School Counselor

Career & Tech Center Counselor

The counselor serves as the primary liaison between the Career and Tech school, students, families, and member district home schools. Responsibilities include providing short-term individual and group counseling, supporting students with 504 plans in partnership with Special Education staff, participating in crisis response and risk assessment, and collaborating with administration, community partners, and district counselors to guide students through post-secondary pathways.

Typical Class Responsibilities:

• Provides short-term individual and small-group counseling to students to address social, emotional, and behavioral concerns, including stress management, conflict resolution, and grief, in accordance with the ASCA National Model and applicable professional standards.
• Participates as a core member of the school's crisis response team; assesses risk and provides immediate support to students during crisis situations.
• Supports students attending Career and Tech with 504 plans; partners with Special Education staff to support students in accordance with applicable federal and state requirements.
• Provides group and individual counseling to students and parents regarding college and career guidance in collaboration with community partners.
• Collaborates with guidance counselors at member district high schools to support students and families in exploring post-secondary paths, including four-year colleges, technical schools, trade apprenticeships, military service, and direct workforce entry.
• Partners with Career and Tech administration and support staff to ensure Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions are in place and monitored for efficacy.
• Works in partnership with administration to lead the Career and Tech School Relations Council, a body focused on communication, transparency, and problem-solving to ensure the Career and Tech school is serving member districts effectively.
• Serves as a liaison between the Career and Tech school and member district home schools, communicating regarding student attendance and academic progress.
• Actively engages with student leadership groups.
• Conducts and attends open house and information nights for parents and guardians.
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with administration, Career and Tech staff, member district counselors, community partners, students, and families.
• Performs other duties of a similar nature or level as assigned.

Training and Experience Requirements:

Master's degree in School Counseling from a regionally accredited institution. Completion of a state-approved school counseling preparation program, CACREP-accredited or Minnesota Board-approved equivalent. Licensed or able to obtain a license from the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board as a School Counselor. Prior experience in a secondary (middle or high school) setting is preferred.

Knowledge Requirements:

• ASCA National Model and data-driven school counseling practices.
• Federal and state educational laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), mandatory reporting guidelines, and Minnesota graduation rules.
• Cultural proficiency and practices for effectively serving and supporting diverse student populations.
• Student information systems (e.g., Infinite Campus, Skyward) and standard productivity platforms (e.g., Google Workspace).

Skill Requirements:

• Delivering short-term individual and small-group counseling to address student social, emotional, and behavioral concerns.
• Assessing risk and providing immediate support to students during crisis situations.
• Advising students and families on post-secondary pathways, including four-year colleges, technical schools, trade apprenticeships, military service, and direct workforce entry.
• Supporting the implementation and monitoring of tiered student intervention systems.
• Communicating effectively with administrators, staff, students, families, and the public, in both written and verbal formats.
• Exercising sound judgment and decision-making, including in situations requiring confidentiality.
• Working effectively with diverse student, family, and staff populations.
• Organizing work across multiple concurrent priorities.
• Following established professional standards and procedures.

Physical Requirements:

Positions in this class typically require: reaching, standing, walking, use of fingers, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions. Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Walking and standing are required only occasionally.

Commitment to Equity:

At Northeast Metro 916, equity means that everyone has access to what they need in order to learn, grow and thrive. Northeast Metro 916 will not discriminate against individuals based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, parental status, status with regard to public assistance, disability, age or sexual orientation.