Counselor, School Counseling & Student Support, Education ​/ Teaching

Counselor

In keeping a tradition of excellence, the purpose of the Counselor is to provide a comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program for all students at all grade levels, from pre-kindergarten through grade 12; to consult with parents/guardians, teachers, and other school staff members to enhance their effectiveness in guiding and supporting students in progressing through the grade levels and in planning their careers;

and to provide support for the other education programs in the individual schools.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Duties and responsibilities include:

• Developing goals, objectives, and activities of the guidance program using the results of needs assessments
• Organizing a guidance committee that functions in an advisory capacity
• Developing a guidance calendar of activities that lists on-going and regular events and activities
• Securing and making available to students information and material on further educational opportunities, personal growth and development, and occupational opportunities and trends
• Developing procedures for the guidance program
• Implementing the guidance curriculum in each teacher's classroom and/or systematically conducting developmental counseling programs for each grade level in the particular school throughout the year
• Providing resources to teachers to facilitate their teaching of counseling content in their regular lessons
• Developing and/or implementing a program for conflict resolution
• Providing time in the daily schedule for individual counseling of students
• Planning and implementing group guidance activities
• Consulting with families, teachers, administrators, and other appropriate individuals regarding services and programs available to/for students
• Preparing a list of contact personnel in agencies, programs, and services external to the school setting for collaboration and referral
• Interpreting test results to appropriate individuals
• Assisting in identifying students who need interventions/special services
• Assisting in reviewing students' progress at the end of each grading period
• Providing students with information on school district policies regarding counseling services, student activities, competency and grade-level testing, graduation, and college admission
• Providing students with materials and information regarding career and post-high school educational opportunities; assisting with college applications, scholarships, and employment applications including the writing of letters of recommendation
• Informing families of student-related career and educational opportunities
• Providing classroom guidance in areas of career advisement and sex education
• Receiving and acting upon referrals from administrators, teachers, families, agencies, and other professional staff
• Serving in coordination of behavior interventions
• Providing crisis intervention and preventive counseling
• Assisting families in effective use of community and school resources such as identification of students needing special assistance, maintaining a current file of alternate programs and schools, counseling families and students about alternatives available, and following up on students' progress
• Organizing office for most effective use
• Preparing/submitting reports, records, lists, and other paperwork accurately and in a timely manner
• Participating in meetings on the local, district, state, or national level as required or appropriate
• Keeping informed of developments within the profession by maintaining active membership in appropriate organizations, attending professional meetings, reading professional journals and other publications, and networking with other professionals
• Educational consultation and collaboration with teachers, administrators, and community
• Adhering to Rankin County School District board policies and procedures and administrative directives
• Communicating effectively using standard oral and written English
• Abide by the American School Counseling Association's Code of Ethics
• Leading and attending staff meetings/trainings as applicable; serving on staff committees
• Assuming responsibility for own professional growth and development, for keeping current with literature, new research findings, for attending appropriate professional meetings and conferences, and to maintain any credits and/or continued education for maintenance of licensure/qualifications required for the position
• Maintaining and accepting responsibility for any district owned fixed asset item assigned to employee and ensuring appropriate use by following district policies for acceptable use
• Undergoing periodic evaluations according to state and board policy procedures
• Maintaining confidentiality
• Performing regular, dependable, punctual, in person…