School Counselor

Position Objective

The School Counselor is the primary staff member responsible for the holistic development of a designated cohort throughout their high school tenure. The counselor provides comprehensive academic, college/career, and social‑emotional counseling services aligned with District 219 policies, curriculum, and professional standards, including the ASCA National Model and Illinois PaCE Framework. The counselor supports students by delivering data‑informed counseling, fostering an inclusive school environment, and collaborating with staff, families, and community partners.

The counselor promotes student growth, well‑being, independence, and engagement while upholding district expectations for equity, professionalism, and student‑centered support for every student within their caseload.

• Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL)
• Masters Degree in School Counseling
• Experience working successfully in a diverse, multicultural environment preferred

• Ability to provide academic, social‑emotional, and college/career counseling aligned to student needs.
• Knowledge of counseling practices, assessment tools, and the ASCA National Model.
• Knowledge of academic advising, college/career planning, and postsecondary readiness.
• Ability to interpret and use data to guide counseling interventions and programming.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build positive, supportive relationships with students.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate with administrators, teachers, student services staff, and families.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries.
• Strong organizational and time‑management skills.
• Ability to respond effectively to crises and urgent student needs.
• Commitment to ongoing professional learning and reflective practice.

• Develop and monitor individualized academic plans for each student within the high school cohort, ensuring progress towards graduation and alignment with post‑secondary goals and pathways.
• Provide ongoing guidance on and directly manage course selection to maximize student access to desired pathways and specialized programs.
• Communicate with external or alternate placements to ensure academic continuity for students.
• Monitor academic progress, identify students in need of intervention and credit recovery, and collaborate with parents and appropriate school staff to implement support strategies.
• Deliver classroom lessons on topics relevant to developing academic plans.

• Guide students through the entire post‑secondary exploration and application process (college, career, military), leveraging the expertise and resources provided by the College and Career Counselors.
• Facilitate age‑appropriate career exploration activities, interest inventories, and exposure to various career pathways in collaboration with the College and Career Counselors, including college fairs, career workshops, alumni networking events, and student orientation programs.
• Assist students with college applications, identifying and accessing resources to prepare for college admission exams (e.g., SAT, ACT), understanding FAFSA requirements, and how to access resources to complete the process, scholarship searches.
• Assist students with personal statements, resumes, cover letters, and interview skills for various post‑secondary pursuits in collaboration with the Career Counselor.
• Deliver classroom lessons on topics relevant to post‑secondary and career planning.

• Provide short‑term, solution‑focused individual and small group counseling to address social‑emotional concerns (e.g., relationships, stress, anxiety, mental health awareness, grief, conflict resolution) for the students on their caseload.
• Serve as a core member on the student support team to identify, monitor, and implement multi‑tiered interventions.
• Monitor and communicate Section 504 plans for students on their caseload to ensure implementation and equitable access.
• Deliver classroom lessons on topics…