Position: Counselor - Elementary

Required Qualifications:

Master’s Degree in school counseling or related field. Current Oklahoma Teaching Certificate in school counseling.

Primary Purpose:

The job functions of an Oklahoma school counselor include maintaining a professional identity, supporting all PK-12 students in their social and emotional, academic, and career development, and being an active school leader who is reflective about his/her comprehensive school counseling program. School counselors will align actions to the mission and vision of the district and their school.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

(Note: The listed duties are illustrative only and are not intended to describe each and every function which may be performed in the job class. The omission of specific statements does not preclude management from assigning specific duties not listed herein if such duties are a logical assignment to the position.)

• Uphold and enforce board policy, administrative procedures, and school rules, regulations, and is supportive of them to the public.

• Follow requirements as outlined Federal, State, and District professional development.

• Assumes a leadership role in planning, developing, and initiating a sound developmental guidance program for the school in cooperation with the principal.

• Use human development theories to have an impact on developmental issues affecting student success.

• Use learning theory to support student achievement and success, including students with diverse learning needs.

• Individual and group counseling; assists individual students in learning, personal, social, and educational problems. Provides instructional and social guidance in appropriate groupings.

• Plans and leads classroom guidance units that are effective in a school setting to promote academic, career, and social and emotional development.

• Use the principles of a multi-tiered system of support within the context of a comprehensive school counseling program to provide instruction and interventions matched to student needs.

• Apply legal and ethical principles of the school counseling professional identity and the role of the school counselor.

• Utilize community resources; coordination of youth service agencies in the community with the school program.

• Instructional planning and testing; assist in planning the instructional program to fulfill pupil needs. The recommendations and administration of group and individual tests and inventories.

• Use student, school, and district data to help identify achievement, attendance, and discipline issues to be addressed through instruction.

• Maintain a list of current referral resources, consistent with school and district policies, for students, staff, and families to effectively address academic, career, and social and emotional issues.

• Has an understanding of the supplemental services including but not limited to GT, SPED, EL, students experiencing homelessness, and trauma beneficial to students as an extension of general classroom activities and assessments.

• Share responsibility during the school day for the supervision of students in all areas of the school.

• Maintain appropriate work habits, including regular and punctual attendance and appropriate use of conference and planning time.

• Work cooperatively with parents/guardians/caregivers to strengthen the educational program for their children.

• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with other staff members.

• Attend staff, department, and committee meetings as required.

• Respect the confidentiality of records and information regarding students, parents, and teachers in accordance with accepted professional ethics, and state and federal laws.

• Demonstrate an understanding of distance learning strategies and/or virtual days including but not limited to establishing a Google Classroom and providing instruction utilizing Google Meets.

• Actively participates in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as requested by site administrators.

• Assist in the implementation of District Initiatives including but not limited to the District Strategic Plan.

• Serve as administrative designee in IEP meetings when the administrator is absent.

• Contribute to a caring, positive school culture.

• Will demonstrate respect and dignity in the workplace.

• Use good judgment at all times.

Other Job Functions:

• To complete other tasks that may be necessary to achieve an efficient operation of the school.

• Complete reports and other job related paperwork as required, at or before the time requested.

• Attend approved professional development activities that may improve professional competence or enhance the job purpose.

Skills, Knowledge and abilities:

• Successful experience in schools. Knowledge of comprehensive school counseling.

• Knowledge of individual and group counseling techniques, specifically group dynamics.

• Strong communication skills.

• Demonstrated technology skills.

• Exhibit leadership skills.

• Maintain counselor’s code of professional conduct.

• Familiarity with inter-agency referral systems.

• Propensity to assume the role of child advocate.

• Ability to relate courteously with children and adults.

• Work independently.

• Plan, schedule and organize work.

• Maintain a positive learning and work environment.

• Interpret and apply laws, regulations and policies.

• Ensure the quality of work as measured against established standards.

• Ability to facilitate the personal, social, and intellectual development of students.

• Ability to work effectively with community organizations.

• Able to react to change productively.

• Maintain confidentiality.

• Proficient in multitasking.

Physical requirements:

• Good health and high energy level.

• Wide range of physical movement, including bending, squatting, reaching, with the ability to lift, carry, push or pull light weights as well as use of hands for simple grasping and fine manipulations.

• Use of speech, vision, hearing.

• Sitting or standing for extended periods of time.

• Indoor and outdoor activity.

• Ability to tolerate a stressful environment.

Coordinates With: Site Staff and Administrators, Parents, Community Stakeholders, District Staff, Coordinators, and District Administrators

Reports To: Site Administrators