Manager of Counseling - Virginia Connections Academy

Position Summary and Responsibilities

The Manager of Counseling Services will work in conjunction with the school’s leadership team to help students, ensuring that each child successfully completes his/her instructional program. The Manager will provide direction to staff and assist students and parents in understanding and meeting graduation requirements, course selection and scheduling, post-secondary school planning, and crisis intervention.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure the academic success of individual students by utilizing all levels of academic support available and by maintaining a high level of communication with parents to deliver program information and address individual student needs;
• Support the teachers in exhibiting and maintaining a high level of professionalism, instructional support and customer service;
• Act as site leader in office, as required;
• Manage the State Testing Coordinator, counselors and others;
• Assist with state testing in all capacities;
• Assist with enrolling students based on academic performance and our eligibility requirements;
• Active member of the Leadership and State Testing Team;
• Exhibit high quality communication with all staff, students and families;
• Provide specified assistance to families in need of additional support to prevent unnecessary withdrawals and encourage a high level of participation;
• Participate in student recruitment efforts including in-state marketing trips, presentations, Q & A sessions and responding to the press;
• Devise and implement virtual methods of creating and maintaining a “school community”;
• Handle any student problems escalated by parents and other counselors;
• Communicate and coordinate any overlapping responsibilities with the school leadership;
• Develop, plan and implement counseling programs for students and families related to academic and career planning and graduation;
• Work with staff to implement and maintain the Personal Learning Plan (PLP) of each student;
• Keep abreast of all high school graduation requirements, and communicate this information to the High School Coordinator and the principal;
• Work with school leadership team to plan and supervise the secondary school course selection process according to specific state credit and graduation requirements and student needs and interests in conjunction.
• Assist students and parents to develop a Four Year Plan for meeting graduation requirements;
• Counsel students with issues related to dropping courses and changing schedules;
• Develop dual enrollment articulation agreements with postsecondary institutions;
• Serve as the State Testing Coordinator, overseeing all aspects of state testing;
• Supervise the review of student transcripts and the entry of credits into the online transcript system;
• Develop and implement procedures to ensure that Connections Academy transcripts are accurate and up-to-date;
• Supervise efforts to secure complete and accurate records for Connections Academy students;
• Generate and authorize official transcripts for families upon request;
• Counsel families through the school withdrawal process, assisting with data collection regarding withdrawal;
• Develop, plan and implement counseling programs for students and families related to interpersonal adjustment issues;
• Report and refer critical incidents that jeopardize student well-being as obligated by law, administrative regulations, or ethical standards;
• Lead school teams in identifying school and community resources and maintain an up-to-date list of those resources, making them available to school teams and families;
• Develop and implement processes to regularly and frequently review the status of each secondary school student related to attendance, participation, and performance;
• Ensure that the counseling staff is able to assist teachers when students enroll mid-semester, making sure that teachers receive guidance on integrating the students into their coursework, and ensuring that previous grades, credits, and evaluations are handled appropriately;
• Research, develop and implement special programs such as Advanced Placement support, SAT and ACT Preparation, and college entrance preparation;
• Understand the requirements for and facilitate the administration of all high school testing, including exit exams, PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP exams;
• Work with leadership team to design and coordinate high school graduation ceremonies;
• Coordinate a team of middle and high school teachers, helping to identify students who are at risk or in crisis;
• Provide state testing support including logistics for scheduling, tracking participation and contracting for testing facilities;
• Manage/evaluate other school staff as a part of the leadership team

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years teaching experience and some counseling or management experience preferred;
• Virginia Professional Teacher Certificate in Guidance and Counseling required;
• Advanced degree preferred;
• Tech-savvy (especially with Microsoft Office products and Google Suite);
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written;
• Customer-focused approach;
• High degree of flexibility;
• Demonstrated ability to work well in fast-paced environment;
• Team player track record;
• Attend in-person events for testing, field trips or professional development;
• Ability to work some occasional evening hours, as needed to support some families;
• Must be able to use a personal electronic device and an email address for two-step authentication;