School Counselor - Washington Connections Academy

Responsibilities

• Counseling Roles:
  • Advises students and families related to academics, career planning, and graduation.
  • Keeps abreast of all high school graduation requirements and communicates this information to the High School Coordinator and principal.
  • Aids students and parents with secondary school course selection based on state credit and graduation requirements and student needs and interests.
  • Assists students and parents in developing a Four Year Plan for meeting graduation requirements.
  • Reviews student transcripts and enters credits into the online transcript system.
  • Fulfills procedures to ensure accurate and up-to-date Connections Academy transcripts.
  • Works with administrative assistants to obtain and forward student records from previous schools.
  • Implements programs for students and families related to interpersonal adjustment issues.
  • Collaborates with school teams to identify and help families access school and community resources.
  • Coordinates crisis prevention and management plans for the school.
  • Acts as the main point of contact for students and families in crisis, communicating regularly with them.
  • Supports families through the school withdrawal process, assisting with data collection.
  • Reports and refers critical incidents that jeopardize student well-being as obligated by law, administrative regulations, or ethical standards.
  • Stays informed of all state regulations relating to incident reporting and documentation.
  • Helps students research and understand their post-secondary career and educational options.
  • Aids students in preparing applications for college and jobs, educating them on college admissions requirements and financial aid.
  • Collaborates with the IEP team to develop social goals and provide virtual social work services to help the student reach these goals.
  • Collaborates closely with the School Counselor and Director of Special Education.
  • Supports professional development activities for teachers and school staff members.
  • Coordinates high school graduation ceremonies.
  • Maintains ongoing monitoring of student progress and works with students who are struggling.
• Contact Roles:
  • Communicates regularly with parents/learning coaches to address academic and non-academic counseling needs, child welfare needs, social and emotional concerns.
  • Collaborates with teachers and learning coaches to develop and implement program supports for all students.
• Community Roles:
  • Participates in the administration of state testing, including in-person proctoring of WIDA and/or SBAC/WCAS testing at various locations around the state of Washington.
  • Attends and participates in in-person training sessions and team-building activities scheduled throughout the school year and throughout the state of Washington.
  • Participates in student recruiting sessions and other marketing efforts that require staff representation.
  • Devises and implements virtual methods of creating and maintaining a "school community."
  • Attends and participates in all assigned professional development and training, synchronous and asynchronous, including state-required training in SEL and DEI, and actively seeks additional opportunities to grow and learn in the role.
  • Takes part in all assigned or volunteered-for representative or Career Ladder positions that have a school-wide focus.
• Behind-the-Scenes Roles:
  • Works collaboratively and often within a professional learning community of grade- or content-level instructional staff to review student progress data related to a team-determined SMART goal, with the goal of the data driving instruction and support, and improving teaching practices.
  • Works with Advisory Teachers and Teachers to ensure students and families are receiving appropriate communications, students are making adequate progress, and established goals are being met within WSLP and/or graduation frameworks.
  • Attends and participates in in-person training sessions and team-building activities scheduled throughout the school year and throughout the state of Washington.
  • Reports and refers critical incidents that jeopardize student well-being as obligated by law, administrative regulations, or ethical standards.
  • Stays informed of all state regulations relating to incident reporting and documentation.
  • Completes the duties of an assigned or volunteered-for representative or Career Ladder position that has a school-wide focus.

Requirements

• Washington Educational Staff Associate certification as a School Counselor.
• Residence in Washington preferred.
• Team player track record, highly flexible, and with a demonstrated ability to work well in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated strong technology skills (especially Microsoft Office and Google Suite products, synchronous classroom programs such as Zoom, third-party educational software such as Nearpod, and data collection and examination tools, including spreadsheets and databases).
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, with the ability to communicate (listen and speak) effectively and appropriately with staff, students, and families from a wide range of cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds.
• Excellent attention to detail, with proven time management and organizational skills, especially when working independently.
• Demonstrated ability to work with colleagues to foster and encourage an inclusive work and school environment that is supportive of different groups of individuals, including people of different races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, genders, and sexual orientations.
• Student- and family-focused approach, with demonstrated ability to create an inclusive and culturally responsive classroom environment that supports and recognizes students of diverse backgrounds and identities.
• Ability to travel for one, possibly two, weeks at a time for key school events, including overnight travel (including, but not limited to: back-to-school training, state testing, graduation ceremony, marketing events, and field trips).
• Must be able to use a personal electronic device and email address for 2-step authentication.