Union leader says counselors were excluded from CARPE roles; district defends team‑based model

Yumi Psychi, who identified herself as co‑vice president and bargaining chair of SCGA, told the board that counselors had been told the conversation about access to Carpey (a college access network) was unnecessary, but that resource assignments were subsequently advertised and assigned to non‑counselors. Psychi said counselors were the professionals most qualified to support college and financial aid work and asked district leadership to return to the bargaining table to ensure counselors have access to those resource opportunities.

Dr. Alvarez (responding for district staff) described Carpey as a network of school teams in which counselors are part of a broader team of teachers, staff and administrators who push supports into classrooms and sites. She said some schools create site‑funded roles (data coaches or resource teachers) to support college and career work and that the district will continue the conversation to ensure students receive needed college‑readiness supports.

Psychi told trustees that college application and financial‑aid work was core counseling work and raised concrete examples of when counselors had identified and corrected problems that restored students' access to Cal Grant awards. Trustees asked staff for a fuller report and for ongoing dialogue with counselors and bargaining representatives.

The board approved the memorandum of understanding related to the Carpey/Hi‑Tech High graduate school partnership after discussion; the vote was recorded in the minutes.