2025-2026 Secondary Counselor

Job Title:  Counselor – Secondary                                                                Wage/ Status: Exempt

Department: Middle School / High School                                                  HR Revised: March 2025

Reports to: Respective Principal                           

GENERAL JOB SUMMARY

The primary function of the Secondary Counselor is to provide academic, personal, and social support to students for grades 7-12. The Counselor will deliver guidance curriculum in various group sizes; educate students of skills necessary to address troublesome circumstances, support students in challenging situations, and assist students with needed resources to navigate crisis situations.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Certification:

• Master’s Degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
• Valid Texas school counselor certification.
• Completion and successful results of the state-required fingerprinting and criminal background check is required.
• Is legally able to work in the United States.

Experience:

• Minimum of three years (3) of experience as a teacher (Grades 7-12) preferred. 
• Previous school counselor experience desirable. 

Required Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Knowledge of counseling procedures, student appraisal, and career development.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to instruct students and manage their behavior.
• Ability to present information in one-on-one, small group, and large group situations to students, parents or guardians, and Academy staff.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality pertaining to students, employees, volunteers, and the general operations of Westlake Academy.
• Ability to work cooperatively with others in a patient, flexible, and versatile manner.
• Ability to accept and implement constructive suggestions or criticism in a professional manner.
• Ability to comply with all TEA regulations, applicable federal, state, and local laws, school policies, and standards of the Professional Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators.

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES

Guidance Curriculum

• Plan, organize, implement, and deliver structured group lessons according to the Academy’s guidance curriculum to improve students’ interpersonal and intrapersonal effectiveness, personal health and safety, post-secondary planning and readiness, and other developmental needs.
• Teach the school guidance curriculum components through the use of effective instructional strategies and planned structured groups considering diverse student populations and needs for differentiated instruction.
• Work with students, staff, parents or guardians, and the community to identify priorities where students will be served through the guidance curriculum component. Collaborate across curricular areas to integrate guidance lessons into content area curriculum.
• Create a balanced curriculum by using well-planned and intentional activities and materials, incorporating guest speakers, and offering engaging delivery techniques, including technology tools.
• Works with the Special Education department and 504 Coordinator to ensure all needs are met.
• Works with the Testing Coordinator in carrying out state mandated and other school testing programs and to interpret standardized test results.

Responsive Services

• Use accepted theories and effective techniques of developmental guidance to respond to problematic or critical incidents to support students and offer services in time of need.
• Use preventive activities to remove barriers that interfere with a student’s educational, career, personal, and social development.
• Implement remediation practices to assist students in coping with problem situations or unwise choices. Identify precipitating and antecedent factors, effective and ineffective approaches to dealing with the circumstances, and provide feedback to guide future decisions.
• Use specialized skills to support students in crisis situations requiring immediate response. Maintain a healthy and safe school environment by collaborating with Academy staff, parents or guardians, and local officials.
• Provide continued support to students in need through individual counseling, small group counseling, consultation, or referral to services outside the Academy.
• Works with the Special Education department and 504 Coordinator as needed for individual counseling.
• Serve as an impartial, non-reporting resource for interpersonal conflicts and discourse involving two or more students, including accusations of bullying.

Individual Planning

• Create school counseling services that are developmental and age appropriate and provide information or literature that highlights related topics to students, teachers, and administrators.
• Assist individual students and their parents or guardians in monitoring their academic, career, personal, and social development as they progress in school.
• Act as a student advocate, leader, collaborator, and systems change agent. Advocate for a school environment that acknowledges and respects diversity and ensures equitable access and placement in courses and programs for minority, disenfranchised, homeless, and other special populations.
• Interpret standardized test results, offer career development activities, provide strategies for grade level transitions, and guide students in individual goal setting and planning including creating and reviewing personal graduation plans and providing information about post-secondary opportunities.

System Support

• Collect, summarize, and interpret testing data to plan, create interventions, guide students, and address specific student needs.
• Conduct an annual program audit to inform accountability, action plans, time management, and systemic change.
• Participate in campus-based school improvement planning and goal setting.
• Provide parent or guardian and staff training and consultation to foster student educational, career, personal, and social development.
• Clearly articulate and communicate the counseling program’s management system and related program action plans to Academy staff, parents or guardians, and the community.
• Participate in staff development and continuing education opportunities to improve job-related skills and research to identify best practices in implementing a comprehensive school counseling program.
• Maintains a list of district and community resources; consults and coordinates with community social service agencies.
• Responsible for ensuring families of new students have a sufficient understanding of how Westlake Academy functions, specifically regarding the transfer of educational credits.

Other Related Duties

• Compile, maintain, and file all reports, records, and other documents.
• Teach classes or perform other duties as assigned by the Principal or Head of School.
• Adhere to legal, ethical, and professional standards for school counselors including current professional standards of competence and practice.
• Follow Academy safety protocols and emergency procedures.
• Conducts orientation activities for new students.

EVALUATION

Performance of this job will be evaluated at least annually by the Principal using the Texas School Counselor Evaluation and Support System (T-SCESS).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/ WORK ENVIRONMENT

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

Tools/Equipment Used: Personal computer and peripherals; standard instructional equipment.

Posture: Prolonged sitting; Frequent standing, kneeling/squatting, bending/stooping, pushing/pulling, and twisting

Motion: Frequent walking; repetitive hand motions, frequent keyboarding, and use of mouse; occasional reaching.

Lifting: Regular moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 lbs.); may lift and move equipment; occasional physical restraint of students to control behavior.

Environment: Work inside, may work outside.

Mental Demands: Work with frequent interruptions; maintain emotional control under stress; may work prolonged or irregular hours.

DISCLAIMER

This position description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to this job.

Salary : $71,183