Elementary School Counselor

Springfield Prep Charter School; Springfield (MA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 91,000; Full time

Job summary

Springfield Prep Charter School in Springfield, MA, is seeking an Elementary School Counselor to support students' social-emotional needs and identity development through direct work, collaboration with staff, and partnerships with families.

The role focuses on crisis intervention, attendance, behavior support, family education, IEP participation, and program development to foster a safe, inclusive, and high-achievement culture for all scholars.

Qualifications

• Masters degree in social work, counseling, or school counseling is required.
• Massachusetts DESE School Counselor License or equivalent license is required.
• Experience as a classroom teacher, school counselor, or counselor with elementary students preferred.
• Experience and/or training in applied behavior analysis is preferred.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead crisis intervention for students, including risk assessments and safety contracts.
• Support students in crisis and develop behavior support strategies with the School Culture Team.
• Consult with staff, families, and community agencies to meet students' social-emotional needs.
• Lead family education workshops to support families in developmental growth.
• Oversee attendance and engagement for students with low attendance.
• Provide proactive outreach to families to promote engagement in school.
• Counsel students individually and in groups on school adjustment strategies.
• Create social skill groups for pro-social development.
• Develop and lead school-wide programs such as peer mediation and bully prevention.
• Attend IEP meetings and complete IEP goals and progress reports.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

Relationship building

Crisis intervention

Education

Masters Degree in social work, counseling, or school counseling

Job description

Springfield, Massachusetts, United States

Who are we?

Springfield Prep Charter School is a K-8 public charter school in Springfield, Massachusetts that prepares all students for high school, college, and life. We are driven by the belief that all children deserve a world-class education and that they can and will achieve when provided with high expectations, rigorous curriculum, and a joyful school culture.

What does the Counselor do?

The Elementary School Counselor leads the school’s work to support students’ social and emotional needs and positive identity development through a combination of direct support of students, collaboration with teachers and the School Culture Team, and partnership with families and outside service providers. At Springfield Prep, we support students with a mix of love, support, and high expectations so students are able to reach their full potential. The Counselor will play a key role in doing this and helping students to engage with and succeed in school.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead crisis intervention for students, which may include risk assessments, safety contracts, and social service interventions
• With the School Culture Team, support students in crisis and in developing appropriate behavior support strategies for students whose behavior interferes with their learning
• Consult with staff, scholars, parents, and community agencies and act as a liaison between these groups to ensure the social‑emotional needs of scholars are being met
• Lead family education workshops to support families in supporting their children through developmental growth and challenges.
• Oversee school attendance and school engagement efforts for students with low attendance to support improved school engagement
• Provide proactive outreach to parents and/or scholars of target populations to facilitate positive engagement in school
• Counsel students individually and in groups with a focus on helping students to develop school adjustment strategies
• Create and lead and/or facilitate social skill groups for students who may benefit from pro‑social skill development
• Develop and lead programs in the school community such as a peer mediation program, substance abuse prevention education, bullying prevention, and positive identity education.
• Attend IEP meetings, complete IEP goals and progress reports for students with social‑emotional goals

Who should apply?

Our community and student body are diverse, and we believe that we can best achieve our mission when our leadership, teachers, and staff reflect our students’ identities. Therefore, we are committed to being a diverse organization at all levels. With this in mind, we encourage people from all backgrounds and identities to apply.

We do have a few requirements and preferred qualifications for this role:

• Masters Degree in social work, counseling, or school counseling (required)
• Must hold a DESE School Counselor License or appropriate license issued by the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Work or the Massachusetts Board of Allied Mental Health Professionals
• Experience as a classroom teacher, school counselor, or counselor who has worked with elementary school students, strongly preferred
• Experience and/or training in applied behavior analysis
• Exceptionally strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with students, parents, colleagues, and community members
• Strong written and communication skills
• You can join us in early August and commit to our schedule: (7:25 am‑3:35 pm)

Compensation

The salary range for this position is 60,000-91,000.

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

As an equal opportunity employer, Springfield Preparatory Charter School provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, military service, disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by federal or state law.