Me, Myself, as Mommy: Counselors like Mr. Fronk are invaluable to kids
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- This undated photo shows former North Ogden Junior High School counselor Rhett Fronk.
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- Meg Sanders
As I checked in at the front office at my children’s school, I was greeted with a round, cherub face radiating an aura of happiness. “Ask ‘Can I help you?'” the attendance office aid directed to the boy sitting directly in front of me.
“Can I help you?” he chirped in a similar tone as my own 12-year-old. I told the boy I was set to meet with Principal Patton in a few minutes. He was again prompted with the right words, ushered me in through the glass doors and gave me a full grin. “Did I do that right?” He was from the school’s Life Skills class, clearly showing off his excellent manners and cheery demeanor, heaped with praise from the secretary.
Eyes looking at my phone but seeing nothing, I waited in a chair for Principal Patton as I overheard the conversation between this student and teacher. “I’m having a good day. Mr. Fronk gave me a balloon. It made me happy.” Rhett Fronk was set to retire from North Ogden Junior High the next day after decades as a school counselor, so I knew that moment was special.
School counselors are forgotten heroes of these chaotic hallways, yet they often have the deepest connections with students. Sherry Patton, principal of NOJH, explains, “They’re so important because counselors are out and about in the building and seeing students in their environment. They will come and tell me they noticed so-and-so sitting by himself every single day, against the wall. They are watching for this kind of stuff.” Mr. Fronk noticed my kid, struggling to fit in. Thankfully, he helped her navigate those extremely awkward junior high years.
According to the National Education Association, there is a major shortfall of school counselors, with a national average of one counselor for every 385 students. Ideally, it would be 1-250. With the pay, political climate and the long summers you spend with your own teen, you can hazard a guess why there’s a shortage. In reality, the students are who make the job worth it. “He has an ability to listen to kids and have genuine interest in what interests them and get to know them on a deeper level than just grades,” Patton said. “It’s his appreciation for kids, their uniqueness and that they come in all different shapes, sizes, and personalities and behaviors.”
It is a difficult time to grow up in the United States. Adults in our children’s lives can barely be civil to their own community while on the drive to school, let alone the anonymity and animosity of social media. Pressure comes from peers, strangers and the daily overdose of information making it impossible to tune out or drop off. Outlets for real emotion, authentic talk and vulnerability are scarce, so now connection to someone has never been more important. Educators like Mr. Fronk are critical to the success of our kids.
Principal Patton agrees saying, “They’re trying to keep students on track for graduation. They’re always trying to help the students get to the finish line. When I think of Mr. Fronk, I think about how he’s kind of a coach in that way.” Utah’s State Board of Education found college enrollment rates go up when schools have the appropriate amount of counselors. Here in Utah, that rate is far from that with the ratio at 1-to-544.
Utah is looking at a teacher shortage and school counselor shortage with an $8.3 billion base budget passed for public education, along with no new revenue, especially if a federal funding freeze happens. These education program shortfalls will ripple throughout our system. It’s times like these I think of Joni Mitchell singing, “Don’t it always seem to go / That you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone / They paved paradise, put up a parking lot.”
For the last week, Mr. Fronk hasn’t roamed the hallways, put out torrid emotional fires full of teenage angst or guided students into responsible educational decisions. I like to think when educators retire, they’re immediately whisked to paradise with an all-inclusive package of maids, dinners and drinks. Mr. Fronk’s wife is also an educator and she was at her desk early Monday morning. Either it was a quick trip or he’s enjoying freedom from his own recliner. Even in that short time, his patience and professionalism is surely noticed. When asked what she will miss about Mr. Fronk, Principal Patton responds, “He has a caring heart for our most vulnerable students, he advocates for inclusive practices and supports all students. He understands the diversity of students brings talent, skills, growth, acceptance and excitement to a school community,”
I saw firsthand how counselors like Mr. Fronk can instill confidence in students and parents as I found myself constantly up at the school hoping I’d just be allowed to follow my daughter, Scarlett, around for the day. I was spared; her teachers, administrators and, of course, her counselor, Mr. Fronk, advocated, protected and guided her into the incredible 10th grader she is today. At the very moment you are reading this, she is meeting with Congressman Blake Moore asking for more funding for school counselors to benefit the youth of Weber County. She won’t get what she’s asking, but she can spread the word of why jobs like Mr. Fonk’s old one are valuable to our community. “Mr. Fronk made me feel better about using my voice and asking questions. He’d listen to me, so I thought maybe other adults would too,” Scarlett said.
Empowering students and guiding them to academic excellence is an important part of the job. But it’s those little things like giving a child a balloon that can make all the difference. Now, Principal Patton is charged with a big job — finding a replacement. “There’s a lot of great people in this field. We’re going to find somebody good. There’s no replacing Mr. Fronk ever; he’s one of a kind,” she said.
Meg Sanders worked in broadcast journalism for over a decade but has since turned her life around to stay closer to home in Ogden. Her three children keep her indentured as a taxi driver, stylist and sanitation worker. In her free time, she likes to read, write, lift weights and go to concerts with her husband of 18 years.
