Job Description

School Counselors at IOTA Community Schools are responsible for providing counseling and guidance services to all students, with a particular emphasis on preparing students for college and career readiness. This position helps ensure that effective strategies are used to encourage the development of all students’ academic success and post-secondary opportunities through personal goal setting. This position works alongside a School Social Worker to support individual and small group counseling for students in need. Expertise with SEL, prevention, intervention, developmental and crisis counseling experience is highly desired. Our talented staff is committed to continuing their own learning and refining their practice to stay current in the field, ensuring a quality education for all. This role is a 12-month role (year-round) that requires certification.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Help students become aware of all phases of post-secondary school options through career and college exploration
• Organize and implement field trips to college and post-secondary locations
• Support the School Social Worker with identifying students for small group counseling
• Provide individual and small group counseling to students based on school needs on school data and needs assessment (SEL, prevention, awareness and intervention)
• Work collaboratively with School’s Student Support Team, School Psychologist and other support personnel to ensure student success
• Create and implement the curriculum to assist Advisory classes with college and career exploration
• Evaluating students’ abilities and interests through assessments, interviews, and individual planning
• Helping students create a plan to achieve academic and career goals
• Ensure students are appropriately scheduled through transcript analysis and graduation tracking
• Available for contact with parents, students and staff to discuss student progress and problems after class, at night or on weekends (via cell phone or in person)
• Maintain work hours extending beyond school hours for other professional duties or functions such as staff meetings, etc.
• Coordinate and implement the dissemination of information to students, parents, and community members pertaining to school site needs through workshops and programs
• Maintain professional standards and a school environment that is productive, safe and focused
• Participate in IOTA and individual professional development
• Collaborate with campus leadership to lead the Student Support Team around behavior management and student support plans as it relates to academic performance.
• Participate in other events aimed at promoting or developing IOTA and its schools (ie, student recruitment)
• Identifying and problem-solving issues that affect student’s academic performance
• Helping students understand and overcome social or behavioral problems through the development of Advisory lessons, individual and group counseling and behavior contracting
• Providing small or classroom guidance to help students to develop skills, such as organizational and time management abilities and effective study habits
• Collaborating with teachers, administrators, and parents to help students succeed
• Maintaining records as required
• Ability to create and implement behavioral interventions, de-escalation techniques and conflict resolution
• Ability to build relationships and communicate effectively with various community stakeholders
• Act as the Summer School administrator, supporting students and families

Qualifications

• A valid Tennessee Counseling credential is required
• MA/MS degree in School Counseling from an accredited college or university highly desirable
• Experience with individual and group counseling highly desired
• A passion for improving urban high schools and driving education reform
• Experience working in an urban school setting
• Prior counseling experience (mental health), including DIS Counseling
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities
• Proven management and team building skills
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and writing skills
• Ability to work with parents, students, faculty, post-secondary educational representatives, as well as school community groups
• Ability to represent the school in a positive way
• Ability to understand student maturity levels and the process of goal selection
• Ability to help students gain an awareness of interests and skills and to help them make course choices that will lead to appropriate careers commensurate with interests and abilities
• Ability to understand test construction and interpret educational test data
• Ability to understand school graduation requirements and parallel entrance requirements for post-secondary institutions
• Ability to motivate students and provide academic incentives for success
• Ability to understand the relationship between school curriculum and post-secondary options
• Ability to understand the unique social-emotional needs of individual students

Additional Information

As a 12-month role, the School Counselor will accrue PTO in addition to sick time eligibility. The salary range for this position is $70,000-$80,000 depending on experience.

This employer strives for a balanced, productive workforce, which is diverse in terms of age, gender, and cultural identity. We do not base hiring or promotional decisions on factors other than performance and professional growth potential. Please note that we are unable to sponsor H1 VISA applicants.