Elementary School Counselor: Elementary School Counselors are certified/licensed educators with the minimum of a Master’s Degree in School Counseling and are distinctly qualified to address the developmental needs of all students through a K-12 Comprehensive School Counseling Program. They guide the work of an equitable education for all students, which requires them to be an advocate, facilitate and/or reinforce systems that ensure that every child has the support they need to achieve academic success. This requires understanding the unique challenges and barriers faced by individual students or by populations of students. This position will provide intensive, culturally responsive student support with a high degree of creativity and problem-solving capabilities.
Elementary School Counselor Expectations: The Elementary school counselor role is, at its core, both proactive & preventive, as well as responsive. It centers around the design and implementation of a guidance curriculum which includes three domains of school counseling. - Personal/Social - teaching students how to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
Career Awareness Exploration - setting the stage for self- awareness by fostering curiosity and excitement for the world of work by engaging them in fun activities that invite discovery and exploration around different careers.
Academic - utilizing data to aid in the development of 21st century skills as well as collaborating and planning with school teams around identifying possible interventions for students, working to establish student opportunities for academic remediation as needed, closing the achievement and opportunity gaps.
Other Roles and Responsibilities include:
Data Analysis - Analyzing student data related to academics, behavior and attendance to make strategic decisions around increasing student success.
Access & Equity - Establishing methods to identify and target systemic barriers that deter from equitable educational access; working to provide students with the opportunity for academic challenge resulting in improved student achievement, attendance and behavior.
Collaboration - Maintaining a strong home, school and community connection by consistently communicating and partnering with families; teachers and administrators.
Community Referral - Assist students and families in accessing community support & services in order to reduce barriers to academic success.
Classroom Intervention - Utilizing school counseling curriculum to push into elementary classrooms to support personal/social growth; academic success and career awareness. This may include the development of an Intervention Plan through active participation in team meetings as well as in the School Based Support Team.
Individual counseling - Meet with students on an individual basis in order to address academic, attendance or behavioral needs. In addition, guide them in understanding and accepting themselves, cope with family changes and/or family crises, and develop decision making skills, conflict resolution skills, anger management techniques, as well as, problem solving strategies.
Small group counseling - Meeting with students in a small group setting in order to addre
About Schenectady City Schools
With a population of nearly 10,000 students, the Schenectady City School District is one of the largest in the Capital Region. With an incredibly diverse population we are committed to ensuring that all children feel valued, are safe and will learn. We place the highest priority on a culture of equity, ensuring that race, economics, and disability are never predictors of student achievement. Every child in our district counts and will be supported each step of the way, along the path to graduation.
The Schenectady City School District is committed to hiring members of protected classes and residents of the City of Schenectady. For more information on the District’s recruitment and hiring plan, please contact the Human Resources Office at 881-2000 ext. 40133. The Schenectady City School District does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin, race or gender. This policy is in compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Regulations and By-Laws of the Board of Education of the Schenectady City School District.