On behalf of the Rhode Island School Counselor Association, I would like to personally thank you for visiting our website. There are many issues facing today's professional school counselor such as new evaluations, recertification, decrease in school and support staff, increased class size and reduction in pay, just to name a few. At this time, more than ever, we need to unite as an association and support each other through the quality professional development which is offered through the RISCA annual Fall and Spring conferences as well as our annual Summer Institute. Of course, our monthly governing board meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at various locations throughout the state and are open to all RISCA members. I firmly believe that involvement in these activities is your chance to be a school leader and begin to take ownership of our evolving profession. Professional development allows our members to be on the cutting edge of school reform initiatives, while it helps us network with other school counselors in our small state.

On a personal note, I spent four days in Savannah, Georgia this past summer attending the Learning Development Institute (LDI) offered by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) with President-elect Tom Dukes and former ASCA President and RISCA Co-executive Director Pat Nailor. I was invigorated by the support and energy generated by all of the school counselor association participants from across the fifty states. Though it was a scorching 100 degrees in Savannah, the ASCA motto of "One Vision, One Voice" was heard loud and clear as I made lifelong connections with counselors in California, Texas, North Dakota, Oklahoma, New Hampshire and several other states. The message we heard was is quite simple - GET INVOLVED! This challenge I now pass on to my fellow RI School Counselors: attend a RISCA monthly governing board meeting, join a committee, support our conferences. RISCA is what we make of it, and I we need each and every one of you to do a bit more to let our voices be heard. As I tell my students each year, "No one can do everything, but everyone can do something" (author unknown). Together we can be the support system to help lead RI School Counselors away from the stereotype of the guidance counselor from the past to a school counselor of the future, helping our students meet their career, personal, and social/emotional goals.

All my best,


Russ Paone, RISCA President
Rhode Island School Counselor Association