School Counselor - Springdale Elementary School and Forge Ridge School

Claiborne County Schools; Tazewell (TN); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Claiborne County Schools in Tennessee seeks a K-8 School Counselor to support students' academic achievement, career development, and social-emotional growth under state guidelines. You will design developmentally appropriate programs and deliver direct services to students.

The role emphasizes collaboration with teachers, administrators, and families, uses data to drive planning, maintains records with confidentiality, and participates in after-hours events as needed.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in school counseling from an accredited program is required.
• Tennessee Educator License with PreK-12 endorsement is required.
• Strong interpersonal communication, active listening, and data analysis skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Direct Student Services: provide individual and group counseling, classroom guidance lessons, crisis intervention, and transitions support.
• Indirect Services: staff consultation, parent/community engagement, and participation in Student Support Teams (RTI², 504, S-Teams).
• Data-driven program management: use SIS/Databases to monitor attendance, behavior, and grades; conduct needs assessments; safeguard confidentiality of records.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Active listening

Cross-cultural competence

Conflict mediation

Data analysis tools

Education

Master's degree in school counseling

Tennessee Educator License (PreK-12)

Tools

Infinite Campus

Data Warehouse

Excel

Job description

In Tennessee Public Schools, a K-8 School Counselor is a certified educator dedicated to supporting students' academic achievement, career development, and social-emotional growth.Operating under the guidelines of the Tennessee Department of Educationand the Tennessee Model for Comprehensive School Counseling, this role involves designing and implementing data-driven, developmentally appropriate programs to ensure all students are supported and empowered to succeed.

A comprehensive breakdown of the typical job description, duties, and requirements for a K-8 school counselor in Tennessee includes the following:

Primary Duties & Performance Responsibilities

1. Direct Student Services

• Individual & Group Counseling: Conducts short-term counseling sessions to help students resolve social, emotional, behavioral, or academic issues impeding their learning.
• Classroom Guidance Lessons: Delivers a preventive, standards-based curriculum to all classes covering topics like conflict resolution, study skills, career exploration, and character education.
• Crisis Intervention: Provides real-time response, stabilization, and supportive safety planning during emergency and crisis situations, serving on the school's crisis team.
• Transitions Support: Facilitates a smooth entry for students transitioning from early learning centers into elementary school, and from elementary into middle school.

2. Indirect Student Services & Collaboration

• Staff Consultation: Partners with teachers, administrators, and specialized school personnel (psychologists, social workers, nurses) to design intervention strategies and improve the student learning environment.
• Parent & Community Engagement: Maintains positive communication with parents to discuss student progress and behavior, and acts as a bridge to community agencies for external referrals when needs exceed school-based services.
• Student Support Teams: Participates actively in multidisciplinary teams such as RTI² (Response to Instruction and Intervention), 504 planning, and S-Teams to design individualized student support structures.

3. Data-Driven Program Management

• Accountability Metrics: Uses student information systems (such as Infinite Campus or Data Warehouse) to evaluate metrics like attendance, behavior, and grades to close achievement gaps and target at-risk youth.
• Needs Assessments: Periodically administers evaluations to students, staff, and parents to align the counseling program with specific school improvement goals.
• Records Management: Registers new students, assists with academic scheduling, and carefully safeguards the strict confidentiality of all personal and student files according to state and federal privacy laws.

4. Qualifications & Key Requirements

• Education: A Master's Degree in school counseling from an accredited university program is required by the state.
• Licensure: A valid Tennessee Educator License with the appropriate School Counselor PreK-12 endorsement.
• Skills: Strong interpersonal communication, active listening, cross-cultural competence, conflict mediation, and familiarity with data aggregation and analysis software.

5. Supplemental Hours & After-School Commitments

• School-Community Events: Attends and coordinates designated evening events, including Parent-Teacher Conferences, Back-to-School Nights, High School Readiness Parent Seminars (for 8th graders), and Kindergarten Roundups.
• Extra-Curricular Support: Collaborates with school leadership to periodically chaperon, supervise, or support student-centered after-school activities, clubs, or academic showcases.
• Extended Crisis Response: Remains available on an as-needed basis to assist with emergency situations or wrap-around community services that extend beyond standard dismissal times.
• Professional Learning Communities (PLCs): Participates in after-hours professional development sessions, district-wide counselor meetings, or school improvement planning committees as scheduled by administration.