School Counselor - IDEA Lakeland (26-27)

IDEA Public SchoolsLakeland, FL
Onsite

About The Position

The School Counselor at IDEA Public Schools leads the campus family engagement vision, social emotional learning program, and coordination of mental health and counseling supports for all scholars. This role is crucial in implementing key tenets of family engagement, social emotional learning, and student social emotional supports to ensure authentic relationships between staff, students, and families. Data maintenance and analysis are integral to effective intervention implementation, with the School Counselor owning the validity and accuracy of goals to drive campus strategies. The School Counselor will direct and hold all campus team members accountable for their roles in supporting students and families, ensuring staff are clear on their responsibilities, have the necessary data, and are inspired to engage meaningfully with students and parents. This work aims to meet the goal for all students to have the academic and social skills needed to achieve their college aspirations, making schools a safe place for students to learn, grow, and succeed.

Requirements

  • Master's degree in School Counseling, Counseling, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, or related field
  • Valid School Counselor Certification or Mental Health Provider License (Clinical Social Worker Intern, LCSW, LCSW-S, LMHC, LMHC Intern, LMFT-A, LMFT, School Counselor)
  • 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 is non-negotiable
  • Ability to adjust and adapt to a multitude of situations in the school environment

Nice To Haves

  • Previous experience in a school or school setting

Responsibilities

  • Achieves/Owns Campus Goal of Overall Student Persistence
  • Leads the execution of the school vision for retaining all students at the school by directing and managing all stakeholders at the campus in their roles and responsibilities in family engagement and student persistence.
  • Maintains caseload focused on individual/group counseling for at-risk students and refers students who need intense or specialized services, to campus-based Licensed Mental Health Provider and/or outside agencies.
  • Leads the planning of and execution of student and family engagement events that are aligned to the school’s culture, community and family needs and promotes the authentic relationship building between the school and the family.
  • Leads Professional Development for entire campus to clarify the roles every staff member plays in family engagement.
  • Manages the campus overall student persistence data to ensure 100% of data accuracy and reporting through close partnership with the PEIMS team on campus.
  • Notify all stakeholders who own the persistence goal of the data and rationale as to why students are leaving to identify and analyze trends.
  • Data management includes At-Risk Coding, Potential Leavers and Dropouts and Leaver Coding for withdrawals.
  • Partners with the grade level teams to help identify and coordinate intervention for at-risk students with responsibility and accountability structures for Grade Level Admin, API’s, GTLs and Teachers.
  • Leads parent conversations and problem solves to ensure we are meeting the needs of our students and families in collaboration with campus lead team.
  • Develops teachers to work with all students and families.
  • Partners with the appropriate lead team/campus team members to support the staff and the student to work together to achieve goals.
  • Maintain knowledge of community agencies as a resource to meet student and school needs.
  • Directs implementation of state mandated guidance lessons to all students to develop life skills, promote good character, and develop resilience.
  • Provides support through feedback, training, coaching, and developing teachers in working with students social/emotional needs in the classroom.
  • Member of the Campus Crisis team to provide and ensure student social/emotional needs are being met
  • Conducts individual and group check-ins and advising meetings with students to address social-emotional issues and provide campus-based supports.
  • Leads family communications platforms: Remind, Smore (Weekly Parent Newsletter), and Facebook
  • Administer 2 parent surveys: 1 in the Spring and 1 in the Fall to get feedback from parents on communication and events.
  • Is responsible to analyze and create a strategic plan to respond to the parent input.
  • Administer 2 student surveys: 1 in the Spring and 1 in the Fall to get feedback from our scholars with the IDEA experience.
  • 90% New Student Persistence
  • Partners with Enrollment Specialist and APO on the campus to ensure 100% of new student and families receive high quality on-boarding starting on day 1 of school.
  • Directs and manages through influence all campus team members to their role in family engagement to retain new students from year to year.
  • Lead the planning and execution of specific new parent events to welcome the new parents to the campus and helps them integrate and get acclimated to the campus culture and expectations with campus lead team.
  • Partners with the APO to ensure all new student on-boarding is completed and operational support is given at all new student and new parent events
  • Owns the campus new student persistence to ensure 100% of data accuracy and reporting through close partnership with the SIS/Registrar and additional stakeholders on campus team.
  • Notify all stakeholders who own the persistence goal of the data and rationale as to why students are leaving to identify and analyze trends.
  • Through new family onboarding structures, ensures new families and students build community and develop a sense of belonging within the first 10 days of their first day of school.
  • 90% Documentation Compliance: School Counselors Document at least ten hours of direct student services weekly
  • Documents all interventions and crises/critical incidents in district-wide documentation system.
  • Collaborates with community agencies to coordinate services within the school system.
  • Utilize Student & Family Survey data twice a year to assess campus climate and culture.
  • Member of crisis response team on the campus to provide and ensure student or family social/emotional needs are being met.
  • Connects student and families to community resources to get the support needed.
  • Is the liaison between community support person and campus to share information to wrap services around the student.
  • 90% of assigned teachers use Move this World, social emotional learning curriculum with fidelity (as defined by students interact with video program 3 days a week)
  • Lead teacher and campus training on Move This World curriculum and implementation expectations.
  • Identify and utilize best practice strategies to invest and create a culture of excitement around the integration of an SEL curriculum in the daily schedule.
  • Conduct regular rotating observations of Move This World blocks using observation rubric.
  • Provide teachers feedback on observation rubric at least 1x/month.
  • Track curriculum progress and send campus weekly PTG MTW update with glows and grows.
  • Conduct BOY and EOY assessment on SEL competencies, school climate, safety, and sense of belonging.
  • Review data and create action steps to address campus needs.
  • Campus earns an “A” on School Counselor Report Card
  • Collaborates with key stakeholders to meet district expectations for successful implementation of district family engagement and social emotional learning priorities
  • Facilitates 4 Family Engagement Events (1 per quarter)
  • Meets parent and student completion expectations in Fall and Spring survey administrations
  • Facilitates bullying prevention month and mental health awareness month activities
  • Manages & ensures crisis data (threat & risk assessments) across all systems is accurate & follows storing protocols & procedures

Benefits

  • Salaries typically fall between $60,000 and $70,000 commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications and in alignment with internal equity.
  • Eligible for a performance bonus based on team performance and goal attainment.
  • Comprehensive benefits plan, covering the majority of the employee premium for the base medical plan and subsidizing the majority of costs for a spouse/domestic partner and children.
  • Paid Family Leave: Eligible staff may receive up to 8 weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, based on their tenure with the organization and caregiver designation.
  • Tuition Reimbursement: Staff members may apply for up to 50% of tuition paid toward a qualifying degree program, up to $5,250 maximum per year subject to manager discretion and budget availability.
  • Employer-Paid Mental/Behavioral Health: 5 face-to-face counseling sessions within a year, unlimited 24/7 telephonic counseling, and other work-life services available at no cost.
  • Dental and vision plans
  • Disability
  • Life insurance
  • Parenting benefits
  • Flexible spending account options
  • Generous vacation time
  • Referral bonuses
  • Professional development
  • Employer paid 403(b) retirement matching of up to 4% of your annual compensation.
  • Relocation allowance may be offered to defray the cost of moving for this role, if applicable.
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