High School Guidance Counselor

Farmington School District; Farmington (NH); On-site; USD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Farmington School District in New Hampshire is seeking a High School Counselor to support students, families, and staff through counseling, consultation and coordination.

The counselor will provide individual and group guidance, assist with academic planning, college and career preparation, and collaborate with teachers, administrators and outside agencies to address student needs.

Qualifications

• Certification in guidance counseling is required.
• Experience counseling students, parents and teachers in a school setting.

Responsibilities

• Provide individual counseling and guidance to students.
• Assist students with personal problems affecting school and peers.
• Develop and monitor guidance plans to support academic growth.
• Maintain guidance records and summarize progress.
• Coordinate with staff, parents and community resources.
• Deliver group guidance for special needs students and classroom guidance.
• Assist in developing the master schedule and course registration procedures.
• Advise students on career and educational decisions.
• Serve as liaison with parents and teachers and coordinate referrals.

Skills

Counseling skills

Student support

Education

Certification in guidance counseling from the Department of Education

Job description

High School Counselor

Certification or Statement of Eligibility required

Salary and benefits per CBA

SCHOOL COUNSELOR

The guidance counselor works with pupils, teachers and parents, emphasizing the developmental needs of all students through counseling, consultation and coordination.

The guidance counselor reports directly to the building principal. Certification in guidance counseling from the Department of Education is required for the position.

Performance Responsibilities

• Provides counseling and guidance to students individually:
• Helps students resolve and/or deal with personal problems that arise in dealing with peers, family, school, and other situations causing stress.
• Helps students become adequate and responsible in their own choices and decision

making.

• Helping students discover themselves as worth-while people, developing

understanding and acceptance of themselves and others.

• Allows individuals (students, parents, teachers) to discuss problems or concerns

with a professional counselor who will listen carefully, discuss available options, keeps confidence and neither judges nor stops approving of him/her as a person.

e. Assists students in fulfilling their educational requirements and needs by observing their academic growth.

f. Evaluates records of all new students for placement.

g. Periodically summarizes progress of counseling in guidance records.

• Provides group guidance:
• To work with special needs groups to supplement individual counseling and to focus on common issues and needs.
• To provide whole class guidance as time permits with needs determined by counselor, class, teacher, and/or principal.
• To facilitate effective education and vocational exploration within the classroom as time permits. This may be actually provided for by counselor, teacher or other qualified person.

d. Family counseling as time and need allow.

e. Adolescent Health- education program teaching, discussing issues dealing with puberty and adolescence.

• Consultation:
• Provides services to school staff.
• Consults with teachers / administration about specific students.
• Work to enhance or help set-up behavior management programs.
• Consultant to teachers.
• Active consultant to Pupil Placement Team.
• Resource person for teachers / administration especially in areas of adjustment

problems and child developmental needs.

• Consult with outside agencies such as child and Family Services, Welfare Dept.

Juvenile Officer, school psychologists, social workers, staff and other schools and programs (ex. TAC).

• Resource to parents/families
• Directly contacts and /or responds to parents to discuss personal adjustments and

areas of concern.

• Interprets previous grades and tests as needed.
• Discusses discipline cases.
• Makes appropriate referrals and recommendations.
• Consults with other counselors
• Discuss common concerns.
• Evaluate needs.
• Strives to improve and maintain professional competence.
• Consults and works closely with school nurses.
• Coordination
• Evaluates records of new students to pick up special needs areas and/or for

placement.

• Assists students in fulfilling their educational requirements and needs by observing

academic growth through test results and teacher/parent /student consultation and coordination.

• Makes appropriate referrals for special testing.
• Coordinates services with other counselors, students, parents, teachers, and others

as needs arise.

• Set-up, coordinate and supervise counselor intern program for maximum program

effectiveness.

School Counselors Are Also Responsible For The Following

• Develop the master schedule and coordinate course registration and drop/add procedure. Assume responsibility for updating the program of studies.
• Work with students individually and in groups regarding career and educational decisions. See that each senior has individually tailored programs to suit him or her upon graduation.
• Work with seniors planning on college or vocational schools in regard to Financial Aid Forms, loans, and scholarships was well as serve as a resource and reference person.
• Act as a liaison with the vocational centers, screening students wishing to enroll and monitoring their progress throughout the year.
• Organize and participate in student/parent informative sessions including Freshman orientation, career planning, and financial aid workshops.

Conditions Of Employment

The term of the contract will be for 200 days or in accordance with current master agreement. Each school counselor will be evaluated on an annual basis by April 1. Evaluations will be completed by the building principal.