The mission of the Guidance, Counseling, and College Readiness Department is to deliver a comprehensive, developmental guidance and counseling program for students in PreK-12. This program is designed to foster student success by focusing on academic achievement, prevention and intervention strategies, advocacy, and the social, emotional, and career development of each and every student. Integrated into the Hays CISD academic curriculum, we seek to prioritize the individual needs of each and every student by focusing on the following key strands:

• Self-knowledge and acceptance

• Interpersonal and communication skills

• Responsible behavior

• Conflict resolution

• Decision making/problem solving

• Motivation to achieve

• Goal setting

• Career planning

Students:
Throughout the school day, students can access their counselor(s) by completing a request online or directly through their School’s Counseling Office to visit with their counselor and/or asking their teacher if they can provide them with a pass to visit their counselor.  

Parents and Guardians:
We also encourage you to make an appointment with your student's counselor to review the guidance curriculum, review your student’s Graduation Plan and discuss what you can do together to create the most successful educational experience possible.

The Hays CISD Guidance and Counseling approach is developmental. In the developmental approach, students have an opportunity to learn more about themselves and others in advance of problem moments in their lives. They learn interpersonal skills before they have an interpersonal crisis. If a crisis situation does occur, they can draw upon their skills to address their problem. The developmental perspective recognizes that every student needs sound emotional and social skills to achieve optimum benefit from the educational program. There is a commitment to individual uniqueness and the maximum development in three major areas: academic, career, and personal/social skills.

The Hays CISD Comprehensive Developmental Guidance Model is implemented in all our schools (PK-12). A Comprehensive Counseling Program is based upon student competencies, built upon a developmental curriculum, uses crisis and preventive counseling, has four components, and is evaluated and improved based upon evaluation results. This shift in conception from a constellation of services and activities to a standards-based program represents a significant shift in thinking about the way students are supported and the anticipated outcomes.

The model is based upon four components outlined by the American School Counseling Model and the Texas Education Comprehensive Developmental Guidance Model:

1. Guidance Curriculum

2. Individual Planning

3. Responsive Service

4. System Support

Maritza Gonzalez
Director of Guidance, College & Career Readiness

Credentials: Teaching Secondary, Counseling and Principal 

E-mail Maritza Gonzalez
(512) 268-2141 X45020

Kara Montiel
Secretary

E-mail Kara Montiel
(512) 268-2141 X45032