Senator Nelson introduced Bill 254-36 to define the educational and professional requirements for certified school counselors. Many school counselors attended the public hearing along with other members of the school community on Tuesday, April 05, 2022. The meeting lasted nearly five hours, and GFT Vice-President Sanjay Sharma created a brief 6-minute video that highlights some main points. Many professionals provided insight into the struggles of not defining the duties of school counselors.
As a point of further action, school counselors had an opportunity to meet with the Superintendent and GFT on April 08, 2022, to discuss further ongoing issues.
This process shows that active members move issues. GFT assisted in the grievance process, working through steps one through three. The unresolved issues went to the Guam Legislature for action, all pushed through with active members. In reflection, President Tim Fedenko stated, “I applaud the counselors and the exemplary example of democracy in action. If workers had rights to enforce collective bargaining agreements, then maybe this would have been resolved sooner. I support the school counselors in asking for a clear description of duties. That is what Bill 254-36 does.”
Part 1 Public Testimonies (full video)