School Counselor

Job Description

Job Title:

School Counselor

Reports To:

Director of Student Support

Job Goal:
The School Counselor will be held accountable for establishing relationships with both students and parents. In addition, the counselor will provide opportunities for students to develop skills in the areas of social/personal growth, educational planning and skills for academic success. The school counselor will work with teachers and leaders to identify our students and families most in need of additional services, and then lead a collaborative effort to plan for and provide the necessary support.

Most of our students come from underrepresented ethnic groups and need the absolute best that we have to offer. A significant percentage of our students have experienced or are living through significant trauma and demonstrate emotional, mental, and behavioral health challenges. In this effort, the school counselor will directly provide individual and group counseling to students and their families, while also working to link families with long‑term counseling solutions and external support organizations.

About Us:

Founded in 1997, East Side Charter School is a free, public elementary school that educates students in Wilmington, Delaware. East Side prides itself on being a community‑based school, using multiple partnerships, strong relationships with families, and a dedicated and hard‑working faculty to ensure academic success for its students.

This position is suited for someone who is willing to do “Whatever it Takes” to support our students in being successful in school and in life.

• Character
  
  Education:
  
  
  • Plan lessons for individual students, small groups, and/or classrooms addressing the fundamental character traits desired such as:
  • Peer relationships & Mediation
  • Coping strategies
  • Problem solving and conflict resolution
  • Bullying
  • Sex Ed., HS PREP class, Planned Parenthood, etc.
• Assessment and Interpretation:
  • Use data (including attendance records, discipline reports, student grades, etc.) to help determine which students and families are most in need of additional support services.
  • Assist in screening and evaluating referred children, including selecting appropriate instruments, administering tests, observations, and writing reports that state the evaluation findings to collaborate with the multi‑disciplinary team and the IEP committee.
• Responsive Services:
  • Counsel individual challenges that students face inside and outside of school that impede academic potential by meeting with the student individually to develop strategies so that the student is able to access their education with limited distractions. Evaluate effectiveness of individual and group interventions and modify interventions based on data collected.
  • Develop awareness of and partnerships with various long‑term counseling solutions and external support organizations to effectively link students and families with additional support services.
  • Consult and support teachers in implementing techniques and strategies developed and worked on in counseling sessions to ensure consistency.
• Parent Support & Communication:
  • Connect students and families with community mental health organizations/agencies and educate parents on proactive and reactive intervention strategies that support the mental and physical well‑being of the child.
  • Establish clear, measurable, and meaningful goals for each student and family receiving support, while also tracking the effectiveness of the goals regularly to report progress to relevant stakeholders.

• Education: Master’s degree in Social Work, School Counseling, Child Psychology, or a related field; A DE state‑issued school counseling license.
• Experience: At least 1‑2 years of experience as a school guidance counselor (preferred, not required);
  Experience working in an urban school environment (required);
  An outstanding record of supporting the needs of teachers, students, and families, elevating student achievement in an urban classroom, with a strong understanding of pedagogy that drives results.
• Required Skills/Traits:
  • Be accessible to students in order to gain their trust through genuine empathetic…