Middle School Counselor

Middle School Counselor

Margaret L. Hopkin Middle School

JOB DESCRIPTION
School counselors help students make decisions that affect their personal and academic development. Often they can be found working with classroom teachers, school psychologists, school nurses, parents, and community groups. They meet with students individually or in group sessions. Counselors help students choose courses that will affect their later careers. They also provide students with scholarship information, training manuals, and college catalogs.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
• Discusses the comprehensive school counseling program and action plans with the school administrator.
• Plan and maintain an effective Comprehensive School Counseling Program.
• Develop and maintain a written plan for effective delivery of the school counseling program based on USOE’s Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Program model.
• Communicates the goals of the comprehensive school counseling program to education stakeholders.
• Maintains current and appropriate program data for education stakeholders.
• Uses at least 80% of time providing direct services through the Guidance Curriculum, Individual Student Planning and Preventive and Responsive Services and most remaining time in program management, system support and accountability.
• Provides leadership and collaborates with other educators in the school-wide integration of USOE’s Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Program model.
• Implements developmentally appropriate and prevention-oriented group activities to meet student needs and school goals.
• Assists all students, individually or in groups, with developing academic, career and personal/social skills/behavioral, goals and plans.
• Accurately and appropriately interprets and utilizes student data.
• Collaborates with parents/guardians and educators to assist students with educational and career planning.
• Provides individual and group counseling to students with identified concerns and needs.
• Consults and collaborates effectively with parents/guardians, teachers, administrators and other educational/community resources regarding students with identified concerns and needs.
• Implements an effective referral and follow-up process.
• Accurately and appropriately uses assessment procedures for determining and structuring individual and group counseling services.
• Provides appropriate information to staff related to the comprehensive school counseling program.
• Assists in the facilitation of school tests, i.e. Advanced Placement, UBSCT, CRT, etc.
• Assists teachers, parents/guardians and other stakeholders in interpreting and understanding student data.
• Participates in professional development activities to improve knowledge and skills.
• Uses available technology resources to enhance the school counseling program such as websites, interest surveys, career explorations, and links to community resources.
• Work with the administration to create, coordinate and implement student orientation programs for incoming students.
• The counselor will act as a consultant as the administration creates, coordinates and implements student/teacher schedules. The counselor is active in presenting the registration materials to the students, adjusting changes with students’ registration as it relates to individual student planning.
• Supervises all aspects of student records including obtaining and forwarding records, academic, testing, etc., maintained by counseling personnel.
• Monitor students’ progress towards graduation, identifies credit deficiencies, and facilitates post secondary plans.
• Conduct parent education classes in cooperation with the Jordan Family Education Center.
• Promote and support students in attaining ASCA National Standards for School Counseling Programs.
• Join and participate in appropriate professional organizations, and continue to further their academic involvement.
• Is responsible for understanding and adhering to laws, district policies, and procedures.
• Predictable and reliable attendance.

During times of state or district emergency, all employees may be required to perform additional duties that are not required on a normal basis in support of educational and operational priorities. e.g. Performs general cleaning and sanitizing of work areas, provides remote assistance to students and staff, and any other reasonable duty as needed.

NON-ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
• Other duties as assigned.
• This description should not be construed to contain every function/responsibility that may be required to be performed by an employee assigned to this position.
• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
• The requirements listed below are representative of the education, knowledge and experience requirements; the machines, tools and equipment used; background; and any licenses or certifications required.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Family Medical, Life, LTD and Retirement - per GCSD policy.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
• Incumbent must be fingerprinted and clear a criminal backgrounds check.
• Requires a Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university.
• Requires a valid Professional Educator License for the State of Utah within the relevant “License Area of Concentration”.
• Requires strong oral and written communication skills with students, parents, and staff.
• Requires strong computer and educational technological skills.
• Requires effective problem solving, organizational, multi-tasking, and time management skills.
• Requires the ability to implement effective counseling strategies.
• Requires the ability to create and engage students in guidance curriculum in small groups to large assemblies.
• Requires the ability to establish and maintain a positive learning environment.
• Requires the ability to calmly handle crisis issues.
• Requires the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with pupils, parents, school staff, district staff, and patrons.
• Requires the ability to work as a member of a team as well as the ability to work independently with little direct supervision.
• Knowledge of State Core Curriculum and Board of Education adopted guidelines.

NOTE: The Administration reserves the right to require specific training for this position. However, depending upon the type and quality of prior work experience and availability of formal training programs, some exchanges can be made between training and experience.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS---Not limited to the following:
• While performing the duties of this job, the teacher is regularly required to speak and/or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, or crouch. The teacher is occasionally required to use hands to handle or feel and must occasionally climb or balance.
• The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception.
• Physical ability to perform the essential functions listed above with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Requires the ability to lift a minimum of ten (10) pounds.
• Possess the physical, mental, and emotional stability to work under stressful conditions, including but not limited to: deadlines, contract requirements, inspection requirements, and interaction with critical personnel.

Please go to www.grandschools.org, click on the Employment and Applications Link and fill out the Certified Job Application.

10/14/2024

Per GCSD Certified salary schedule