School Counselor (Elementary)

About the Role

Persistence Prep, a K‑8 charter school in Buffalo, invites passionate and committed educators to apply for the School Counselor position. The school is founded on the belief that all scholars—regardless of race, disability, home language, socioeconomic status, or zip code—can learn and achieve at high levels when held to the highest expectations. Its mission is to ensure every scholar stays firmly on a path to a four‑year college and creates positive change in their community.

Persistence Prep seeks a highly qualified School Counselor with the knowledge and skills to assist individuals, groups, and systems through positive behavior supports. The counselor will coordinate functional assessments of behavior and behavior‑intervention plans, provide classroom and school‑wide behavior‑management strategies, run small social‑emotional groups, and deliver individual counseling. Building strong, positive relationships with scholars and families, using data to tailor instruction, and collaborating with colleagues are core responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Uphold the mission and vision of the school at all times.
• Execute school‑wide systems and structures that maximize scholar success.
• Reinforce a disciplined culture of high academic and behavioral expectations.
• Collaborate with the Scholar Support Team to design, coordinate, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive behavior‑support program.
• Implement activities that help scholars meet academic and social goals.
• Manage family relationships for scholars receiving counseling services and respond promptly and effectively to family concerns.
• Provide crisis intervention and behavior management to build scholars’ ability to meet the school’s high expectations.
• Provide one‑on‑one counseling or group counseling as needed.
• Develop and implement curriculum for social and emotional development.
• Partner with school leaders and staff to design and coordinate family‑engagement and education activities (e.g., workshops, potlucks, family nights, community‑building events).
• Share responsibility for grade‑level and school‑wide initiatives.
• Attend and participate in events outside normal school hours (e.g., family nights, scholar performances, conferences, family orientations).
• Actively participate in professional development sessions.
• Complete all duties and tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• Unwaveringly high expectations for all scholars, believing every child should have access to a college education.
• Commitment to upholding and executing Persistence Prep’s mission and educational goals.
• Expert knowledge of function‑based intervention planning for behavior change, focusing on reducing problem behavior and increasing appropriate behavior.
• Expert knowledge of techniques for effective Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA), function‑based interventions, and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP).
• Exceptional ability to use assessment data to inform instruction and develop individualized work plans.
• Maturity, humility, strong work ethic, self‑motivation, and a “roll‑up‑my‑sleeves” attitude.
• Demonstrated ability to work well in a team and communicate effectively with diverse audiences, including scholars, staff, families, and community members.
• Solutions‑focused style that encourages teamwork and collaboration.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with classroom teachers.
• Ability to stay organized and effective despite a highly variable daily schedule.
• Commitment to a results‑driven approach with strong data‑analysis skills to inform practice.
• Proven track record of supporting scholars to achieve high levels of academic and behavioral growth.
• Experience working in urban elementary schools (highly preferred).
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s or advanced degree preferred.

Pay

• Salary starting at $50,000 USD; competitive.
• Appointment status: Permanent.
• Position status: Full‑time.
• Start date: August 1, 2026.

Contact: Joelle Formato, Head of School, 716‑235‑1520, jformato@persistenceprep.org.