Interagency Programs - Counselor - 1.0 FTE

Seattle Public Schools; Washington; On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Seattle Public Schools in Washington state seeks a certified school counselor to deliver a comprehensive guidance program that aligns with ASCA standards and supports academic, career, and personal/social development. The counselor will implement a tiered MTSS approach, coordinate classroom lessons, and advocate for equitable practices within the district.

The role focuses on direct and indirect services, program planning, and collaboration with school staff to ensure district goals are met

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in School Counseling is required.
• Master’s of Education in School Counseling is preferred.
• Experience with a comprehensive school counseling program is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Deliver district and school counseling instruction in academic, career, and personal/social domains.
• Coordinate large-group, classroom, small-group, and individual counseling using inventories.
• Provide crisis response and short-term counseling as needed.

Skills

Implicit bias

Culturally responsive teaching

Anti-racist practices

Racial equity literacy

MTSS framework

Data-driven decision making

Collaboration

Education

Master’s degree in School Counseling

Master’s of education degree in School Counseling

Job description

GENERAL SUMMARY

"The purpose and role of the school counselor is planning, organizing, and delivering a comprehensive school guidance and counseling program that personalizes education and supports, promotes, and enhances the academic, personal, social, and career development of all students, based on the national standards for school counseling programs of the American School Counselor Association."--RCW 28A.410.043

School counselors deliver instruction, plan school wide programs and events, and provide some short-term goal-focused counseling, in an MTSS model. They provide tier 1 services which include a comprehensive program which includes district and locally determined events and curriculum, as well as district and locally determined tier 2 and tier 3 interventions. Additionally, all K-12 school counselors should support a college and career culture in the school building which promotes concrete connections between academic learning with future goals, career exploration and college knowledge. The foundation for all school counselor work is to advocate for equitable policies and practices; and being the advocate voice for students.

Position reports to: School Administrator

60% Direct Services

• 1. School Counseling Instruction: delivery of district and locally determined structured lessons to help students attain desired competencies in three domains: academic, career, and personal/social, supporting the knowledge, attitudes, and skills appropriate for students’ developmental level;
• 2. Appraisal and Advising: school counselors coordinate and provide large-group, classroom, small-group, individual ongoing systemic activities designed to assist students in establishing personal goals and developing future goals; using strengths, learning and career inventories;
• 3. Responsive services: designed to meet students’ immediate needs and concerns, including short-term individual counseling, small-group settings, and/or crisis response; referral to outside services as appropriate

20% Indirect Services

Indirect services are provided on behalf of students as a result of the school counselors’ interactions with others. Indirect services should be assigned as other fair share duties. Indirect services include:

• 4. Consultation (such as being part of MTSS), Collaboration (acting as student advocate during IEP, 504, or Student intervention meetings), Providing Outside Community, Mental Health or other Resource Options to students, families or those who support students.

20% Comprehensive Program Planning and Other Duties

The school counselor should design and implement a comprehensive school counseling program which includes direct and indirect services to support district strategic goals. School counselors incorporate district requirements and data-driven decision making in a tiered service model. School Counselors create an annual school counseling plan and evaluate the programs outcome.

• 5. Accountability: school counselors utilize data to determine effectiveness of the school counseling program and counseling interventions to guide future actions and improve future results for all students. School counselors provide annual results for their services and interventions that supports District Strategic goals.
• 6. Attends Seattle Schools’ professional development sessions to increase professional growth and to implement and improve personal and district processes.
• 7. Per state law tasks such as monitoring testing, supervising students at lunch and recess, assuming duties of other Non-counseling staff are not direct or indirect services.

Other Functions

• Adheres to ethical guidelines and state/federal mandates.
• Performs related duties consistent with the scope and intent of the position.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Knowledge - Acquired information that is necessary to do the job (e.g., knowledge of accounting, XML programming language).

• Implicit bias, culturally responsive teaching, anti-racist practices and racial equity literacy
• State content standards and district curricular materials
• Setting student academic achievement goals, continuous progress monitoring, and adjusting instruction based on formative and interim assessment data

Decision Quality & Problem Solving - Uses analysis, wisdom, experience and logical methods to make good decisions and solve difficult problems with effective solutions; appropriately incorporates multiple inputs to establish shared ownership and effective action.

• Weighs the consequences of options before making a decision.
• Applies appropriate criteria to situations for the purpose of making decisions.
• Displays self-confidence in own judgment.
• Focuses in the facts and solutions instead of opinions and problems.

Strategic Agility & Innovation Management - Anticipates future consequences and trends accurately; brings creative ideas to market; recognizes strategic opportunities for change; creates competitive and breakthrough strategies.

• Sees ahead clearly and accurately anticipates how potential ideas may play out.
• Thinks holistically by combining ideas in unique ways or making connection between different ideas.
• Examines and evaluates potential solutions to determine where the greatest gain can be achieved.
• Creates new ways of thinking to address complex issues.

Motivating Others - Creates a climate in which people want to do their best; can assess each person's strengths and use them to get the best out of him or her; promotes confidence and optimistic attitudes; is someone people like working for and with.

• Creates a climate in which people want and choose to do their best.
• Makes each individual feel that his/her work is important.
• Determines what motivates each person and uses it to get the best out of him/her.
• Is someone that people like working for and with.

Personal Learning & Development - Is personally committed to and actively works to continuously improve him or herself; recognizes the need to change personal, interpersonal, and managerial behavior; actively seeks feedback.

• Persistence and motivation to continuously improve one’s skills.
• Builds on strengths and addresses opportunities.
• Demonstrates an openness to learn from one’s own mistakes.
• Seeks feedback from others and is receptive to new perspectives and ideas.

Education

Master’s degree in School Counseling

Preferred Education

Master’s of education degree in School Counseling

Experience

Experience with a comprehensive school counseling program and familiarity with the American School Counselor Association Framework for School Counseling Programs preferred

Preferred Experience

2-3 years’ experience with a comprehensive school counseling program and familiarity with the American School Counselor Association Framework for School Counseling Programs preferred

Certifications & Licenses

Must possess a valid Washington Educational Staff Associate (ESA) School Counselor Certificate.

Clearances

Criminal Justice Fingerprint & background check.

Allowable substitutions

A Master's degree or Ph.D. in another field will substitute for the degree requirement if all the coursework requirements for a Master's in School Counseling have been met.

Conditions/Disclaimers

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills. Employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time as needed. District employees are not authorized to make promises of employment for a particular period of time, or promises of a particular level of compensation or benefits to job applicants for certified or classified positions, and that any such agreement must be in writing and signed by the Superintendent. Any verbal or written statements to that effect by District employees other than the Superintendent are null and void.

Additionally, nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.