my scope of social justice and will use this new knowledge to be
accountable for my beliefs and actions. I will use critical thinking to connect my new knowledge
to experience. Positive impact will result from fusing the relationship of ideas and social
engagement.

Conclusion
In order for school counselors to have deep understanding of the complexity of
oppression and social justice, we cannot depend solely on scholarly articles and philosophical
positions. We must examine and share our own personal stories. We cannot fight for social
change alone and need to work together to improve a broken education system. Counselors need
to challenge the status quo and speak up for their own believes. If they are unable to do so, they
will not be able to help students find their voices. Through personal narratives we can develop
motivation for social change and advocacy.

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References
Ayvanzian, A. (2004). Interrupting the cycle of oppression: The role of allies as agents of
change. In Adams, M, Bell, L.A., & Griffin, P (Eds.), Reading for diversity and social
justice (2
nd
ed., pp. 625-628). New York, NY: Routledge
Bell, L.A. (2007). Theoretical foundations. In Adams, M, Bell, L.A., & Griffin, P (Eds.),
Reading for diversity and social justice (2
nd
ed., pp. 21-26). New York, NY: Routledge.
Freire, P. (1993). Pedagogy of the oppressed. (pp. 91-93). London, England: The Continuum
International Publishing Group.