"Have you ever done a suicide assessment on a 2nd grader? I have and it's heartbreaking."

Watch the public statement of one of LBUSD's K-8 school counselors at the 3/15/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer

"ASCA recommends a 250:1 student to counselor ratio based on extensive research on school counselors' impact on students’ academics, social emotional and career development. I am so grateful for the work I am privileged to provide students at my school [in Bellflower], but I am troubled that my daughters and students [in LBUSD] are denied these supports. The district has over $400 million in a 'rainy day' fund. So, let me be clear--the storm is here and our students are drowning."

Watch the public statement of a LBUSD parent (and Bellflower USD TK-5 school counselor) at the 5/3/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer

"The counselors are only available one day a week....My [three college-bound] daughters have been applying for scholarships to help with the cost of college. They have been stressed--so have I--and don't understand why they have to wait for days to see their counselor to get scholarship forms signed and other support that was time-sensitive. They have missed out on scholarships due to not being able to meet with their counselors to sign the forms. This has impacted my family financially."

Watch the public statement of one of LBUSD's parents at the 5/3/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer

“What devastates me the most is that I had a student referred for self harm...and I could not do a suicide assessment on this student for 2 hours. Shouldn't this student and every student have access to a trained school counselor, especially when they're suicidal?...However, there aren't enough of us and all of our time is spent on testing, supervision and discipline.”

Watch the public statement of one of LBUSD's K-8 counselors at the 4/17/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer

"The parents of LBUSD are asking that the district...support counselors who are the first responders to our students and parents in need. Stop putting a band-aid on the problem. We need real changes. Many other districts in Orange County and LA County have achieved the 250: 1 ratio. So why not Long Beach?”

Watch the public statement of a LBUSD parent at the 4/17/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer

"The lack of school counselors is unnecessarily putting students' lives at risk -- data shows that suicide rates and self harm are at an all-time high.”

Watch the public statement of a LBUSD parent at the 4/17/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer

“If the district is serious about its commitment to equity for all students…please utilize and empower your counselors to do what we’re trained to do and allow us to do it effectively by lowering our ratios.”

Watch the public statement of one of LBUSD's elementary school counselors at the 3/15/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer

"Lunch, nutrition and before school are the best times to accommodate the students but unfortunately most counselors are required to stand and supervise their areas during these breaks making it impossible to have a one-on-one with them."

Watch the public statement of one of LBUSD's high school students at the 5/3/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer

“In the last 2 weeks I have conducted 6 suicide and self-harm assessments…As a counselor, I make a daily pledge to my students that they are safe both physically and emotionally. Learning does not take place if students don’t feel safe. The events of the past two weeks are data points to me that the pledge I make is jeopardized because the number of students on my caseload [800+] far exceeds the nationally suggested ratio of 250 students to 1 counselor.”

Watch the public statement of one of LBUSD's K-8 school counselors at the 3/1/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer

"School counselors are asking for the implementation of school counseling standards because none of us would send our own children to schools where the teachers didn't have standards...so why is it different for school counselors?”

Watch the public statement of one of LBUSD's high school school counselors at the 5/3/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer

"As a freshman in high school...I was very overwhelmed. I went through extreme culture shock and I didn't know that I could get help from a counselor. I didn't have an actual relationship with my counselor until my senior year."

Watch the public statement of one of LBUSD's high school students at the 4/17/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer

"When mental health and suicidal ideation rates are at its peak it is imperative that school counselors are given the appropriate duties to support all LBUSD students. We can no longer afford to be silent because our students' success, their well-being and their lives depend on it.”

Watch the public statement of one of LBUSD's elementary school school counselors at the 3/1/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer

"A student and counselor relationship has always been important for some more than others. Some counselors have served as second and first parents to a large number of students and even acting as role models for them to look up to....In order to make my peers, your students, and even some of your children succeed, I want all of our students to have a better chance of success with counselors being more accessible."

Watch the public statement of one of LBUSD's high school students at the 5/3/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer

"We are asking that the district take the bold step to develop a comprehensive school counseling program and support counselors who are the first responders to our students and parents in need.”

Watch the public statement of one of LBUSD's high school school counselors at the 3/15/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer

"I implore the members of the Board to ensure that the $126.1 million dollar budget that is scheduled to be approved next month includes funding for more school counselors as they are uniquely positioned and highly trained professionals who want to provide this for our youth but are severely limited with the unrealistic student to counselor ratios and unmanageable administrative duties they are tasked with.”

Watch the public statement of a LBUSD parent at the 5/3/23 Board meeting: English / Espanol / Khmer