Alternative Education K-12 Counselor for 2026-2027 School Year

Alternative Education K-12 Counselor for 2026-2027 School Year JobID: 10013 Overview Position Type: Alternative Education Date Posted: 3/13/2026 Date Available: 08/2026 Title High School Counselor Purpose To assist students in making educational, career, and/or life plans that hold promise for their personal fulfillment as productive citizens. Qualifications Holds a valid Illinois Professional Educator License Holds a certificate as a guidance counselor – or- Holds a type 73 certificate Master's Degree or higher education The ability to function effectively as a member of the school staff Good organizational skills, detail oriented, and ability to prioritize tasks effectively and efficiently Ability to understand and follow basic oral and written instructions Good written and communication skills Ability to communicate to students, parents, staff, and administration in a courteous manner Reports To The Principal or Designee Maintains Liaison With Parents, Staff, Administration, and post-secondary institutions. Communicates on a regular basis or as requested by parents, staff, and/or administration. Duties and Responsibilities The following are the essential fundamentals to include but not limited to the following job duties. Management and coordination of student services Assists teachers, parents/guardians, and other stakeholders in interpreting and understanding student data Counsels and assists students in course and subject selection Assists students individually, or in groups, with developing academic, career, and personal/social skills, goals, and plans throughout their educational career Assist new students with scheduling, orientation, and transitioning to new environment Help students with coping and/or problem-solving skills Remains readily available to students so as to provide counseling that will lead each student to increased personal growth, self-understanding and maturity Assist with the preparation and mailing of college, scholarship, financial aid and employment applications Initiates, assembles, maintains, interprets, and protects the confidentiality of student information and data Assists with and updates Individual Career Exploration Plan and transcripts for assigned students Provides resources for students who express interest in school and/or community activities/programs Consults and collaborates with the teachers, school psychologist, social workers, administrators, families, and community resources to develop student success Assist students with gathering information regarding admissions for trade schools, special skills schools, programs, colleges, universities, and/or military Arranges and organizes conferences between students and college/career/vocational representatives Reviews students' academic performance and confers with students and parents as needed Counsels students who are enrolled in DPS alternative schools/programs (This applies to counselors assigned to alt ed.) Will evaluate high school students' transcripts prior to alternative education placement Schedule meetings with students and parents for education-related purposes Assists students with post-secondary options Collaborate with Innovation Programs to assist with referring students for part-time job placement and/or college visits/fairs Conducts follow-up of students new to the school to determine their academic and social adjustment to school Utilize data to identify student struggles, needs, and/or barriers to academic success Explores alternative educational opportunities with students Monitors student Service-Learning Hours and monitors all high school graduation requirements Works with administration to obtain school records from the student's previous school (where applicable) and forwarding student records when appropriate Keeps current with changes in counseling strategies and implementation techniques As part of the school leadership team, assist in improving equity and access for all students Provide counseling for students struggling with attendance, discipline, and/or academics Assistants to Instructional Staff Works cooperatively with other school personnel in the identification, diagnosis, and remediation of individual students with specialized needs Meets with appropriate department chairperson regarding that department's course offerings and curriculum changes Assists in the planning for and supervision of all standardized testing programs Arranges for conferences with parents and teachers as needed Participates in multi-disciplinary conferences as needed Works with teachers, special service personnel, administration, and staff to develop new programs and explore innovative developments in the total school program Uses grammatically correct English in verbal and written communications Staff and Professional Responsibilities Takes an active role in interpreting the school's objectives, rules, and policies In cooperation with local agencies, participates in Career Awareness Programs and/or assemblies Provides approved material for press releases and/or newsletters Maintains and submits accurate and timely records/reports as required by law, Board policy, and administrative guidelines Follows building and district rules, procedures, and policies Terms of Employment Wages, hours, terms, and conditions of employment pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement. Evaluation Each employee shall be evaluated according to the District's guidelines, policies, and procedures in accordance with the DEA contract. The physical demands, work environment factors, and mental functions described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Physical Demands While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to handle work which deals mostly with people, objects, and equipment in a general setting. The employee may be required to use repetitive hand motions, including prolonged use of a computer terminal. The employee is frequently required to sit, see, talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, bend, stoop, and kneel. The employee may be required to lift up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus with or without correction. The employee must recognize differences in sound, such as voices/noises that are loud and playful instead of angry and combative. The employee must have the ability to differentiate tones and volumes in conversation. The employee should hear in the normal audio range with or without correction. Work Environment The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Mental Functions While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly is required to compare, analyze, communicate, coordinate, compile, instruct, synthesize, evaluate, use interpersonal skills, negotiate, and maintain emotional control under stress. The employee frequently is required to compute. The employee occasionally is required to copy. The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills that may be required. Decatur Public Schools is an equal employment opportunity employer with an affirmative action plan. This position falls under the Decatur Education Association (DEA) Contract - 2022-2026. The Salary Schedule is attached above. Benefit information can be found HERE. Postings current as of 3/15/2026 1:03:07 PM CST. Powered by applicant tracking, a product of Frontline Education. #J-18808-Ljbffr Decatur Public School District