School Counselor

Job Description

Job Description

Are you ready to embark on an extraordinary journey, where your purpose is to empower and uplift others through education? We're seeking a passionate and dedicated individual to become a School Counselor at Integration Charter Schools (ICS) and play a pivotal role in our vibrant learning community!

About Integration Charter Schools

Integration Charter Schools provide innovative pathways to college that fully integrate students with special needs. In building a family of associated schools that share this common mission, ICS strives to fill gaps in public education. The ICS network is composed of four schools located on Staten Island, New York. The guiding principles of ICS are teamwork, courage, community, and integrity. We take these principles into the classroom to enrich our students' learning experience. In addition to a rigorous academic curriculum, our social-emotional learning program plays a key role in fostering resilience, self-awareness, and interpersonal skills, preparing students for success both in and out of the classroom. We offer opportunities for students to earn college credits through partnerships with higher education institutions, allowing them to gain valuable experience and accelerate their academic journey.

Our vision is to reimagine what public education can be — a place where schools serve not only as centers of learning, but as hubs of opportunity and transformation for children, families, and our faculty. We believe that amazing things happen when we remove obstacles and meet every child and family exactly where they are, through a wraparound service model that ensures each child has access to the full spectrum of academic, emotional, social, and practical supports needed to thrive.

Our commitment is simple but radical: we will do whatever it takes to set the standard of excellence for kids and families — pushing beyond compliance, beyond expectation, and beyond convention. We lead with love, innovation, liberation, and accountability, and we build schools where belonging is non-negotiable, excellence is expected, and the whole community grows together.

“The Bar” at ICS

Every member of our team is a standard-bearer of this vision. The bar is high — by design — and our work demands courage, integrity, conviction, and an unwavering belief that we can and will do whatever it takes to change the trajectory for children, families, and faculty. As School Counselor, you will be expected to embody:

1. Leading with Love and Liberation
2. Doing Whatever It Takes — No Excuses, No Ego
3. Modeling Collaboration and Coherence
4. Holding Ourselves and Each Other Accountable
5. Building Schools Where Belonging Is Non-Negotiable

Summary

ICS seeks a School Counselor to assist, support, and cultivate a strong school culture anchored in social-emotional and academic support, guided by our values of Courage, Community, Teamwork, and Integrity. Serving as the child's in-house advocate, the counselor's main role is to identify and support every child's academic, social-emotional, and behavioral needs both in and outside the school environment. This is achieved by consulting with the key players in a student's learning process — the family unit, teachers, school administrators, and outside mental health professionals — to create a safe, positive, and supportive environment for the student. Grounded in the ICS vision of whatever it takes , the School Counselor is a 10-month, school-based employee who helps ensure every student is known, supported, and held to a high bar.

Responsibilities

• Provision of needs assessment of presenting problems and any other social, emotional, cultural, and familial needs.
• Provide direct evidence-based individualized interventions for students and family (academic, social-emotional, and behavioral).
• Classroom/lunchroom observations and push-in for the purpose of assessment and follow-through on management plans.
• Evaluate chosen evidence-based interventions to determine effectiveness and cultural appropriateness.
• Use data to curate 1:1 and strategic group counseling to aid in skill and social-emotional development.
• Familiarity with Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and ability to execute universal and tiered interventions to best support students and address emerging trends.
• Collaborate and consult with Principal, Assistant Principal, Dean, teachers, staff, and network support to create plans on how to best support student(s).
• Attend and actively participate in all collaborative meetings with school leadership.
• Work collaboratively with families and outside providers to link families to community-based mental health resources and support when and if necessary.
• Guardian engagement — introduction and outreach to caregivers of the entire caseload to better understand the needs of their child, and provide intentional ongoing collaboration.
• Participate and at times facilitate attendance meetings with the child, guardians, and school-based personnel.
• Provide crisis prevention, de-escalation, and response professional development to staff.
• Facilitate restorative mediation between students or student/teacher.
• AIM (Assessment and Intervention Meeting) — co-facilitate the AIM meeting for teachers and counselors to create intervention plans for students who are struggling behaviorally, emotionally, and/or academically.
• Join academic meetings with school leadership, students, and parents to assess issues related to academic failure and devise a support plan around interventions.
• Participate in and have responsibilities related to the FBA/BIP process.
• May be asked to participate in culture-building activities, family engagement events, open houses, etc.
• Additional duties may be assigned to the counselor by the Principal of the school.

Competencies & Qualifications

• Licensing as a School Counselor, Master or Clinical levels (LCSW preferred, LMSW or LMHC)
• Experience in evidence-based interventions specific to elementary school-aged children in a school environment.
• Strong ability to analyze data/trends and take appropriate initiative to be proactive.
• Desire to participate in the development and implementation of social-emotional events and initiatives within the counseling department.
• Deep understanding of the developmental needs of students in a K-12 setting.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• High degree of organizational skills; detail-oriented with ability to follow through in a fast-paced environment.
• Thorough understanding of best practices for students in a K-12 setting.
• Ability to use tech platforms such as Kickboard, PowerSchool, and Google Drive to track data and communicate effectively with the school community.
• A whatever it takes attitude, one that is centered in the notion of children first.
• A deep belief that every child can succeed, and a willingness to uphold high expectations for students, staff, and oneself to ensure that students are set up for success.
• Ability to model social-emotional skills such as willingness to take feedback, hear new perspectives, and try new things in support of student growth.

Additional Information

• Weekly Wednesday half-day schedule for embedded professional development and planning.
• Small class sizes.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Teaching certification pathway for those who qualify.
• Opportunity to be an integral part of our community, making a genuine difference and shaping the futures of our students.
• Students of ICS employees have access to after-care options.
• Free parking on-campus.
• Comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, and life insurance, a flexible spending account, paid time off, short- and long-term disability policy, commuter benefits, professional development opportunities, and a 401(k) retirement plan with an employer match of up to 3%.
• Employees qualify for both NYS Teacher Loan Forgiveness and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
• Promotion of work-life balance to all staff members.
• Stipend program that promotes becoming a dual-certified teacher in New York State.
• Teacher Residency Program.
• Tuition-free Bachelor's degree program through Monroe College.

Hours / Salary

Monday–Friday, 7:30 AM–4:00 PM

$71,000+

Salary is based on years of experience and degree held.

ICS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.