Lia Rivero, a student at Urban Dove TEAM Charter School in New York, paints a troubling picture of her education journey: \"Nobody's encouraging me to do anything… There's no counsellors in my school. It's really bad.\" Her experience highlights a systemic gap in counseling access disproportionately affecting students of color in underfunded districts nationwide.
Data reveals US schools serving majority Black and Latino students have one counselor for every 537 students – far below the 250:1 ratio recommended by the American School Counselor Association. Urban public schools are often hardest hit, with counselors juggling administrative duties over student support.
The ACLU estimates 1.7 million students attend schools with police officers but no counselors. Mental health advocates argue this reflects racialized resource allocation, noting schools in wealthier, predominantly white areas typically offer robust college guidance and emotional support systems.
Youth organizers from groups like the Education Trust are pushing legislation to mandate counselor-to-student ratios nationwide. \"We're seeing Gen Z demand educational equity as a civil rights issue,\" says policy analyst Jamal Carter. \"This isn't about individual schools – it's about valuing all futures equally.\"
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
