LEAD OF PUPIL SERVICES, K–12

Challenge Charter Schools; Queens (KY); Presencial; USD 90.000 - 100.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Challenge Preparatory Charter School in Far Rockaway, Queens seeks a Lead of Pupil Services (K–12) to provide systemwide leadership for academic advisement, counseling, and student support across Challenge Preparatory Charter Schools.

You will supervise graduation readiness, transcript evaluation, 504/IEP, attendance, family engagement, and ensure compliance with NYS requirements while collaborating with leaders, teachers, and families.

Formación

• Strong knowledge of K-12 school systems.
• Current NYS School Counselor certification.
• Master’s degree or higher in related field.
• Minimum five years of school counseling or pupil personnel experience.
• Experience with transcript evaluation, diploma requirements, and graduation.

Responsabilidades

• Lead a unified K–12 pupil services model aligned to mission and requirements.
• Define roles, workflows, and accountability for counseling and student support.
• Advise leaders on graduation readiness, student wellness, attendance, and equity.
• Maintain a pupil services handbook with SOPs and timelines.
• Ensure smooth transitions across school levels and postsecondary paths.

Conocimientos

K-12 knowledge

Leadership

Transcript evaluation

Data systems (STARS/ATS)

IEP/504 knowledge

Educación

NY State School Counselor certification

Master’s degree or higher

Herramientas

STARS

ATS

SESIS

Descripción del empleo

Who We Are

Since its founding in 2010, Challenge Preparatory Charter School (Challenge Prep) has provided students and families with a successful academic program in Far Rockaway, Queens. We currently serve over 1200 scholars from Kindergarten to 12th grade across 3 sites. Our school’s mission is to prepare students from the greater Far Rockaway community to excel academically, to demonstrate mastery of the NY State Learning Standards, and to achieve their career aspirations. Challenge cultivates and supports the intellectual, aesthetic, social, emotional, and ethical development of its students and prepares them to be responsible 21st century citizens. To accomplish its mission, Challenge offers a rigorous instructional program in a safe, supportive, technology-infused and data-enriched and social-emotional learning sequence, authentic field experiences, career counseling, and college coursework. It is understood that we are one organization with multiple sites, and it is expected that all members of the team collaborate to support all of our scholars.

Understanding the Role

The Lead of Pupil Services, K–12 provides systemwide leadership for academic advisement, school counseling, student support, graduation planning, special-population coordination, records accuracy, crisis response, family engagement, and college, career, and postsecondary readiness across Challenge Preparatory Charter Schools. The position ensures that students receive coordinated, equitable, developmentally appropriate, and legally compliant supports from kindergarten through grade 12.

The Lead serves as the organization’s principal expert on pupil personnel services and establishes consistent procedures across elementary, middle, and high school programs. The role requires advanced knowledge of New York State school counseling expectations, transcript evaluation, diploma and graduation requirements, credit accumulation, Regents and pathway requirements, STARS, ATS, IEPs, Section 504 plans, student records, attendance, intervention systems, and the New York State comprehensive developmental school counseling/guidance program. The Lead works closely with school leaders, counselors, teachers, special education staff, related-service providers, families, community partners, and authorizer or district representatives to remove barriers and improve student outcomes.

Essential Leadership Responsibilities

• 1. Systemwide Pupil Services Leadership
• 2. Comprehensive School Counseling Program
• 3. Transcript Evaluation, Credit Auditing, and Graduation Readiness
• 4. Student Information Systems and Records Integrity
• 5. Section 504, IEP, Special Education, and Accessibility Coordination
• 6. Multi-Tiered Student Support, Mental Health, and Crisis Response
• 7. College, Career, and Postsecondary Readiness
• 8. Attendance, Enrollment, Promotion, and Student Transitions
• 9. Family Engagement and Student Advocacy
• 10. Supervision, Professional Development, and Staff Capacity
• 11. Compliance, Reporting, and Continuous Improvement

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as a member of the school’s leadership team

Systemwide Pupil Services Leadership (K–12)

• Lead and continuously improve a unified K–12 pupil services model aligned to mission, charter goals, and all federal/state/local requirements.
• Define roles, workflows, calendars, referral pathways, and accountability for counseling and student support across all school levels.
• Facilitate regular K–12 pupil services meetings to review student needs, compliance, data trends, and cross-school coordination.
• Advise leaders on graduation readiness, student wellness, attendance, special populations, and emerging risks.
• Build and maintain a K–12 pupil services handbook (SOPs, timelines, referrals, confidentiality, escalation).
• Ensure smooth transitions between elementary–middle, middle–high, and postsecondary pathways (college/career/military/other).

Comprehensive School Counseling Program

• Oversee the annual development, implementation, evaluation, and updates of organization-wide and building-level counseling/guidance plans aligned to NYS requirements.

Graduation Readiness & Transcript Accountability

• Direct transcript evaluation, credit auditing, and graduation readiness reviews (including transfer entry, annual audits, and senior certifications).
• Maintain graduation plans and credit trackers; coordinate credit recovery, summer school, make-up courses, and approved alternative pathways.
• Ensure clear communication to students/families about diploma options, requirements, assessments, and supports.
• Monitor NYS graduation requirement changes and update policies, systems, and training accordingly.

Student Information Systems & Records Integrity

• Serve as K–12 lead for STARS, ATS, SESIS, and other student data systems (scheduling, credits, grades, counseling, attendance, special education, college/career).
• Ensure data accuracy, timeliness, and security through audits, quality control, and staff training.
• Coordinate reconciliation of discrepancies among transcripts and records; manage secure handling of cumulative records and confidential documents.

Section 504 / IEP / Special Education Support

• Oversee Section 504 processes and compliance (referrals, eligibility, plans, reviews, documentation, accommodations, testing supports).
• Partner with special education teams to ensure consistent IEP implementation and 504 accommodations.
• Monitor service delivery, missed supports, testing accommodations, transition services, and corrective actions.
• Escalate unresolved compliance concerns appropriately.

Student Support, Mental Health & Crisis Response

• Lead a multi-tiered system of academic, attendance, behavioral, and SEL supports (prevention → intervention → intensive support).
• Establish procedures for threat/risk assessment, mandated reporting, crisis stabilization, reentry, grief response, and emergency communication.
• Coordinate referrals to licensed clinical providers when needs exceed school counseling scope.
• Partner with community organizations and coordinate case conferences for students with complex needs.

College, Career & Postsecondary Readiness

• Supervise a K–12 readiness program from early awareness through individualized postsecondary planning and transition.
• Oversee college/career advising, work-based learning, internships, dual enrollment, CTE pathways, and financial aid support.
• Track key outcomes (applications, FAFSA/TAP, acceptances, scholarships, apprenticeships/employment, military enlistment, summer transitions).
• Use placement/persistence data and alumni follow-up to improve programming.

Attendance, Enrollment, Promotion & Transitions

• Collaborate to address chronic absenteeism, lateness, disengagement, mobility, enrollment barriers, and reengagement needs.
• Support promotion review, articulation, transfer enrollment, discharge/records transfer, and transition planning.
• Ensure intervention plans for students at risk of non-promotion, over-age/under-credited status, dropout risk, or other barriers.
• Ensure timely, understandable, culturally responsive family communication in required languages.

Family Engagement & Student Advocacy

• Create structures so families and students understand progress, counseling, disability supports, attendance, promotion/graduation, and postsecondary options.
• Plan family events, orientations, workshops, and resource fairs across K–12.
• Maintain culturally responsive, trauma-informed, accessible communication; establish escalation/resolution processes for family concerns.

Perform other tasks as required by the CEO

Skills, Qualifications, and/or Competencies Required:

• Strong knowledge of K‑12 school systems
• Current New York State certification as a School Counselor (Professional, Permanent, or another valid school counselor credential recognized by NYSED).
• Master’s degree or higher in school counseling, counseling, education, psychology, social work, educational leadership, or a closely related field.
• At least five years of successful school counseling or pupil personnel experience, including substantial experience at the high school level.
• Demonstrated expertise in transcript evaluation, credit accumulation, New York State diploma and graduation requirements, Regents and pathway requirements, and graduation certification.
• Demonstrated proficiency with STARS and ATS; experience with SESIS, 504 tracking, student information systems, data systems, and electronic records is strongly preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of IEPs, Section 504 plans, accommodations, special education processes, transition planning, and disability-access requirements.
• Experience developing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive K–12 school counseling program and annual counseling plan.
• Experience supervising, coaching, or leading school counselors or other pupil personnel staff.
• Strong written, oral, facilitation, conflict-resolution, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage confidential information, competing deadlines, complex student cases, and high‑stakes compliance responsibilities with sound judgment.

Who We Seek

• New York State School Building Leader or School District Leader certification, particularly if the position will include duties reserved to certified administrators.
• New York State clinical license such as LMHC, LMSW, LCSW, psychologist, or another relevant license, in addition to school counselor certification.
• Seven or more years of progressively responsible K–12 counseling, student services, special education, college/career, or school leadership experience.
• Experience in a New York City public or charter school environment and familiarity with NYC Public Schools systems and procedures.
• Experience supporting multilingual learners, students with disabilities, students in temporary housing or foster care, first‑generation college applicants, and historically underserved communities.
• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish.
• Experience presenting to Boards, authorizers, auditors, families, and community partners.
• Experience designing data dashboards, program evaluations, standard operating procedures, and professional development.

Recruitment Process

Phase I - Interview with the HR Recruiter

Phase II - Interview Challenge Leadership Team

Phase III - Reference Check

Final - Hire Recommendation and Offer

Estimated Salary Range

$90,000 - $100,000