POSITION TITLE: Counselor
FLSA EXEMPTION STATUS: Full-time/Exempt
REPORTS TO: Principal/Executive Director of Academics
POSITION LOCATION: North East STEM Academy
JOB SUMMARY:
The Counselor will plan, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive school counseling program through the Stronger Connections Grant and will require practices to ensure fidelity of implementation and direct impact to students.sat assigned campus. Counsel students to fully develop each student’s academic, career, personal, and social abilities and address the needs of special population students. Deliver guidance curriculum in various group sizes. Educate students of skills necessary to address troublesome circumstances, support students in challenging situations, and assist students with needed resources to navigate crisis situations.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education/Certification
- Master’s degree in counseling from an accredited college or university
- Valid Texas school counselor certificate
Special Knowledge/Skills:
- Knowledge of counseling procedures, student appraisal, and career development
- Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
- Ability to instruct students and manage their behavior
- Ability to present information in one-on-one, small group, and large group situations to students, parents or guardians, and district staff
- Ability to coordinate and reach out to external partners.
- Ability to multitask, problem solve and pivot on the spot
- Be an advocate for all children and be compassionate.
Experience
- Three-five years of work experience as a teacher working with students.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:
Guidance Curriculum
- Plan, organize, implement, and deliver structured group lessons according to the district’s guidance curriculum to improve students’ interpersonal and intrapersonal effectiveness, personal health and safety, post-secondary planning and readiness, and other developmental needs.
- Teach the school guidance curriculum components through the use of effective instructional strategies and planned structured groups considering diverse student populations and needs for differentiated instruction.
- Work with students, staff, parents or guardians, and the community to identify priorities where students will be served through the guidance curriculum component. Collaborate across curricular areas to integrate guidance lessons into content area curriculum.
- Create a balanced curriculum by using well-planned and intentional activities and materials, incorporating guest speakers, and offering engaging delivery techniques, including technology tools.
Responsive Services
- Use accepted theories and effective techniques of developmental guidance to respond to problematic or critical incidents to support students and offer services in time of need.
- Use preventive activities to remove barriers that interfere with a student’s educational, career, personal, and social development.
- Develop and implement strategies to prevent students from dropping out of school.
- Offer parent support and increase parental engagement in coordination with district leaders, teachers, and principal.
- Implement remediation practices to assist students in coping with problem situations or unwise choices. Identify precipitating and antecedent factors, effective and ineffective approaches to dealing with the circumstances, and provide feedback to guide future decisions.
- Use specialized skills to support students in crisis situations requiring immediate response. Maintain a healthy and safe school environment by collaborating with district staff, parents or guardians, and local officials.
- Provide continued support to students in need through individual counseling, small group counseling, consultation, or referral to services outside the school or district.
- Serve as an impartial, non-reporting resource for interpersonal conflicts and discourse involving two or more students, including accusations of bullying.
- Supports and attends appropriate student activities and events.
Individual Planning
- Create school counseling services that are developmental and age appropriate and provide information or literature that highlights related topics to students, teachers, and administrators.
- Assist individual students and their parents or guardians in monitoring their academic, career, personal, and social development as they progress in school.
- Act as a student advocate, leader, collaborator, and systems change agent. Advocate for a school environment that acknowledges and respects diversity and ensures equitable access and placement in courses and programs for minority, disenfranchised, homeless, and other special populations.
- Interpret standardized test results, offer career development activities, provide strategies for grade level transitions, and guide students in individual goal setting and planning including creating and reviewing personal graduation plans and providing information about post-secondary opportunities.
System Support
- Collect, summarize, and interpret testing data to plan, create interventions, guide students, and address specific student needs.
- Conduct an annual program audit to inform accountability, action plans, time management, and systemic change.
- Participate in campus-based school improvement planning and goal setting.
- Participates on a variety of teams including Intervention Assistance, District Advisory Council, and the campus Behavioral Threat Assessment team, identifies students who may need targeted or intensive services, and connects/coordinates with other health specialists as needed.
- Provide and/or coordinate training according to needs and compliance requirements.
- Provide parent or guardian and staff training and consultation to foster student educational, career, personal, and social development.
- Offer workshops/seminars for parents.
- Clearly articulate and communicate the counseling program’s management system and related program action plans to campus and district staff, parents or guardians, and the community.
- Participate in staff development and continuing education opportunities to improve job-related skills and research to identify best practices in implementing a comprehensive school counseling program.
Other Related Duties
- Compile, maintain, and file all reports, records, and other documents.
- Comply with policies established by federal and state law, State Board of Education rule, and board policy. Comply with all district and campus routines and regulations.
- Adhere to legal, ethical, and professional standards for school counselors including current professional standards of competence and practice.
- Follow district safety protocols and emergency procedures.
- Perform such other tasks and assume such other responsibilities as may be assigned by the SCG project manager.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
MENTAL DEMANDS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS/ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS:
- Tools/Equipment Used: Personal computer and peripherals; standard instructional equipment
- Posture: Prolonged sitting; frequent standing, kneeling/squatting, bending/stooping, pushing/pulling, and twisting
- Motion: Frequent walking
- Lifting: Regular light lifting and carrying (less than 15 pounds); occasional physical restraint of students to control behavior
- Environment: Work inside, may work outside
- Mental Demands: Maintain emotional control under stress; may work prolonged or irregular hours
NOTE: This position is funded by the Stronger Connections grant, and continued employment is contingent upon ongoing grant funding. For more information on the Stronger Connections grant visit 2024-2025 Stronger Connections Grant | Texas Education Agency
This job description describes the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.
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