National School Counseling Week: School Counselors – Helping Students Thrive
Every student deserves the opportunity to thrive—and school counselors play a vital role in making that possible. National School Counseling Week (Feb. 3-7) is a time to recognize the incredible work school counselors do every day to support students’ academic achievement, social-emotional development and career readiness.
This year’s theme, “School Counselors: Helping Students Thrive,” highlights the ways school counselors empower, guide and advocate for students. Whether they are helping a student navigate personal challenges, develop essential life skills or plan for their future, school counselors ensure that every student has the support they need to succeed. Their impact extends far beyond the classroom, creating positive school climates, fostering resilience and ensuring equity in education.
Despite the critical role they play, many school counselors are balancing high caseloads and increasing student needs. This week is an opportunity to celebrate and advocate for the profession—because when school counselors are supported, students thrive.
I hope this week you feel valued, seen and supported for the incredible work you do for the students across the Commonwealth.
Join the celebration! Share your appreciation for school counselors on social media using #NSCW2025 and learn more from ASCA.
#HelpingStudentsThrive #NSCW2025 #SchoolCounselorsMatter #EveryChildDeservesASchoolCounselor
From the Commissioner
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has received numerous emails and phone calls related to information requests and enforcement actions by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or one of its associated agencies (e.g., U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) on school property.
The U.S. Supreme Court in Plyler v. Doe found that all children, regardless of actual or perceived immigration status, have an equal right to a free public education. This has been interpreted as meaning school districts may not require or collect proof of immigration status. However, schools can require proof of residency within the district and proof of age for enrollment.
If an immigration enforcement officer arrives at a school, it is recommended that school districts develop and implement procedures to verify the identity and legal authorization of the officer or officers.
Our goal each day is that any disruption to student learning is minimized to the greatest extent possible, so Kentucky Department of Education has developed guidance on responding to immigration issues in schools. It offers recommendations for how your district can handle these situations, while also clarifying how other regulations – including Title VI and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) – factor into these situations. The guidance document can be found on KDE’s Title III - English Learner and Immigrant Students webpage.
Kentucky Launches New Site for College and Career Exploration
WELCOME TO FUTURITI! As of Tuesday, Feb. 4, Kentuckians have a one-stop-shop for finding answers to career and education questions. During a “virtual ribbon-cutting” ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda, leaders from the Commonwealth Education Continuum launched the website, Futuriti.org. This new platform aims to help Kentuckians “find their future” by providing state-specific data about their numerous career paths and education options.
Futuriti is a first-of-its-kind platform in Kentucky and one of few in the United States. This platform aims to bridge all of the available resources that we have in Kentucky in a one-stop-shop platform.
The newly launched website features an interactive portal, called Future Finder, that can be used to explore:
- Job descriptions and wages for more than 700 careers;
- Highlights of in-demand careers;
- Cost, completion and debt information on all public and private universities, community colleges, and technical schools;
- The majors offered at Kentucky public and private universities; and
- Career pathways offered at each Kentucky high school and technical center.
The website has three main sections guiding Kentuckians in career planning, education and job entry. The education section offers financial aid assistance, scholarship links and direct links to Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority resources. Additionally, there are resources with support for educators, parents and counselors. Within the career and workforce sections of Futuriti, the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) database provides insights into regional high-demand jobs and workforce trends.
The Council on Postsecondary Education has led this work, with assistance from KYSTATS and the Kentucky Department of Education. Feedback was gathered from students across the state, education and workforce professionals, and other members of the Commonwealth Education Continuum to ensure the website is user-friendly for all audiences and contains all the information needed to make career, education and training decisions.
Kentucky Scheduling Training Information
Kentucky Scheduling - Series of training sessions to provide districts with knowledge of how Infinite Campus tools can be utilized to complete a master schedule.
The four-part series will be offered on the following dates. Each part is offered twice and all times are ET.
Part 1: Feb. 6 | 9:30-11:30 a.m. or 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Part 2: Feb. 18 | 1:30-3:30 p.m. or Feb. 20 | 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Part 3: March 6 | 9:30-11:30 a.m. or 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Part 4: March 27 | 9:30-11:30 a.m. or 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Live events and classes.
Existing on-demand and recorded training. More information available on the KSIS Training webpage.
Sesame Street Communities has developed new resources to support our youngest learners!
Make sure you check it out on the Sesame Workshop website.
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