Meet the Counselor

Meet the School Counselor

Tammy P. Roth, M.Ed., Licensed School Counselor, has been serving the Morris Area School District with dedication and compassion since 1994. She is committed to fostering a positive, supportive, and engaging school experience for every student.

Professional Background

Tammy began her career in education as a K–12 music teacher and, after completing her master’s degree, transitioned into school counseling. Since then, she has supported students in a variety of meaningful roles, including serving as a K–12 licensed school counselor at Morris Area Schools; a high school counselor at Fergus Falls High School; a school-based elementary counselor through a community mental health agency; and as a chemical dependency counselor for teens and adults at Lakeland Mental Health Center in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.

When Tammy began in the district, counseling services were provided by three licensed school counselors, with Tammy serving grades K–6. Over time, staffing shifted to two counselors, expanding her role through 8th grade. For nine years, Tammy served as the district’s sole K–12 licensed school counselor, supporting more than 1,000 students.

Tammy helped establish the Morris Area Elementary School counseling program during its second year and is proud to have built a comprehensive counseling program aligned with the ASCA National Model. Since 2016, she has served full-time at Morris Area Elementary School.

Her commitment to excellence has been recognized at both the regional and state levels. Tammy was named the West Central Counselors Association Elementary Counselor of the Year in 1998 and received the Minnesota School Counselor Association Multilevel School Counselor of the Year Award in 2009. These honors reflect her long-standing dedication to student well-being, advocacy, and the advancement of the school counseling profession.

Trainings & Certifications

Tammy has completed specialized training and holds certifications that support student safety, social/emotional learning, and crisis response. Her professional trainings and service roles include:

• ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Facilitator

• American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Volunteer

• ICISF Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Certified

• QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Trainer

• RADkids Instructor

• REAL Game Instructor/Trainer

• Second Step Instructor

• zero abuse PROJECT Instructor

These trainings and service experiences strengthen Tammy’s ability to provide developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed, and responsive support to students, families, and staff.

Animal-Assisted Activities

Animal-assisted activities are a valued part of the MAES counseling program. In 2013, under the leadership of Superintendent Scott Monson, Tammy trained with retired narcotics K9 Mercer to become his certified therapy dog team handler. Together, Tammy and Mercer supported students through calm, encouraging, relationship-based interactions.

While in Tammy’s care, Mercer sired two exceptional litters of puppies. His son, Hank, was selected as a therapy dog prospect and joined the program. For several years, Mercer and Hank alternated days at MAES so students always had access to a therapy dog team.

Mercer served for 10 years as a therapy dog, following a 5-year career as a narcotics K9 with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office in North Dakota. Today, Hank continues to provide animal-assisted activities and has been joined by Bakster, Mercer’s grandpup. Both Hank and Bakster are registered/certified therapy dogs and R.E.A.D.® (Reading Education Assistance Dogs).

Leadership & Professional Service

Tammy has been an active leader in both her community and her profession. Her professional service includes:

• Leadership roles in the Minnesota School Counselors Association (MSCA):

  • West Central Representative

  • Treasurer

  • President-Elect

  • President

  • Past President
    
    

• Many years of involvement with the Morris Area Teachers Association, including serving multiple terms as President

• Multiple leadership roles in the West Central Counselors Association

• Member of Central Lakes United Governing Board (CLU is an  IO of Education Minnesota)

• Service on various committees for Education Minnesota

• Representative on the Education Minnesota Governing Board under Co-Presidents Judy Schaubach and Sandra Peterson, President Tom Dooher, and President Denise Specht
  
  

• Most recently, as the South Central Representative on the Minnesota Rural Education Association (MREA) Governing Board
  
  

Commitment to Students and Families

Tammy is passionate about supporting the academic, social/emotional, and career development of all students. She believes in building strong relationships with students, collaborating with educators, parents, and stakeholders, and creating a safe, inclusive environment where every child can thrive.