School Counselor - IDEA Montopolis College Prep (Immediate Opening)

IDEA Public Schools•Austin, TX

2d•$72,785 - $84,431•Onsite

About The Position

The School Counselor leads the campus family engagement vision, social-emotional learning program, and coordination of mental health and counseling supports for students. The role helps ensure staff build authentic relationships with students and families, uses accurate data to guide interventions and campus strategies, and holds campus team members accountable for their roles in family engagement and student persistence. The School Counselor supports a physically and emotionally safe school environment where students can learn, grow, and develop the academic and social skills needed to achieve their goals of going to and through college. The position leads strategies for overall and new-student persistence, family and student engagement, parent and student surveys, and onboarding for new families. It manages persistence data in collaboration with campus teams, coordinates interventions for at-risk students, and leads family communications and engagement events. The School Counselor also documents direct student services, interventions, and crises; connects students and families with community resources; and collaborates with community agencies and campus crisis response team members. The role leads implementation of the Move This World social-emotional learning curriculum, including training, observations, feedback, progress tracking, and assessments of mental-health competencies, climate, safety, and belonging. It also coordinates risk and threat assessment protocols, crisis documentation and data tracking, safety plans and re-entry meetings, and training and resources for campus crisis response team members.

Requirements

Master’s degree in School Counseling, Counseling, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, or a related field.
Valid Texas School Counselor certification or counseling/social work licensure (LMSW, LCSW, LCSW-S, LPC-A, LPC, LMFT-A, or LMFT).
Proven track record of success.
Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
Ability to manage student behavior.
Belief in and alignment with IDEA’s mission and values.
Ability to adjust and adapt to a variety of situations in the school environment.
Commitment to IDEA’s mission that all students are capable of getting to and through college, and willingness to be accountable for outcomes.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience in a school or school setting.

Responsibilities

Lead execution of the campus vision for retaining students by directing campus stakeholders in their family engagement and student persistence responsibilities.
Plan and execute student and family engagement events aligned with school culture, community, and family needs.
Lead campus professional development to clarify staff roles in family engagement.
Manage student persistence data, ensure data accuracy and reporting, and analyze reasons and trends related to student withdrawals and departures.
Partner with grade-level teams to identify at-risk students and coordinate interventions with accountability structures.
Lead parent conversations and problem-solving in collaboration with the campus lead team.
Lead family communications using Remind, Smore, and Facebook.
Administer and analyze parent and student surveys twice a year and develop strategic responses to parent feedback.
Partner with the Enrollment Specialist and APO to ensure new students and families receive high-quality onboarding starting on the first day of school.
Direct campus team members’ family engagement efforts to support new-student retention.
Plan and execute new-parent events and onboarding structures that help new families build community and belonging.
Maintain accurate new-student persistence data and reporting in partnership with the SIS/Registrar and campus stakeholders.
Document at least ten hours of direct student services weekly and record interventions, crises, and critical incidents in the district-wide documentation system.
Collaborate with community agencies to coordinate services and connect students and families with community resources.
Serve as liaison between community support providers and the campus to coordinate services around students.
Use Student & Family Survey data twice a year to assess campus climate and culture.
Serve on the campus crisis response team and help ensure student and family social-emotional needs are met.
Lead teacher and campus training on Move This World curriculum and implementation expectations.
Promote effective implementation of the mental-health curriculum in the daily schedule.
Conduct rotating observations of Move This World blocks, provide teachers monthly feedback, and track curriculum progress.
Send weekly campus updates on Move This World progress, including strengths and areas for improvement.
Conduct beginning- and end-of-year assessments of mental-health competencies, school climate, safety, and belonging, and develop action steps based on results.
Ensure crisis responses are documented in required platforms within 24–28 hours.
Track campus crisis data across systems and conduct periodic data audits.
Present crisis and risk/threat assessment data at monthly CCT meetings and recommend updates to safety and re-entry meetings as applicable.
Collaborate with CCT members to ensure risk and threat assessment checklists are followed with fidelity.
Ensure CCT members are trained in risk and threat assessment protocols.
Create campus crisis binders and walk CCT members through the materials and their appropriate use.

Benefits

Compensation range of $72,785 to $84,431 for people entering the role, based on relevant experience, qualifications, and internal equity.
Eligibility for a performance bonus based on team performance and goal attainment.
Medical plan with the majority of the employee premium covered, with most costs for a spouse/domestic partner and children subsidized.
Eligible staff may receive up to eight weeks of paid family leave for the birth or adoption of a child, based on tenure and caregiver designation.
Tuition reimbursement of up to 50% of tuition for a qualifying degree program, capped at $5,250 per year and subject to manager discretion and budget availability.
Employer-paid mental and behavioral health services, including five face-to-face counseling sessions per year, unlimited 24/7 telephonic counseling, and other work-life services.
Dental and vision plans.
Disability and life insurance.
Parenting benefits.
Flexible spending account options.
Generous vacation time.
Referral bonuses.
Professional development.
403(b) plan.
Relocation allowance may be offered, if applicable.