Learning: Personal experiences shaped Casey Walker's mission as a district advisor (2023)

Casey Walker's experience as a student growing up in the Baldwin School District shaped his career and influenced his trip to Steel Valley. A notoriously underperforming student suffering from anxiety, Walker found her footing at CCAC and eventually earned a degree in developmental psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. Although she initially thought she would become a teacher, she found her calling was to work with students.

She joined Steel Valley that school year as a district counselor, focusing on middle and high school. She shared more about her experiences and explained some of the programs and initiatives she runs for students.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Can you tell us a little bit about how your trip to Steel Valley took you?

After earning my BA in Developmental Psychology from Pitt University, I worked for Wesley Family Services for a time as a Family Centered Therapist. It wasn't for me. I don't want to go into her house. I don't want to worry about the billing. I don't want any of this. So I went back to school. I went to the IUD, but I went to the Monroeville branch, so I didn't have to go all the way to Indiana. I spent three years there to do my Masters in School Counseling. I was really good at Pitt and IUD now that I liked things I really liked. My program was a dual certification type of thing, so I'm a licensed school counselor, but I'm also eligible to become one (licensed professional counselor). My title is Masters in Education, Nationally Certified Counselor. After receiving how many hours of supervision I become LPC. How nice that I had the opportunity to do both. After I get my LPC I can still do outpatient therapy and stuff like that, but I'd rather be at school and with kids. there is my heart

My internship was at Brentwood Middle School. I used my sixth graders as my elementary school, and my seventh and eighth graders were my secondary school. It was during COVID so I couldn't find where to go. I was so grateful to have found a high school and to be able to do both. My internship was at the Escola Primaria Dr. Cleveland Stewart Jr. in the Gateway School District. My high school was at the Forbes Road Career Tech Center. At first I thought, "I don't want to do this in a tech hub." But I loved it. It was the best ever. I need to see this side of things. Now when kids talk about the Steel Center, I know what the hell they're talking about. I know about the transfer of credits and how the programs really work because I was able to see it there. I loved my boss. She taught me everything. All these little things here (in her room) she bought me when I graduated. She is just wonderful.

I graduated in Spring 2021 and got a job at Propel Braddock Hills Elementary and worked there for a year. It was a very difficult population. We had a few kids from Steel Valley, but most were from Woodland Hills and Pittsburgh Public. I liked my children very much. I loved my colleagues. But I never wanted to go to a charter school. I wanted to be a traditional public school. A friend of mine's sister is in Barrett and sent me this work. I have a position funded by donations, but they're already talking about it, not just that I'm two years old. It's good. But let's cross this bridge when we get there.

For those who don't know, what is your official title and role in the district?

My title is district councilor. However, it is primarily a secondary advisor. I'm in middle and high school every day. On Wednesday afternoons, I help out with Barrett's running groups. I'm not doing anything in the park at the moment. I do a lot of classroom work with fifth and sixth graders. I'm trying to implement a process (Multi-Tier Support System) in Steel Valley because there isn't one. We have a lot of supports that just aren't being used optimally. My goal is to organize everything so that I can implement these universal trackers with children. I started with Mr. Macuga and Mr. McCallister about these things here in high school, down to these universal trackers, creating groups, pairing kids with specific teachers for check-in/check-out programs, various Programs that are data based and data driven because the more data I get, the more data the school has to show what we are doing the better.

You mentioned getting a job during the pandemic. As we get out of the pandemic, do you see a lot of kids dealing with things that might be the result of this disruption?

We call it the COVID cliff. We had a couple of kids who kind of dropped out. It seems that there are certain notes that hit harder than others. And I don't know if it's the development level or what. It's second grade. This year's sixth graders are having a hard time. That's common - everyone I spoke to said, "What happened to sixth grade?" And so our freshmen this year are also struggling. Everyone struggles, but these seem to be the ones they hit at a very crucial developmental level. And it's hard for them to come back.

The fear is sky high. Depression is on the rise. Kids can't handle stress like they used to. I can't handle stress like I used to and I've never been a nervous person in social situations. Now being with so many people makes me nervous. You were pretty much at home for at least most of the first year. We really didn't do anything. And then you're outside again, it's loud, everyone's talking - it's nerve-wracking. So scared of getting sick and our immune systems are down so we catch all kinds of diseases. The frequency is terrible.

I think this year is better than the last. And we're starting to make progress again and get those kids back. But it was absolutely detrimental to everyone's sanity. Basic level behaviors are quite significant. And often they just don't know how to be in school. They don't know how to be in there and control their emotions. I have a lot with Macuga-san about it. As a counselor, and I tell everyone this, I'll teach you how to be human, I'll teach you how to take care of yourself, take care of your feelings, talk to other people, do all the things you get to do school for. But we also teach you how to be a person and how to succeed in society, how to get a job one day, all the things you don't know you're learning while you're in this environment .

Outsiders might see the term advisor and think you are dealing primarily with students who may have IEPs. But your services are available to anyone who has problems, right?

It's everyone. I see kids with life skills, I see kids with emotional support, I see their general education classrooms. I see everyone in it. That is my goal. These first level interventions that I want to implement are for everyone. Everyone gets the same screener. And when we get that data, we break it down into how best to target the population we're grouping it with.

I've had kids that people said, 'I never thought they'd have anything going on. Well, we all have things going on. So we can all talk to someone, but I've got some kids who are like, 'Well, they've been fine for many years.' You're still fine. But they didn't have that one person to talk to. And now that they do, I encourage them to come and talk to me. This will make her a better and more complete person. You need to defend yourself and may not have done so until I was here.

I see myself as a school counselor. When I was in school, I had careers counselors. It was all about careers, SATs, grades, courses. That's the boring part of the job. My job as a school counselor is to teach you how to be human. I'm here for you. I've got your back. i am your lawyer I can be more of a parent for the kids who need something like that. It's a liquid paper.

You mentioned inserting the MTSS. Are there other programs or features that you were able to release that people should be aware of?

Second Step is a curriculum we use in high school. They use it at Barrett, but they also have the digital version for high school. On Tuesdays and Thursdays during A.R. periods, which is like a study hall. There are lessons about goal setting, bullying, all kinds of high school stuff. We assume that after the break we will move to the seventh and eighth series. We're going to try to work with the social studies professors, and I come in once a week and try to get this program up and running. And hopefully we can turn it over to the teachers and say, 'Okay, once a week during your A.R. Go ahead and do this lesson, it's all done for you, we're ready to go.'

We look for resumes that are best suited for this demographic. The second step is fine. It's a little cheesy and not super varied. I think there are better shows out there that they relate to more and would like to see more of. I have a full list for Mrs. Kozusco and I will look at it and we will do it.

We're working on getting more career lessons to try and get all of these artifacts operational. Starting in January (leader Jason Novak) and I will start with grades 10 and 11 and give them some projects and start thinking about their future. They're doing a ninth grade career course where they're really good, and we're using those artifacts. So their senior year project here with Goga-san is huge for senior, but they kind of lose in 10th and 11th grade. So we go in there and make these artifacts. But the main thing I market is the MTSS and Level 1 full class instruction. Because I firmly believe that the more you push these level one interventions, the less you will see two and three. And if not, we have to change our first level interventions because they don't work.

When a parent, family member, or friend notices that a student is struggling or just not being themselves, how do they reach out to you? How do you start this conversation to try to help this student?

Usually by email. My phone number is on the website, you can call me. I get a lot from Mr. Strom and Mr. Brown, whether they listen to the teacher or the parents, and then they send it to me. Anything a teacher, principal, administrator, or secretary hears that includes my keywords—they're worried, they're not feeling well, they don't want to come to school, they're having troubles with another student—it's pretty much coming my way . I've had friends try to convince their friends to come here and it worked. I have these appointment requests above. Outside, I have one for middle school, one for middle school, I also have one for middle school at Ms. Gross, because they come over more often. You can fill that out, put it there, I'll pick it up here and call you at the best time, or I'll call you. I'm very approachable. I think parents feel better knowing there is someone here to talk to them about. I'll do just about anything to help these kids. So you can call me, you can email me, you can come here.

Is there a mechanism where a child can see without parental permission? Or is parental permission required?

Since I work at the school, they can come and go, they can talk to me. I have a couple of kids that I meet every Monday and we work towards specific goals. If I meet and counsel the child regularly, a consent form must be filled out. I do this to protect myself. It scares people because they get this letter and it has confidentiality limits and it looks like it's from a lawyer. I'm just saying you give me permission to talk to your son about anything he wants. I'm going to keep it between the kid and me unless certain things happen - if you say you're going to get hurt, someone hurts you, they're going to hurt someone else, or there's a court order, or whatever. I usually mail it home and call the same day and say, 'Here's the form, it'll come to you.' It's not as scary as it sounds. It was intentionally written that way to ensure everyone is protected.' Parents are very open to helping their children more now than they used to. The pressure on child mental health services - for everyone - has been enormous. And it's so necessary.

When I was in high school, I was a very anxious kid. I had a 504. I was a mess. That's why my grades were bad. It's not that I don't care. It was just that I couldn't. There were certain classrooms where I thought, 'I just can't be here.' I've had a few people that I've had issues with.

I had no one to go to and talk to about it. In high school, I loved my advisor. But after I left her in high school, I really struggled. I didn't have that person. And the counselor who was assigned to me by my last name didn't help me at all. I met with her twice a year to make my schedule. That's it. Otherwise I haven't spoken to her. I didn't have that person. So I try to be the person for the kids to turn to when they feel like they have no one else.