.5 School Counseling Support Specialist and .5 Cowles Montessori School Counselor

Des Moines Public School District • Des Moines, IA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is a full-time counseling position shared between two related roles: 50% of the time will be devoted to District-level support to counselors as outlined in the School Counseling Support Specialist description and 50% of the time will be devoted to serving as a school counselor for Cowles Montessori School. The salary information uses the 25-26 salary schedule, as the 26-27 schedule is not yet finalized.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in School Counseling
• Iowa professional service license (or eligibility to obtain)
• Five (5) years successful K12 school counseling experience
• Demonstrated leadership in hiring, coaching, or program coordination
• Competency working in a culturally diverse environment or the willingness to acquire these skills

Nice To Haves

• Experience supervising interns or mentoring new counselors
• Prior work with university partnerships or educator preparation programs
• Bilingual or multilingual proficiency
• Classroom teacher experience
• Prior experience at the grade level(s) of the position
• Experience in an urban school district

Responsibilities

• Serve as first point of contact when vacancies arise; collaborate with Talent & Personnel to coordinate notification, posting, and communication timelines to ensure equitable and efficient hiring cycles.
• Chair district screening teams, facilitate placement interviews with principals, and guide buildings in final selection decisions.
• Design and deliver multiday summer orientation and induction sessions for new-to-profession and new-to-district counselors.
• Create year-long onboarding roadmap, resource hub, and check-in cadence; monitor progress and adjust supports as needed.
• Provide individualized, research-based coaching cycles (prep → observe → debrief) for all counselors in Years 1–3 and for any counselor who self-refers or is identified for additional support through the evaluation process.
• Collaborate with each coachee to set data-driven growth goals around Tier 1 instruction, Tier 2 group interventions, or Tier 3 individual counseling skills.
• Maintain a flexible coaching caseload that scales with district demand rather than a fixed quota; adjust intensity (e.g., frequency of visits, virtual check-ins) to match counselor’s need.
• Document baseline data, coaching actions, and evidence of growth; share progress reports with counselors, principals, and the School Counseling Coordinator, and recommend support for next steps.
• In collaboration with the School Counseling Coordinator, conduct needs assessments; develop annual professional development calendar aligned to ASCA National Model, district initiatives, and counselor skill bands.
• Plan and facilitate workshops, support PLCs, and coaching cycles; evaluate impact through data collection and participant feedback.
• Act as primary liaison to graduate preparation programs across the Midwest; maintain partnerships, market district opportunities, and host biannual information sessions.
• Manage application, placement, and supervision systems for practicum students and interns; support site supervisors and ensure compliance with ASCA ethical standards.
• Collect and analyze data on hiring, retention, PD effectiveness, and intern outcomes; prepare reports for leadership.
• Contribute to program evaluations, grant proposals, and strategic planning initiatives.
• Represent the counseling program on district committees and at regional/state conferences as requested.
• Attend work on a prompt and regular basis.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Maintain satisfactory and harmonious working relationships with the public, students, and other employees.
• Assist with other duties as may be assigned.
• Design, implement, and manage a comprehensive school counseling program aligned with the American School Counselor Association National Model and the Iowa Framework for School Counseling Programs, addressing the career, academic, and social emotional development of all students.
• Implement social-emotional learning initiatives throughout the school, including direct classroom instruction.
• Implement postsecondary success programming that facilitates student exploration of careers and postsecondary education/training.
• Collaborate with all staff to provide support within the DMPS version of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support.
• Be knowledgeable about resources and services within District, as well as through community partners, in order to provide appropriate referrals for students and families when necessary.
• Provide responsive services to meet the needs of the school community as directed by the principal.
• Collect and respond to data, in order to demonstrate progress toward reaching student outcome goals, as well as goals of the counseling program.
• Demonstrate accountability for personal, professional, and programmatic growth.

Benefits

• All candidates offered a position will be required to successfully pass a criminal background check, and a child and adult abuse registry check.
• Certain positions may require fingerprinting, a drug and alcohol test, a physical capacity test and/or a motor vehicle record check.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees