School Counselor - AHS

Job Description

Job Title: School Counselor – High School

Contract Length: 221-day contract

FLSA Status: Exempt

Job Summary

The high school guidance counselor is responsible for helping students understand their abilities and interests in light of the opportunities and demands they currently face or may face in the future.

Essential Duties

• To counsel students individually and in groups to assist in problem-solving and decision-making of a personal, social, emotional, academic, educational, avocational, or vocational nature.
• To provide for the student's orientation to the high school's offerings, personnel, facilities, regulations, rules, customs, traditions, courses, health, discipline, attendance, guidance counseling, and other available services.
• To collect, organize, and disseminate information concerning employment and explain education opportunities beyond the secondary school level.
• To collect and interpret data about students to assist in program planning, occupational and/or educational placement, and student adjustment.
• To provide information for students by:
  • Assisting in appraising their interests, aptitudes, abilities, educational achievement, and interests.
  • Assisting in program planning in accordance with available data so that students may have the opportunity to utilize their abilities more fully and establish realistic goals in education, employment, and life
• To assist in the administration of the state-testing programs and administer other tests in accordance with regulations established by the State of Virginia.
• To consult with others of the school staff on:
  • Making recommendations for schedule changes.
  • Individualizing instruction.
  • Submitting and/or processing referrals to the psychologist.
  • Referring students for specialized services beyond those provided by the school.
• To confer with parents in appropriate individual or group sessions on:
  • The personal, educational, and vocational development of their children.
  • The school's total educational program
  • The post-high school educational and occupational opportunities for their children.
• To cooperate with other authorized services by assisting in group sessions with teachers, students, and administrators.
• To facilitate the transitions of students by:
  • Providing for consistent articulation between middle school, high school, and post-high school experiences.
  • Serving as a community liaison agent.
• To assist the public in understanding the total school program.
• To provide for the placement of dropouts and graduates in the appropriate sequential step, whether vocationally or educationally.
• To undertake the continuous evaluation of the nature and scope of the guidance services as outlined above for the efficient, inclusive, and effective functioning of guidance as an integral part of the total educational program.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the school principal.

Job Specifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must satisfactorily perform each essential duty. The requirements listed below represent the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities who are otherwise qualified to perform the essential functions.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities Required)

Must possess a master's degree in School Counseling.

Must possess or be eligible for a Virginia Collegiate Professional License or Postgraduate Professional License with appropriate endorsement in the area of guidance.

Must possess the ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.

Must possess the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, staff, parents, and the public.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

Must have the ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time; exhibit manual dexterity to dial a telephone, to enter data into a computer; to see and read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids; hear and understand speech at normal classroom levels, outdoors and on the telephone; speak in audible tones so that others may understand clearly in regular classrooms, outdoors, and on the phone; physical agility to lift to 25 pounds; and to bend, stoop, sit on the floor, climb stairs, walk and reach overhead.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Duties are usually performed in a school/classroom environment. Duties may be occasionally performed on field trips away from school. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Clearance

Criminal Justice Background Check, Fingerprinting, TB Assessment

Supervision Received: Principal

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. The applicant will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other related duties as assigned by the Principal or appropriate administrator. Accomack County Public Schools reserves the right to update, revise, or change this job description and related duties at any time.

The Accomack County School System does not discriminate based on age, sex, handicap, race, religion, color, or national origin in its employment practices.

"We are an equal opportunity employer."