The work of high school counselors' leadership for social justice: An analytic autoethnography

Ramona H. Griffin

doi:10.7273/000005907

With the American School Counselor Association's (ASCA) adoption of the National Model, school counselors are called to align their work with educational reform initiatives and provide leadership in public schools (Dollarhide, 2003). School counseling literature supporting leadership for social justice is frequently reiterated (Hatch & Bowers, 2002; Herr, 2001, Adelman & Taylor, 2002; Bemak, 2000). There is minimal discussion or definition of leadership beyond reference to instigating change, collaborating with others, and participating in decision making. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine high school counselors' understanding of their work and their experiences of leadership for social justice. The following questions guided this study: (a) How do high school counselors perceive and experience their work? (B) How do high school counselors incorporate, respond, or contribute to school reform initiatives into their work? And (c) What are the implications of such understandings for social justice and leadership in the work of high school counselors? Fourteen high school counselors were invited to participate in the study. The tasks of interviewing and observing participants opened to reflection on my 23 years of counseling. Analytic autoethnography facilitated a critical examination of my biases, values, and attitudes. Three areas of primary responsibility emerged through data analysis and were labeled intervention, guidance, and administration. The areas of responsibility demark the scope of practice relevant to the leadership of high school counselors and were defined by six attributes labeled professional socialization, problems, role, power, authority, and rewards. Participants identified the continued influence of guidance and intervention on their professional lives. Providing students with guidance and intervention, while sometimes intertwined, often competes in the time, attention, and energy that each demands. Both guidance and intervention oriented counselors to attend to the urgent and unique in students. The function, information, and concern of administration lifted counselors' attention to school-wide issues. Participants employed insights derived from guidance and intervention to inform and support their work in administration. Being drawn into conflict and resistance over reform implementation, high school counselors discussed leadership in recognizing and revising educational policy, procedure, and practice to advance opportunities for all students.

The work of high school counselors' leadership for social justice: An analytic autoethnography

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