“Many GC’s are hesitant to be honest with students and parents.”
Yes; we’ve all had to deal with horrible reactions when we tried to break bad news gently.
Since I’m independent, families can just fire me if they don’t like my advice. It has happened, and it’s usually for the best. HS GCs are usually stuck with their families, so there’s no escaping drama from an angry mom. It’s not an easy job.