High School Counselor

Professional School Counselor Job Description

Civitas Education Partners, (CEP) seeks to produce high-performing schools where elite scholarship and transformational experiences create thriving campuses, foster responsive leadership, and serve local and global communities. CEP is a school management organization that operates three campuses of Chicago International Charter School (CICS), CICS Ralph Ellison High School, CICS Northtown Academy High School, and CICS Wrightwood Elementary School. CEP aims to provide its teams and students with an exceptional experience rooted in high expectations for student achievement and civic responsibility.

Reports To: School Principal/Leadership Team

Position Summary: Civitas Education Partners (CEP) is seeking a School Counselor to lead the ongoing improvement of our schools' academic performance and to strengthen support structures intended to promote access and equity for all students. School counselors work to maximize student achievement and promote access and equity for all students. School counselors are vital to the creation of a positive and productive school climate and help students apply academic achievement strategies, manage emotions and apply interpersonal skills, and plan for high school and post-secondary options.

The School Counselor will report to the Principal or designated member of the leadership team, will serve as a member of MTSS/RTI team, and will partner with school and network leadership teams to carry out the responsibilities of the role. The School Counselor will also work with families.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Create and manage effective school counseling programs that support the school's mission, goals, and needs, address student needs and interests, support a positive school climate, and engage families and staff.

• Set priorities and metrics for the program based on the school's mission, strategic goals, needs, and district and network mandates.
• Engage in thorough annual and quarterly program planning.
• Develop action plans that include work in classrooms, small group facilitation, lesson plans, use of time goals, weekly, quarterly, and annual calendaring, promotion of equity and access, post-elementary/post-secondary planning, etc.
• Devise plans to support network and school goals with respect to high school (elementary)/college admissions (high school).
• Develop comprehensive, effective communication plans to engage students and families and keep stakeholders informed.
• Assist disciplinary personnel with investigations into student incidents.
• Other duties as assigned within the framework of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Deliver developmentally appropriate activities and services to and for students to improve attendance, achievement, conduct, participation, and post-secondary outcomes.

• Deliver direct services to students through classroom-based instruction, academic advisement, individual and small group counseling.
• Provide indirect services to students through consultation, collaboration, referrals, school-wide programs, and external partnerships.
• Engage in effective and efficient appraisal and advisement, providing students with opportunities to reflect on and explore their abilities, interests, and achievements and to develop decision making skills to direct the course of their lives.
• Deliver equitable academic advisement services for all students.
• Counsel students who have problems with discipline or attendance.
• Facilitate course registration.
• Provide direct assistance to students and families with high school application processes (elementary only).
• Provide direct assistance to students and families on college admissions processes (high school only).
• Participate in the orientation, coordination, and academic advisement of new students.

Regularly assess the quality and effectiveness of the school counseling program.

• Assist schools to address complex concerns of families of diverse learners, working to resolve issues, complaints, and service delivery problems in a timely manner.
• Issue semester communications to families of diverse learners on matters that are of critical importance.
• Work with schools to create information sessions and college fairs that feature services available to diverse learners and specialized programs for students with special needs.
• Collect and analyze school counseling program data, share with leadership team, and apply findings to program revision and recommendations to the school.
• Analyze school-wide data and apply findings to program revision.

Attend to and fulfill professional obligations as defined by the school, network, and district.

• Ensure compliance with mandates from CPS, CICS, and CEP.
• Lead the facilitation of the special education, ELL, social work, and MTSS programs and services across all Civitas campuses.
• Ensure the development and implementation of effective course registration processes.
• Safeguard student records and information per state and federal guidelines.
• Participate in IEP meetings, as needed.
• Participate or lead MTSS/RTI processes, grade level team meetings, professional development workshops, or other school/network teams relevant to the work of school counselors.
• Build positive and respectful relationships with staff, students, families, and community partners.
• Implement comprehensive, effective communication plans to engage students and families and keep stakeholders informed.
• Modify student schedules, as needed.
• Assist with alternative educational program placement, when needed.
• Use sound judgement to change or modify student schedules.
• Other duties as assigned within the framework of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Demonstrate a dedication to collaboration, innovation, and flexible approaches to professional practice.

• Participate positively and productively in department, school, network, and parent meetings.
• Actively participate in the development and implementation of new counseling structures, techniques and approaches to service delivery and program construction.
• Actively participate in discussions and programs to improve student performance, experience, attendance, conduct.
• Consult with teachers about building positive, productive relationships with students.
• Consult with instructional coach, principal, or school leadership designee to identify and resolve student issues, needs, and concerns.
• Integrate students into counseling program development.
• Collaborate with the school faculty and administration in revising programs based on current and future needs and programming.
• Engage actively, positively, and productively in the instructional coaching process.
• Accept and apply coaching feedback.

Reflect, support, and promote the mission and vision of the school as well as the principles of D.E.I.

• Demonstrate preparation and skill in working with students from diverse cultural, economic and ability backgrounds.
• Support the creation of inclusive, identity-affirming spaces for students.
• Implement professional practice and responsibilities, demonstrating cultural competence.
• Implement D.E.I principles in interactions with members of the school community.

Qualifying Education/Licensure:

• Bachelor's Degree (Required)
• Master's Degree in School Counseling (Required)
• Current Illinois State Board of Education licensure for counselors or current, comparable out-of-state licensure
• Bilingual Spanish/English; Arabic/English; Urdu/English (Strongly Preferred)

Other Qualifications:

• 1-2 years experience working with students in a school or similar setting (Required)
• Experience in urban high school setting (Strongly Preferred)
• Ability to work with student information databases to record or change information, modify schedules, fulfill compliance mandates, or other tasks as needed.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Substantial knowledge of school counseling principles, techniques, and scope and limitation of practice.
• Understanding of the differences between social work and school counseling and ability to operate with that understanding.
• Ability to modify strategies and interventions as necessary to meet student needs.
• Ability to work effectively and professionally with students, parents and/or guardians, staff members, and community representatives.
• Capacity to be flexible in approaches to programming structure and service delivery.
• Fundamental understanding of human development principles as applied to children and adolescents.
• Strong ability to apply contemporary principles and practices to school counseling.
• Solid oral and written communication skills.
• Sound and professional judgment.

Compensation: Civitas Education provides a competitive salary and benefits package. We are also committed to supporting professional growth/membership educational organizations that align with our work and demonstrate a transformative impact on participants.

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