School Guidance Counselor

Mission Statement

Southern Wake Academy is a tuition-free public charter school in Holly Springs, NC. Our smaller footprint delivers an innovative approach to education that is usually reserved for private education.

SWA has built a reputation as one of the best charter schools in the state because of its outstanding and dedicated teaching staff. Like our students, they have chosen SWA as their School of Choice! Along with communication, our administration’s two institutional priorities are safety and security. Our education culture is solidly committed to ensuring our students meet their academic requirements successfully, challenging each student in each course, and providing the support and assistance that students need to be successful dailWe are looking to hire a guidance counselor with outstanding assessment and listening skills. Guidance counselors are expected to display empathy and sound decision-making with great organizational and motivational skills.

To ensure success, guidance counselors should be accessible and authentic with excellent communication skills and a profound interest in helping students to attain their academic and career goals. Top candidates will display natural leadership qualities with remarkable problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in School Counseling
• Must hold a current North Carolina Professional Educator’s license in School Counseling (K-12)

POSITION PURPOSE:

The Southern Wake Academy 6-12 School Counselor will enable every student to graduate ready for career and/or college by creating access to pathways that promote full implementation of personal goals and lead to the widest range of future life options.

Under the general supervision of the Head of School and designee, the school counselor will support the North Carolina State Board of Education’s guiding mission: every public school student will graduate from high school, be globally competitive for work and postsecondary education, and prepared for life in the 21st Century.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities (not limited to)

• Develop a data-driven comprehensive school counseling program using North Carolina School Counselor Standards and the American School Counselor Association Standards that is tailored to the unique mission statement of Southern Wake Academy.
• The school counselor will support the overall cognitive, career and personal / social development of every student.
• The school counselor will collaborate with teachers and other school personnel to help facilitate delivery and integration of the comprehensive school counseling program.

Career & College Readiness:

• This position will work in conjunction with other school personnel, families, students and representatives of community agencies to develop career and college transition plans, and coordinate and deliver a wide range of post-secondary planning services to Southern Wake Academy Students.
• The school counselor will ensure that every student has a post-secondary plan that informs what courses and extracurricular activities they focus on in middle and high school, and what colleges and / or post secondary opportunities to explore that best align with their interests and goals.

Career & College Assessments:

• Administer and interpret career assessment tools and assist students in developing educational and occupational goals and plans.
• Help students know the types, importance and use of college and career assessments, when to take them, and how to apply them to their academic and career planning.
• Help students become test savvy through test prep that includes overcoming test anxiety, types of test questions, types of directions, logistics of test day, scoring and fee waivers.
• Help students use test scores and relevant analysis to identify skill gaps and plan strategies for skill development and course selection
• Assist students in evaluating students' aptitudes and abilities through the interpretation of individual standardized test scores and other pertinent data.
• Works with students in developing education and occupation plans consistent with such evaluation.
• Help students plan and implement a program of study that meets requirements for acceptance to college and/or leads to industry and technology licenses and certifications.
• Help students take college/career/technology classes while still in high school by introducing them to dual enrollment, online classes, early college, and CTE.
• Facilitate college fairs and plans and coordinates field trips to institutions of higher learning, businesses and other organizations.
• Obtains and disseminates information regarding occupational opportunities to students and to classes studying occupations.

Enrichment and Extracurricular Engagement:

• Advise students regarding how to be more versatile for college and career by including enrichment and extracurricular engagement as well as leadership roles into resumes, portfolios, and college and career applications.
• Advise students on researching college/career/technical schools aligned to their interest inventories and selected majors as well as clubs, teams and interest groups that connect to their talents and abilities.

College Affordability Planning:

• Advise students regarding financial aid application processes, including application completion and submission procedures, federal borrowing and repayment options tailored for diverse student groups, and communicating with financial aid offices.
• Familiarize students with financial aid publications and applications, including FAFSA, state agency applications, scholarship/grant applications, and financial literacy glossaries.
• Ensure that students with special circumstances have information about federal, state and institutional financial aid guidelines.

Career & College Application Processes:

• Provide students with college application completion checklists, calendars, application procedure forms and application fact sheets, school comparison tools, and portfolios to assist them with application completion and final decision-making.
• Advise students how to access and complete applications, including school-specific applications and the Common Application.
• Review supporting documents, such as transcripts, standardized test scores, application essays and letters of recommendation.
• Assists students with admissions, scholarship and identifying employment opportunities.
• Help students access and review applications and prepare all documentation including recommendations, personal essays, work samples that meet higher education writing standards, and portfolio materials (art, music, etc.).
• Help students sign-up to receive mailings, join lists and social media groups, and retrieve college/career/technical newsletters and other forms of information from institutions of interest.
• Research educational and career opportunities, and coordinate with teachers, college and university personnel, resource specialists, and business and community organizations for the purpose of providing information, and making recommendations.

Transitions from High School to Career & College:

• Assist students with planning for logistical issues, such as requesting final transcripts, filling out forms, taking placement tests, and transportation to and from college or career/technical schools.
• Collaborate and consult with school based teams to assist in the development of student transition plans .
• Knowledge of school and post high school services for students with a variety of disabilities in regards to person-centered planning, post secondary education options, career, employment and post-secondary related activities.
• Responsible for developing activities that foster career/employment skills for assigned students (interview skills, career mapping) as outlined in the student’s transition plan.
• Responsible for completing vocational and transition assessments (both formal and informal), completing written reports, and interpreting results and offering recommendations.
• Responsible for developing and implementing work readiness seminars and tools for individuals with varying disabilities.
• Assist in the development of the master schedule and assist students in selection of courses and course / schedule changes.
• Provides short term individual and small-group counseling services to students to improve personal skills, address barriers to learning and support mental wellness.
• Provide referrals to outside agencies for long-term support when appropriate.
• Assist in the development and implementation of the Advisory Curriculum that aligns with the mission of Southern Wake Academy. This will include activities and programming that engage all students and staff in school-wide community-building activities driven by the ideals of shared values, relationship-building and service to others.
• Monitor quarterly academic progress and yearly graduation progress and develop intervention plans as appropriate.
• Continue to acquire professional knowledge and learn of current developments in the educational field by attending seminars, workshops or professional meetings, or by conducting research, and by maintaining professional relationships with members of institutions of higher learning and the business community.
• Organize and maintain a system for accurate and complete record-keeping and providing student information to prospective colleges and employers, as required by school procedures and applicable laws.
• Encourage guardian involvement in students’ education and ensure effective communication with students and parents. Disseminates information to all stakeholders via parent information sessions, webinars and social media.
• Collaborates and consults with administrators and other teaching staff members to ascertain individual student's abilities and needs, including students with special needs, and to familiarize stakeholders with guidance services.
• Assists in training students, families and staff to utilize programs such as "Say Something".
• Assist in attendance monitoring and develop plans to support consistent student attendance.
• Other duties as they arise

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $35,595.00 - $57,901.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person

Salary : $35,595 - $57,901