School Counselor - Secondary

Downingtown Area School District; Downingtown (Chester County); On-site; USD 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Induction program

Professional development

Job summary

The Downingtown Area School District is seeking a certified secondary school counselor for the 2026-2027 school year. The position is at Downingtown High School East and is a permanent, full-time role.

We value diversity and inclusion, and the counselor will support students in academic, career, and personal/social development while collaborating with staff and families within the district counseling program.

Qualifications

• Candidate must hold a Pennsylvania certification for the position.
• Required to complete all IB training.
• Proficiency in technology for individual or group communication.
• Must be able to flex and vary hours to accommodate students, parents, and teachers.
• Demonstrates effective interpersonal and communication skills with staff, students, and families.

Responsibilities

• Guides students through educational, career, and personal plans.
• Consults with staff to implement tasks and services.
• Counsels individual and small groups with presenting concerns.
• Uses school counseling theories and techniques appropriately.
• Collaborates with parents, staff, and outside agencies to support students.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Relationship building

Team collaboration

Flexibility

Education

Pennsylvania certification

Job description

• No referrals required

Position: School Counselor - Secondary

Location: Downingtown High School East

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Effective Date: Approx. December 21, 2026

Are you passionate about helping ALL students learn in a collaborative environment? If so, we may have the career for you! Downingtown Area School District is excited to announce an opening for a certified secondary school counselor for the 2026-2027 school year. This position will be located at Downingtown High School East and is a permanent, full-time contracted position.

At DASD, we are committed to sharing values of diversity and inclusion in order to achieve and sustain excellence in education. As a diverse district, we continually seek ways to strengthen our educational environment. We believe that we can best promote excellence by recruiting and retaining a diverse group of staff who bring various backgrounds and perspectives. Our ability to create and maintain a climate of respect is critical to attaining the best teaching and learning environment.

At Downingtown Area School District we value our employees. We seek to hire new staff who:

• Communicate openly to build relationships and trust
• Partner with team members to see the TEAM succeed
• Demonstrate a growth mindset and seek ongoing opportunities for growth
• Embrace and support a safe and inclusive environment
• Eagerly and enthusiastically support student learning
• Strive to be kind and reflective
• Focus on the solution and put people first
• Lead by example!

Job Summary

The school counselor promotes the overall development of students from kindergarten to twelfth grade in the academic, career, and personal/social areas.

Qualifications

• Candidate must be a graduate of an accredited college or university and hold a proper Pennsylvania certification for the position
• Required to complete all IB training
• Proficiency in use of technology for individual or group demonstration or communication
• Must be able to flex and vary hours to accommodate needs of students, parents, and other teachers
• Possesses effective interpersonal skills with the ability to interface diplomatically with teachers, administrators, parents, students, and outside organizations
• Demonstrates effective communication skills to provide accurate information to others and to obtain, give, and follow directions
• Demonstrates ability to provide good judgment, planning, and human relations skills, as well as be required to work under periods of stress due to the level of the position responsibility
• Follows the standard of member conduct as stated in the PA Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators
• Possess the skills necessary to effectively implement the district guidance curriculum
• Must successfully complete and maintain compliance with all federal and state background and criminal record check requirements
• Candidate must adhere to all local, state, federal, and school code requirements for employment

Duties & Responsibilities

• Guides students through the development of educational, career, & personal plans through implementation of district counseling curriculum and other strategies.
• Consults with staff in implementing the assigned tasks and services.
• Counsels individual and/or small groups of students with presenting concerns.
• Uses accepted theories & techniques appropriate to school counseling.
• Consults and conferences with parents/guardians, staff, administrators, agencies, and others to enhance ongoing work with students.
• Uses an effective process for referring students and others toward special programs and services within and outside of the district.
• Coordinates with appropriate Intervention Counselor, School Social Worker, Attendance Officer, and caseworker to follow up and/or return to school transition. Participates in the coordination of the building's standardized testing programs.
• Interprets test and other appraisal results when necessary.
• Uses other sources of student data appropriately for assessment purposes.
• Works with Probation officers & the Juvenile Court system when necessary.
• Oversees & maintains accurate student records.
• Adheres to district policies & procedures.
• Adheres to professional, ethical, and legal standards.
• Participates in educational team meetings including Child Study, Pre-referral and Multidisciplinary Teams, SAP Team.
• Serves as a member of the Gifted Multidisciplinary Team
• Responsible for collating, completing, and submitting of referrals for multidisciplinary evaluations.
• Participates in Interagency Team meetings when requested.
• Serves as a member of the IEP meetings.

Salary 2026-2027 School Year

Placement upon salary scale is dependent upon education and years of teaching service.

Please click on the link to the DAEA Agreement - 2025-2030 and refer to Appendix B for the 2026-2027 Salary Schedule.

Schedule

• 7.5 hours per day based upon district-approved calendar
• Up to 191 days per year, plus up to 3 days of orientation for professional employees during first year of employment

Summary Of Benefits

Select Health Benefits a la carte - Only pay for what you need

• Medical Coverage through IBX - Personal Choice C4-F4-02
  • No Primary Care Physician necessary
  • No referrals required
  • IBC has extensive local and national networks
• Prescription Coverage through CVS/Caremark
• Dental Coverage - Delta Dental Active PPO
  • Allows use of in-network and out-of-network providers
• Vision Coverage - Vision Benefits of America (VBA)

Eligibility - No Waiting Period

All employees may enroll in the district's health benefit plans effective with their date of hire into the benefit eligible position.

Eligible Dependents

A legally married spouse as defined by PA law and children up to age 26 may enroll in the District's health benefit plans.

New Hires or Newly Eligible

You have 31 days from the date that you are benefit eligible to make your elections. If you do not make elections during this time, you will only be enrolled into any benefit that is provided by the District at no cost to you.

Flexible Spending Accounts

Benefit eligible employees have the opportunity to elect to participate in a Flexible Spending Account. DASD offers both a Healthcare Spending Account and Dependent Care Spending Account. This benefit allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for out-of-pocket eligible healthcare and dependent care expenses.

Support For The Whole You

• Fitness Program
  • Receive $150 back when you complete 120 workouts at an approved fitness facility within 365 days. www.ibx.com/reimbursements
• Nutritional Counseling
  • Up to 6 free visits per calendar year with a registered dietitian.
• Employee Assistance Program
  • Health Advocate is a free, confidential program that offers EAP+ Work/Life benefits to help you address difficulties in your life by providing short term assistance with personal, family, and work issues. In addition, it simplifies the navigation of the health care system by helping you find the right doctors, resolving billing and insurance claim issues, explaining benefit coverages, helping your parents or in-laws with the complexities of Medicare, and much more!
• Telemedicine
  • The telemedicine benefit through SwiftMD is offered to ALL DASD employees at no cost to you. The telemedicine benefit allows for consultations with US board-certified doctors over the phone or online, from your home, office, or on the road. These physicians can diagnose, recommend treatment, and submit prescriptions to your pharmacy of choice.

Retirement - Member of State Pension System (PSERS)

As a PSERS member, you'll join with over a half million fellow public school employees who are also members. You'll contribute to your own personal PSERS retirement account and have a safe and secure benefit payment(s) from one of the largest public retirement plans in the nation.

Student Loan Forgiveness

All DASD employees are eligible to apply for loan forgiveness through the federal government's Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Find out more here: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service

Life Benefit

Pays 1 x your basic annual salary up to maximum of $50,000

Income Protection Benefit

Pays 60% of your basic monthly pay, up to $2,800 per month

Tuition Reimbursement

75% of tuition if grade if B or better is attained; limit 12 credits per year.

Induction Program

All new teachers, including Long Term Substitutes (LTS), will participate in the DASD Induction Program. The district offers a one- or two-year program depending on the number of years of prior professional experience within PA public schools.

• After-school workshops
• Assigned mentor for additional support
• Collaboration meetings with curriculum leader, grade level leader, or supervisor(s)
• New hire faculty meetings with principal(s)

Professional Development

8 staff professional development days per year

Paid Time Off

• 10 sick days annually
• 2 personal days annually; may accumulate up to 5

Retiree Benefits

• Personal Days Payout
• Sick Days Payout

EOE