School Counselor

School Counselor

The Oak Park School District is seeking an exceptional School Counselor to support and nurture middle school students at the Oak Park Preparatory Academy. The School Counselor reports to the building principal and collaborates with fellow counselors, social workers, school psychologists, teachers, paraprofessionals, parents and most importantly students, to help navigate each student through the ever-changing social, emotional and academic middle school journey. The School Counselor will align their expertise with their colleagues to create cohesive and systematic approaches that support high school students using one-on-one counseling, small group interventions and grade level meetings to optimize the growth and development of each high school student. OPSD is looking for School Counselors who can work as a team; are intrinsically motivated; who have a deep desire to grow professionally; who believe children deserve to learn in an environment with the highest level of cultural competence; who are committed to providing children with boundless opportunities; and who understand that initiative, rigor and grit are essential to be a great teacher leader in the 21st Century.

Qualifications

Required Education/Certification

• School Counselor License (SCL)
• Michigan Teaching Certificate with the School Counselor (NT) endorsement.

Preferred Experience

• 3 -5 years of experience as a School Counselor at the high school level.
• Success working with at-risk populations using a variety of strategies to improve student attendance, parent engagement and the use of community resources.
• Extensive knowledgeable of the Michigan Merit Curriculum and age appropriate National and State Assessments.
• Experienced building the middle school master schedule, with robust and challenging elective classes.
• Knowledgeable with implementing Educational Development Plans per MDE requirements.
• A deep understanding of analyzing and using data to support and guide high school students.
• Leadership experience in delivering professional development and supporting classroom teachers.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

The Oak Park School District is committed to equal employment opportunities in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, selection, training, promotion, and retention of staff. The Board is committed to maintaining a learning/working environment in which all individuals are treated with dignity and respect, free from discrimination and harassment. There will be no tolerance for discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, genetic information, disability, age, or any other illegal grounds.

General Duties and Responsibilities

• Under the direction of the building principal, support 6-8 grade students with social, emotional and academic support systems aligned with best practices of school counseling.
• Implement a comprehensive high school counseling program that is age and grade appropriate, supporting the critical developmental stages of high school children.
• Build relationships with all students to best guide their academic, social and emotional development.
• Take a proactive approach by monitoring student grades, attendance, behavior referrals and counseling referrals. Strategically guide the whole child with proper interventions and counseling using data collected.
• Support colleagues and classroom teachers by facilitating meaningful professional development and one-on-one meetings to develop interventions for specific student needs.
• Play an active role in the development of the master schedule each school year. Guide student with class selections based on their EDP and with parent/guardian input.
• Participate in a high functional and focused Professional Learning Communities (PLC) for school counselors and ancillary staff.
• Identify and implement support groups to meet the needs of students experiencing trauma and/or crisis.
• Model and facilitate professional conversations as it related to student behavior and appropriate interactions with peers and adults in the building.
• Develop partnerships with Oakland Schools and the city of Oak Park to maximize support systems and resources for the students and families of Oak Park Schools.
• Be an active member in supporting student needs by contributing to the Multi-Tiered Support System model aligned with interventions used by all teachers, counselors and ancillary staff.
• Team with classroom teachers to integrate MTSS interventions that are grounded in Tier I best practices related to social and emotional development of high school students.
• Collaborate, create and implement classroom lessons that are based on character education and meaningful for building a high school culture that is all inclusive and anti-racist.
• Support teachers with implementing Individual Education Plan's (IEP), 504's, English Language Learner lessons and general education plans with the highest level of integrity and fidelity.
• Develop daily, weekly and monthly schedules to demonstrate a focus of work with all caseload students and develop common practices as it relates to each grade level of the high school students.
• Build and maintain positive partnerships with teachers, ancillary staff, and parents/guardians to maximize student support.
• Participate in professional development opportunities that are aligned with the School Counselor role and the district's mission, vision and goals.
• Be an active member of the school community through, Professional Learning Communities, various building and district committee work, the School Improvement Team and other leadership opportunities as presented.
• Engage with student activities outside of the school day that supports the programming and traditions of the building and district.
• Any other duties assigned by the principal.

Essential Duties

• Provide an educational program that meets the educational needs of each student.
• Provide school counselor guidance which is consistent with District expectations and which meets the educational needs of all students.
• Communicate with students, parents, administrators and other staff members in a professional manner which is consistent with District and school expectations.
• Plan, implement, record data and create reports consistent with District, State and Federal mandates.
• Provide supervision which ensures a safe and nurturing work environment.
• Manage of time, equipment, and materials efficiently and maintain a physical and emotional environment that is well-organized and student centered.

Application Method

External Candidates: All interested and qualified external applicants must complete an application and upload all necessary documents on the Oakland Schools Consortium Website. All letters of interest, resumes and applications must be received no later than the deadline listed or until the position has been filled.

Internal Candidates: All interested and qualified internal applicants must submit a letter of interest and a current resume via email to Mr. Douglass Eiland, Principal of Oak Park Preparatory Academy at View email address on click.appcast.io. All letters of interest, resumes and applications must be received no later than the deadline listed or until filled.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

The Oak Park School District is committed to equal employment opportunities in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, selection, training, promotion, and retention of staff. The Board is committed to maintaining a learning/working environment in which all individuals are treated with dignity and respect, free from discrimination and harassment. There will be no tolerance for discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, genetic information, disability, age, or any other illegal grounds.