Most parents in Alabama are familiar with the phrase “AEA.” Growing up, we didn’t have spring break, we had “AEA Week.” I couldn’t tell you what “AEA Week” was for other than a week off from school during the spring.
As I grew older and slightly wiser, however, I realized that AEA was the Alabama Education Association, which is part of the National Education Association (NEA), despite what AEA members tell you. I will assume 1819 News readers are familiar with both the AEA and NEA, and fully understand the dangers these unions pose to our public schools.
However, there is another organization that is equally, if not more, alarming, of which most parents have never heard. Deeply embedded within every school across the state, this organization is pushing radical ideas directly conflicting with Alabama laws. This organization is the American School Counselor’s Association (ASCA).
A national organization in which most of our school counselors are members, the ASCA offers resources and training for counselors to stay updated on all the current trends and data. The Alabama State Department of Education even pushes the ASCA framework into every single school across the state!
Alabama public schools follow Alabama’s Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Model that was approved back in 2003! The document proudly proclaims the ASCA National Model was used extensively in the development of Alabama’s document.
The guidebook is a hefty 80+-page guide outlining the components of the counselor’s role in our schools.
Anyone that knows me knows that I not only read this entire document, but I also printed, highlighted and flagged concerning passages in it, developing a full list of questions for my district coordinator. I sent her roughly 10 of these questions back in August 2023 … I’m still waiting for her response.
To say the ASCA is deeply entrenched in our public schools is a vast understatement. Even the state level school counselor’s organization – the Alabama School Counselor Association (ALSCA) – fully aligns with the ASCA, and its mission “mirrors the American School Counselor Association’s mission.”
Why does it matter? Why am I spending all this time and energy sharing details about school counselor associations here in Alabama?
It’s because these associations are pushing radial ideologies in our schools, and no one seems to even realize it, including the counselors.
Consider the ASCA position statements. With over 100 pages ranging from student equity to anti-racist practices, their position regarding the counselor’s role when dealing with LGBTQ+ youth is very clear. “School counselors are committed to the affirmation of all youth regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression and work to create safe and affirming schools,” they say. Additionally, they “advocate for transgender, nonbinary and gender-expansive students regarding access of building facilities (e.g., ensuring a safe environment for restroom use and changing) and gender presentation (e.g., wearing a dress or pants for an orchestra or vocal performance).”
In 2022, Alabama passed two major bills that truly protected the children of Alabama from radical leftist attacks: the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act (V-CAP) and Anti-Woke Curriculum and Bathroom Act. The V-CAP law prohibits a nurse, counselor, teacher, principal or other administration office at a public school from encouraging or coercing a minor to withhold from their parents the fact that the child’s perception of their gender is inconsistent with their sex. It also prohibits school employees from withholding from a minor’s parent, information related to their child’s perceived views of inconsistency between their sex and gender. The Anti-Woke bill, requires public schools to designate restrooms/locker rooms based on biological sex assigned at birth and prohibits classroom instruction regarding sexual orientation or gender identity in K-5 schools.
It doesn’t require much research into the ASCA, and all subsequent courses based on the ASCA national framework, to realize this organization is a serious issue for our state. We have amazing laws in place protecting children and parental rights, yet we’re allowing – no, pushing – for these radical organizations to have free access to our children. Keep in mind, ASCA trained school counselors meet with public school students regularly per Alabama Department of Education standards. As long as our state continues allowing ASCA to have unlimited access to our children, they are not safe from indoctrination.
This past legislative session, Alabama joined several states in passing laws prohibiting DEI. This next session, we need a law prohibiting organizations like ASCA from having a presence in our state. If organizations push ideologies that conflict with our state laws, they should automatically be banned.
The ASCA is in every state across the country! What a great opportunity for Alabama to stand up and fight to further protect our children from indoctrination and be the front-runner in the fight!
Emily Jones is a native of North Alabama who now resides in Madison County. She started the first Moms for Liberty chapter in the state, seeking to fight for the preservation of parental rights and the protection of our children, including her own son, a student in the Madison City School District.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819news.com.
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