Manager of Counseling - Kansas Connections Academy

Connections Academy•Overland Park, KS

About The Position

The Manager of Counseling Services works in conjunction with the school’s leadership team to support students, ensuring that each child successfully completes their instructional program. This role provides direction to counseling staff and assists students and parents in understanding and meeting graduation requirements, course selection and scheduling, post-secondary planning, and crisis intervention. The Manager of Counseling Services supports the entire educational program.

Requirements

Minimum of five (5) years teaching experience; counseling or management experience preferred.
Valid state counseling credential endorsement or administrative license (as required by state).
Advanced degree preferred.
Technological proficiency (especially with Microsoft Office products).
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Customer-focused and student-centered approach.
High degree of flexibility and ability to work well in a fast-paced environment.
Demonstrated ability to lead with high expectations for staff performance while holding oneself to equally high professional standards.
Proven capacity to build and sustain a positive, accountable, and collaborative counseling department culture.
Strong collaborative leadership skills with the ability to thrive in a team-oriented environment and partner effectively with school leadership and stakeholders.
Some travel required.
Must be able to use personal electronic devices for two‑step authentication and communication.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred.
counseling or management experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Support teachers in maintaining professionalism, instructional support, and high-quality customer service.
Ensure the academic success of individual students by utilizing all available academic support and maintaining strong communication with parents to deliver program information and address student needs.
Assist teaching staff with implementing program changes.
Exhibit high-quality communication with all staff, students, and families.
Provide assistance to families in need of additional support to prevent unnecessary withdrawals/dropouts and encourage high participation.
Participate in student recruitment efforts, including presentations, Q&A sessions, and outreach.
Support parent coordinators in organizing social activities and relevant field trips for students.
Devise and implement virtual methods for creating and maintaining a strong school community.
Address student problems escalated by parents and teachers.
Communicate and coordinate overlapping responsibilities with school leadership.
Develop, plan, and implement counseling programs for students and families related to academic and career planning, graduation, and interpersonal adjustment.
Oversee and manage Individual Career and Academic Plans for students.
Stay current on all high school graduation requirements, including special requirements such as post-secondary assets, and communicate this information to relevant staff.
Plan and supervise the secondary school course selection process according to state credit and graduation requirements, student needs, and interests. Assist students and parents in developing a four-year plan for graduation.
Counsel students on issues related to dropping courses and changing schedules.
Supervise the review of student transcripts and the entry of credits into the online transcript system.
Develop and implement procedures to ensure transcripts are accurate and up-to-date.
Supervise efforts to secure complete and accurate student records.
Generate and authorize official transcripts for families upon request.
Counsel families through the school withdrawal process and assist with data collection regarding withdrawal.
Design and implement crisis prevention and management plans for the school and provide leadership to the Crisis Management Team.
Report and refer critical incidents that jeopardize student well-being as required by law, regulations, or ethical standards.
Lead school teams in identifying and maintaining up-to-date lists of school and community resources, making them available to staff and families.
Develop and implement processes to regularly review the status of each secondary student regarding attendance, participation, and performance.
Ensure counseling staff can assist teachers with mid-semester enrollments, integrating new students, and handling previous grades and credits appropriately.
Demonstrate knowledge of McKinney-Vento (MKV) requirements and provide oversight, support, and ongoing monitoring of students in temporary or transitional situations and their families to ensure compliance, access to services, and academic continuity.
Lead a goal-oriented counseling department by establishing measurable objectives aligned with the school’s mission and vision, implementing strategic action plans, monitoring progress toward goals, and ensuring successful achievement of departmental outcomes.
Collaborate with teachers to review and enhance secondary school course content in line with curriculum and state requirements.
Research, develop, and implement special programs such as Advanced Placement support, SAT/ACT preparation, and college entrance preparation.
Understand requirements for and facilitate the administration of all high school testing, including exit exams, PSAT, SAT, ACT, AP exams, and others as required.
Administer tests in-person as needed (travel required).
Design and implement professional development activities for teachers and staff.
Design and coordinate high school graduation ceremonies.
Coordinate staff to identify students at risk or in crisis.
Monitor all enrollment requirements and communicate with the Enrollment Department.
Provide state testing support, including logistics for scheduling, tracking participation, and contracting for testing facilities.
Support marketing and outreach efforts as needed.
Manage counselors, advisory teachers, and other positions within the counseling department.
Work with school and state accountability entities to monitor graduation rates, college/career readiness, state testing completion, and other assigned areas.
Develop and maintain a comprehensive annual counseling calendar aligned with school-wide priorities.
Design and maintain digital systems that support documentation, collaboration, and team efficiency.
Oversees a comprehensive career development program that includes career exploration, goal-setting, workforce readiness, and postsecondary planning.
All other duties as assigned.