Counselor - McLoughlin Middle School (2025-2026)

This permanent position will begin Fall 2025. Position is open until filled.

Job Title: School Counselor – Middle School

Classification: Certified

Supervisor: Building Principal

FLSA Status: Exempt Contract: 200 Days

Summary: The School Counselor coordinates a comprehensive, developmental program of guidance and counseling to support students in the areas of academic achievement, social-emotional growth, career development and community contribution. The School Counselor acts as a consultant in this regard to school staff, parents and community members. The School Counselor assists students to promote a lifelong ability to learn, work and live through leadership between home, school and the community.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Promotes a whole-school approach for the school counseling program that aligns with Oregon’s Framework for Comprehensive School Counseling while considering the districts unique student and community priorities in order to offer a program for every student.
• Participate in academic planning and scheduling students for classes to assure academic and personal needs are met; identify students and support. interventions for at-risk students; arrange for class changes and class balancing; collaborate with Special Education, ELL case managers and others to support students with special needs.
• Communicate with parents, staff and other designated personnel regarding individual student issues and concerns.
• Collects and uses perception data to identify and meet student needs.
• Collects and shares results data documenting how students are benefiting from the school counseling program.
• Uses data to guide decision making to improve program delivery.
• Provide leadership and expertise in developing and implementing interventions to allow students to be successful.
• Assist students to improve their academic, personal and social functioning.
• Teaches and/or provides content for teachers in the areas of career readiness and social emotional growth and development.
• Assist in the development and implementation of evidenced-based Student Success Plans based on strategies and interventions for students, staff, teachers and administrators.
• Develops and implements instruction related to pro-social behavior, social and emotional learning for Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 school-wide and individual student supports.
• Observes students and collects data on behavior and assessment of social-emotional learning programs.

Principles of Teaching and Learning

• Shows respect, consideration and fairness of students varying learning levels.
• Meets needs of students with special interests, abilities, and learning problems.
• Gives students personal help and positive reinforcement.
• Helps students set achievement expectations and evaluate their own progress.
• Establish and communicate clear objectives for all learning activities.
• Provide a variety of learning materials and resources for use in educational activities.

Multi-Ethnic/Multi-Cultural Education

• Includes lessons and instruction that are culturally responsive.
• Aware and appreciates cultural diversity and the importance of communication skills reflecting sensitivity to the feeling of all persons regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, age or national origin.

Evaluation/Assessment of Students

• Knowledge of interventions and strategies of a multi-tiered system of support.
• Crisis intervention skills and ability to administer a risk assessment.
• Ability to observe, collect and analyze data in a student caseload.
• Update and maintain accurate and complete records of student progress and development as required by school, district, state, and federal policies, regulations and laws.
• Consults principal, specialist, other teachers in the school, and students in evaluating own plans, methods, and results.
• Uses instruments and methods that effectively measure the students' attainment of learning goals.
• Makes clear to students how success will be judged.
• Communicates effectively in a professionally appropriate manner with parents/guardians, colleagues and students regarding student achievement and behavior.

Communication Skills

• Regularly communicates with parents, students, colleagues and supervisors in writing and verbally in a professionally appropriate manner.
• Actively listens to concerns, problems or issues and formulates a professionally appropriate response which is aligned with the Medford School District’s core values.
• Encourages and builds strong school to home and community partnerships to better serve the needs of all students in the Medford School District.
• Routes and/or directs parents, students, or patrons to the appropriate location of information or person(s) that can provide clarity in situations where the teacher is not able to respond completely, or to something that is complex in nature.

Organizational Responsibilities

• Cooperates with and supports faculty members.
• Ability to manage multiple projects/priorities.
• Ability to maintain appropriate confidentiality.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervisor and as a team member.
• Understand District policies and procedures and make decisions accordingly.
• Observes the spirit and intent of rules and regulations of the school and school system.
• Assumes necessary non-instructional responsibilities.
• Provides complete data to the school and district administration as requested for management purposes.
• Maintains accurate student records.
• Shares the responsibilities with all other employees for promoting the educational goals and developing pubic acceptance of the school system.

Supervisory Responsibilities: All employees of the Medford School District have responsibility for supervising students and assisting in maintaining a safe environment.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience: Must be eligible for or properly licensed by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission for assignment as a counselor. Experience varies depending on the assignment.

Interpersonal Skills: Ability to interact appropriately with teachers, staff, members of the community and students. Focuses on solving conflict; maintains confidentiality; Contributes to building a positive team spirit.

Language Skills: Ability to communicate fluently in English both verbally and in writing. Preference may be given to applicants who are fluent in both English and Spanish. Ability to effectively present information and respond effectively to questions in one-on-one, small and large group situations to students and other school staff. Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, procedure manuals and governmental regulations. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.

Mathematical Skills: Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, proportions, percentages, area, circumference and area. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra, geometry, fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions to practical situations.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, schedule or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Computer Skills: General knowledge of computer usage and ability to use database software, e-mail, internet software, spreadsheets, teaching software and word processing software.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: Hold current Oregon Teaching Certificate with proper endorsement(s) in the subject matter and grade level assigned.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Stamina for 8 hours of student instruction and supervision.
• Use of hands for repetitive motions, such as writing and typing.
• Standing/Walking: 3-6 hours/day.
• Sitting: 2-4 hours/day.
• Occasional bending, kneeling, squatting, climbing of stairs or ladders.
• Lifting/carrying: Up to 25 lbs.
• Occasional physical interaction with students, as provided by law and to ensure the physical safety of the student and/or others.
• Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less).
• Distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more).
• Peripheral vision (ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or to the left and right while eyes are fixed on a given point).
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others.
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person.
• Emotional stability to work effectively under pressure and to keep all aspects of the job under control.

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.

The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. Employee may be exposed to bloodborne pathogens. Employee may be subject to temperature fluctuations, fumes, odors and dust.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Medford School District 549C is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and in accordance with Federal and State legislation, including Title IX, title VIII, ORS 659.150, does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or marital status in employment or educational programs.

Medford School District 549C is an equal opportunity employer and provides qualifying veterans and disabled veterans with preference in employment in accordance with ORS 408.225, 408.230, and 408.235.

Qualifying veterans and disabled veterans may obtain preference by submitting as verification of eligibility, a copy of the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214 or 215) or a letter from the US Dept. of Veteran’s Affairs indicating receipt of a non-service connected pension to your application by the closing date. Disabled Veterans must also submit a copy of their Veteran’s disability preference letter from the Dept. of Veteran Affairs, unless the information is included on the DD Form 214/215.