School Counselors - Helping Students Rule Their Experiences (GSCA 2025 Annual Conference)
Beyond the Language Barrier: Advocating for English Language Learners
Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 11:30 AM–12:30 PM EST
Magnolia BCD (Marriott) (140 seats)
Target Audience
All Levels
Additional Target Audience (e.g. Target Audience is School Administrator with an Additional focus on Elementary)
All Levels
Primary focus area of your proposal
Advocacy
Session Summary
Per ASCA, the role of a school counselor is to enhance student success in academic, career, and social-emotional development. Yet, our English Language Learners may be sitting in their classrooms, confused, isolated, frustrated, and feeling incompetent. Georgia’s ESOL program focuses on educating students to prioritize the English language, a focus that may deprioritize the home language and culture of our students. What if we advocate to embrace, intertwine, and provide adequate resources instead.
Presenters
Mirna Wynn, Atlanta Public Schoos, King Middle School
Bianca Garcia, Georgia State University, Graduate Student
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