Alt Program- Founding Social Worker

Comp Sci High Alternative () is a new charter alternative high school program in the South Bronx, enrolling its founding cohort of 35 students and launching in August 2026. We are designed for students who are over‑age, under‑credited, or returning after disrupted schooling and need a different path to success and graduation.

At Comp Sci High Alternative, Our Values Define How We Do The Work, How We Teach, Lead, And Show Up Every Day. We Value Diverse Views And Opinions, But These Are The Mindsets We Need In Every Member Of Our Team.

• This is hard work. The most important work usually is. We serve young people who have been disconnected from school and often from other foundational supports, and we expect staff to be energized by that responsibility, not intimidated by the mission or afraid of our students.
• Presence matters. Students are constantly observing how adults move, speak, and carry themselves. How you show up is part of the lesson. Staff are expected to model confidence, professionalism, and purpose while remaining authentic and adaptable.
• You are a founder. As a founding team, we are building this school in real time. This requires flexibility, persistence, shared responsibility, and consistent follow-through.
• You are uncompromising. We’re radical in our honesty–our students need truth, not sugarcoating, so we keep it all the way real. We’re radical in our expectations–we hold a high standard, and correct clearly because correction here is care. We’re radical in our care–we know that authenticity builds trust, and trust is earned when students know we are preparing them for the realities ahead, not protecting them.
  
  We’re radical in our consistency–we hold the line every single time, we follow through on what we say, and we do not move the standard based on moods or moments. Students trust adults who are steady, predictable, and aligned in word and action.

This is not a “check the box” counseling job. This is daily, hands‑on, sometimes messy work. As a founding Social Worker, you are not joining a finished counseling program; you are helping to build it. You will set up how counseling works in our alternative model, define crisis response, and make sure mental health is part of advisory, instruction, attendance, and internships.

• Over‑age and under‑credited, including students with 10–15 credits at age 18 or multiple failed regents exams
• Returning from long‑term absences or repeated school disruptions
• Navigating immigration status challenges and language barrier
• Parenting, financially supporting family members, or working jobs while enrolled
• Court‑involved, on probation, or navigating active ACS cases
• Gang‑affiliated or navigating peer and community gang influence
• Living in or transitioning from shelters, foster care, or housing instability, including eviction
• Diagnosed with IEPs or 504s and managing significant academic and emotional needs
• Struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, anger, or untreated mental health concerns
• Grieving community violence or navigating unstable family dynamics
• Suspended multiple times from prior schools
• Emotionally dysregulated, struggling with authority, consistency, and boundaries
• Distrustful of school because school has not worked for them

At its core, this role requires emotional steadiness, compassion, and clear judgment. You must be able to work with students who have experienced instability, loss, involvement in systems, and disappointment from adults without becoming reactive or overwhelmed. Some students will present as guarded, defensive, or withdrawn. You are expected to respond consistently, with structure, and professionally.

You must be able to hold compassion and accountability at the same time. You can acknowledge a student’s circumstances without lowering expectations. You do not excuse harmful behavior, nor do you respond with shame. You maintain boundaries, reinforce responsibility, and approach conflict calmly and directly.

You are comfortable working within environments where progress is not linear. You can manage tension without escalating it, rebuild…