Counselor, Elementary (2025 - 26 School Year) (8219)

BASIC FUNCTION & RESPONSIBILITY: Collaboratively work with school faculty and staff, students, parents, and community to plan, implement, evaluate, and advocate for a comprehensive school counseling program at the school assigned. Organize and deliver services through the four components: Guidance Curriculum, Responsive Services, Individual Planning, and System Support as specified in the Texas Model for a Comprehensive School Counseling Program. Counsel students to fully develop each student’s academic, career, personal, and social abilities and address the needs of all students.

ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Certification:

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Valid Texas Professional School Counselor certification (or meets qualifications for Texas School Counselor Deficiency Plan). Note: As of September 1, 2023, two years of classroom teaching experience is no longer required.

Special Knowledge/Skills:

• Knowledge of the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: The essential functions, pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include the characteristic duties, responsibilities, knowledge, skills, and abilities noted herein; however, this is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and tasks performed by positions found in this job description.

Instructional Management:

• Consult with school staff, parents, and other community members to increase student effectiveness and promote student success.
• Provide guidance to assist all students in developing and applying skills for maximum educational, career, personal, and social growth.
• Coordinate and deliver classroom guidance, group guidance and serve as a consultant to teachers based on assessed needs of campus.
• Plan, implement, and evaluate a balanced, comprehensive school counseling program to serve all students.
• Advocate for the school counseling program and counselors’ ethical and professional standards with school personnel, parents, students, and the community.
• Support the implementation, monitoring, and/or evaluation of assigned programs for elementary education, curriculum, and/or instructional support, and ensure that assigned programs are efficiently and effectively administered.
• Support and participate in meeting the objectives of the campus/department improvement plans.

Student Management:

• Advocate for all students and provide professional expertise to help staff, parents, and other community members understand individual behavior and human relationships.
• Assist all students with developing and applying skills for maximum educational, career, personal, and social growth during school years and beyond.
• Intervene with students whose developmental needs, personal concerns, or problems affect their continued educational, career, personal, or social development.
• Make referrals as appropriate in consultation with the student’s parent or guardian.
• Coordinate people and resources in the school, home, and community to support achievement to assist parents and staff.
• Guide individuals and groups of students and parents to plan, monitor, and manage the student’s social and educational development.
• Use accepted theories and effective techniques to provide individual and/or group developmental, preventive, remedial, and/or crisis counseling.
• Interpret standardized test results and other available student data to promote sound decision-making for students and others involved in the students’ development.
• Facilitate the transition for students between elementary and secondary education.
• Assist campuses in resolving parent/student issues and concerns in a timely manner.
• Assist in managing student behavior in accordance with Student Code of Conduct and student handbook.

Management of Administrative, Fiscal and/or Facilities Functions:

• Manage resources and activities related to campus needs.
• Maintain collaborative inter-professional relationships.
• Commit to current professional and ethical standards of competence and practice.
• Coordinate departmental activities with other District offices and administrators and provide assistance to requesting departments.
• Follow District and department policies and procedures.

Organization Improvement:

• Analyze critical needs in assigned areas and work collaboratively to implement and improve programs.

Professional Growth and Development:

• Accept responsibility for self-directed professional development through continuous efforts to improve their competence in meeting and exceeding standards in performing job responsibilities.
• Participate in professional development that increases effectiveness and improves District performance.

Texas Academic Performance Indicators and Campus Performance Objectives:

• Support the administration of state-mandated testing at campuses in compliance with state and federal guidelines.
• Monitor and review campus test data and use findings to assist with planning corrective action for the affected group of students and/or campuses.

School/Community Relations:

• Forge partnerships with community agencies, businesses, and universities to better serve the needs and interests of all students.
• Interface with governmental agencies, business and civic organizations, and the community to provide needed information and to promote the District’s initiatives.

Organization Morale:

• Foster positive morale by participating in team building activities and the decision-making process.
• Communicate and collaborate with campus/department staff to enhance service delivery, program development, and customer satisfaction.

Other Responsibilities:

• Comply with policies established by federal and state law, including but not limited to State Board of Education and local Board policy.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of counseling procedures, intervention strategies, and student appraisal systems.
• Knowledge of academic programs, policies, and procedures.
• Knowledge of effective dropout recovery and prevention practices.
• Knowledge of community-based organizations and resources.
• Knowledge of district policies and regulations.
• Skill in interacting effectively with parents and community partners.
• Skill in facilitating campus-level teams.
• Skill in communicating effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Skill in analyzing complex information and data.
• Skill in implementing long-range and immediate plans.
• Skill in operating standard computer and software applications, including but not limited to electronic mail, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and presentations.
• Skill in using student information systems to access and interpret student data
• Skill in tracking time spent in the four components of a Comprehensive School Counseling Program
• Skill in communicating and collaborating between and among various areas of the district to support healthy students, high student achievement, and customer satisfaction.
• Ability to organize and prioritize work responsibilities.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED:

• None.

Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors:

• Maintain emotional control under stress.
• Work with frequent interruptions.
• Use a computer for prolonged periods, resulting in repetitive hand motions.
• Sit for extended periods of time.
• Work occasional prolonged or irregular hours
• Work is normally performed in a typical interior office work environment with little or no exposure to physical risk.