2024-2025 WSCA Elections

2024-25 WSCA Board Elections Application Deadline - January 8, 2024!

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Interested in learning more about what it means to be a WSCA board member?

Watch the video below from the WSCA Nominations and Elections committee.  

Questions? Contact the committee via email at board@wscaweb.org.  

The Wisconsin School Counselor Association (WSCA) needs dedicated school counselor-advocates to become members of the WSCA Governing Board of Directors.  The WSCA Board is focused on creating conditions so Wisconsin School Counselors can practice with the highest level of effectiveness using an equity lens.

WSCA continues to play a vital role in promoting the profession of school counseling to stakeholders at the state, regional and national level.  It is through the dedication of the members of the WSCA Board that we ensure school counselors remain leaders in the field of education.

We strongly encourage school counselors interested in having a significant impact on our profession to serve on the WSCA Governing Board of Directors.  We are currently seeking Board of Director candidates to represent the diverse needs and perspectives of all Wisconsin school counselors. This is a three-year commitment. The WSCA board consists of a nine member Board of Directors. The board adheres to the Policy Governance model and works separately from the WSCA Directors of Operations leadership team.

Applications will be accepted until January 8, 2024, at which point the Elections Committee will vet the candidates and select a slate of three to be brought before the WSCA Board of Directors for approval to be voted upon by WSCA membership for election.

Candidate application information is provided below.  If you have questions, please contact Katie McCormick, WSCA Board Election Committee Chair at board@wscaweb.org.

WSCA BOARD CANDIDATE APPLICATION

Thank you for your willingness to become a candidate for the Wisconsin School Counselor Association Governing Board of Directors.  We appreciate and encourage your dedication to providing leadership for the profession of school counseling.

Each candidate must complete and submit the following application items via this link https://forms.gle/zptYFbJtGmTT5xq1A no later than January 8, 2024. 

Your resume is an important part of the application as it outlines your experience as a school counselor and leader.  
 
Professional Resume
 
The resume is scored using a rubric as part of the candidate selection process, make sure to list your leadership experiences. You are encouraged highlight informal and formal leadership experiences and confirm dates for accuracy.  
 
Examples may include: board member position, leadership roles held outside of school, leadership training and/or courses, leadership experiences related to school counseling such as department lead, ACP committee chair, PBIS coordinator, homeless liaison presenting at conferences, previous WSCA involvement (committee work, leadership academy, article writer, etc.)  

Applicants will submit a professional photo (color or black & white) in a jpeg or png format that is no smaller than 2 ½” x 3″. 

Note the photo is not a part of the application review process. The picture will be used if you are moved forward by the board to be on the slate. 

All applicantss must confirm they meet the following minimum Board of Director qualifications:

  • WSCA member in good standing.
  • Current school counselor license from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
  • Minimum of three years of experience as a professional school counselor at the time of application.
  • Employed as a school counselor, faculty in a school counselor education program, or a recently retired aforementioned position.
  • Have demonstrated leadership experience

Essay questions are scored using a WSCA Board approved rubric that assesses the quality of response to the question posed below.  

Read the board created ENDS statement below:
 
WSCA Global End Statement: The Wisconsin School Counselor Association exists so there are conditions enabling Wisconsin School Counselors to practice with the highest level of effectiveness using an equity lens to the extent that justifies available resources.

With this in mind, why are you interested in serving as a WSCA Board Member? (Approximately 150-250 words)

Strong answers include reflection on how equity shapes your work as a school counseling leader.

Essay questions are scored using a WSCA Board approved rubric that assesses the quality of response to the question posed below.  

Picture yourself as a proud member of the WSCA Board of Directors. 

WSCA values these six leadership skills:
  • Communication Skills
  • Collaboration Skills
  • Perspective Taking
  • Flexibility
  • Thoughtful/Insightful
  • Ability to Have Tough Conversations
Pick 3 of the 6 skills above and provide an example for each of how you use that skill as a school counseling leader.

(Approximately 150-200 words per skill)

Essay questions are scored using a WSCA Board approved rubric that assesses the quality of response to the question posed below.  

Here are 5 principles that the WSCA Board values:

  • Professionalism
  • Willingness to Learn
  • Creative/Innovative
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Accountability

Choose 1 principle and share how this shapes you professionally as a school counselor. How will this be incorporated into your role as a WSCA Board member?

(Approximately 300-500 words)

Provide the name, title, phone number, and e-mail of two professional references.

Note that WSCA will contact your references in place of a written letter of recommendation. 

Please make your references aware they will be receiving communication directly from WSCA. 

If elected, you must agree to the following board requirements and expectations.  

Maintain a WSCA membership in good standing at your own expense.

Maintain an ASCA Professional Membership at your own expense.

Be prepared for and attend WSCA Board meetings and events outlined below, in addition to other meetings that may be requested by the board. Attendance at Board meetings and events is expected to be similar to those below throughout the three-year term.

Be prepared for and attend committee meetings, which typically occur between regularly scheduled full board meetings.

● Participate in WSCA member linkage events throughout the year and complete documentation to share information with the board. 

Contribute to WSCAlink publication by writing a short “board message” 1-2 times per year.
 

A requirement to be considered for the WSCA Board of Directors is a Commitment to Performance agreement signed by your supervisor that has the authority to grant you permission to participate in board activities during the school day.

Download the Commitment to Performance Form using the following links:
 
Google Doc
 
Microsoft Word
 
Please note that this form must be resubmitted in the event you change school counseling positions.    

WSCA has a long history ofproviding service for school counselors across the state. And there is an impressive (and lengthy) list of professionals who have provided excellent leadership throughout those years by serving on the WSCA Board. And as new school counselors join the profession, it’s exciting to look forward to the leadership of those who join the board in the future!

Any member of WSCA who holds a license in School Counseling from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and has been a practicing school counselor for at least 3 years, meets the qualifications to be considered for a seat on the WSCA Board of Directors. If you meet this criteria we certainly encourage you to consider applying for a seat on the Board. The application process is always open in the Fall, typically closing in early December.

Those who have been part of WSCA for a while know that we moved from an “open” ballot, where anyone could be nominated and appear on the ballot, to our current “slate” ballot, where candidates whose applications have passed a screening process appear on the ballot. There were several reasons WSCA moved to the slated ballot. Here are the primary reasons:

  • It was very common for WSCA to hear from members that they did not know any of the candidates on the ballot, and therefore the voting process felt very random for them. This caused many members not to vote at all.
  • WSCA adopted a specific governance approach called Policy Governance. This style of governing is very different from what most of our members have ever experienced. So, in fairness to anyone seeking a seat on the board, as well as ensuring the integrity of the function of the WSCA Board, it became necessary to establish a screening process for anyone interested in being considered as a candidate. The WSCA Board has a Nominations and Elections Committee that reviews the submitted applications, ranks the potential candidates using a scoring rubric (more on that below), and makes a recommendation to the entire board for the top 3 candidates to be considered for the voting slate. After the Board approves the slate, it is presented to the membership at large for a vote of approval of the slate.
  • Using the slate ballot approach gives anyone in the association a fair opportunity to run for the board. Many association boards are criticized for appearing to be a “clique”, where the only way to get onto a board is if you know the right people. WSCA has eliminated that dynamic by creating a uniform process where all candidates complete the same application which is scored by the same rubric. This eliminates the possibility that a less qualified candidate would be selected to the board simply because they have connections to existing board members.

“And what are these qualifications that the WSCA Board is seeking for future board members,” you may be asking? Here are the primary attributes of leadership that appear on the rubric for scoring the candidate applications:

  • Communication Skills
    • One of the primary roles of the WSCA Board is to be a communication link between the members and the association, making strong communication skills a necessity.
  • Collaboration Skills
    • The WSCA Board makes decisions as a group, making collaboration critical.
  • Perspective Taking
    • The Board recognizes that we are stronger when our members are able to understand multiple perspectives around issues.
  • Flexibility
    • In order for the WSCA Board to make group decisions, it is important that the board members approach decisions from a flexible position.
  • Thoughtful/Insightful
    • Since WSCA serves school counselors at all grade levels which have different needs, and all districts (rural to urban) which have different needs, WSCA Board members must be prepared to listen and learn in order to make impactful decisions.
  • Ability to Have Tough Conversations
    • Not all decisions are easy, and the WSCA Board works hard to create a respectful environment so ideas can be challenged in a healthy way.
  • Professionalism
    • The WSCA Board consists of 9 Directors who work for the entire membership. The WSCA Board has an expectation that board members will represent the profession at the highest level.
  • Willingness to Learn
    • Taking a humble approach to leadership, with an understanding that there is always more to learn, especially about the professional experiences of WSCA members.
  • Creative/Innovative
    • WSCA is an excellent school counseling association because its leaders have been courageous enough to act on creative and innovative ideas.
  • Integrity/Honesty
    • WSCA is a proud association built on trustworthy leadership.
  • Accountability
    • WSCA Board members know that they are accountable to the association members, and embrace that accountability.

If you are considering applying for candidacy to the WSCA Board of Directors, we hope that the information above gives you great insight into what it takes to be a great WSCA Board member. 

There will also be a sectional at the WSCA Conference specifically for members interested in learning more about WSCA leadership opportunities. 

You can also join us for a virtual information session on Sunday December 10th  Log into the members only page to access the zoom meeting link.