Early College School Counselor

FRAMINGHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Framingham High School

TITLE:

Early College School Counselor

2023-2024 School Year

POSITION SUMMARY:

To provide services to address the social and emotional barriers to student achievement. And, to provide services to help develop age-appropriate skills and promote social, emotional, and academic growth in children in the school setting, in order to deliver Framingham Public Schools' high expectations for achievement, equal access to high levels of instruction, the achievement of academic proficiency for all students, and the closing of the opportunity gap among subgroups within the schools. This grant funded position will provide support to students enrolled in our Metrowest Early Scholars Program.

OUR MISSION:

Framingham Public Schools is committed to excellence for all students. Our mission statement guides our work: Through a comprehensive education, we aim to create and empower free-thinking, responsible citizens who can participate equally in our rich and diverse community. FPS and the community stand united in our core values: Providing a safe, inclusive, culturally responsive teaching and learning environment; Engaging antiracist and responsible civic advocates; Respecting diversity of thought, learners, cultures, and community; Fostering learning and healthy growth of all students and staff; Ensuring every school will be an active, participatory, equitable community.

Diversity among teachers undoubtedly advances the academic achievement of students. Compliance obligations establish a baseline which we seek to exceed. As a district, Framingham Public Schools is committed to achieving, developing, and maintaining a workforce reflective of the rich racial, linguistic, and cultural diversity of our students. Framingham Public Schools aims to teach our children, and ourselves, to be culturally proficient and inclusive in order to live, learn, and work together in a vibrant and diverse world.

Indeed, Framingham Public Schools is committed to inspiring our school community to be accepting and willing to learn from individuals with differing backgrounds. Our goal is to reflect the diverse community we serve and create a great place to work for everyone by embracing the individual skills, perspectives, and experiences our people bring to the workplace and harnessing these for high performance and improved service delivery. We want our employees to feel included, valued, and respected and have access to equal opportunity, which supports full participation at work. Framingham Public Schools seeks to retain the diverse talent in our workforce and support our people to maintain a long and productive working career.

Framingham Public Schools is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment and strongly encourages applications from persons with disabilities and who identify as members of historically underrepresented groups.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, AND REGISTRATIONS:

A valid Massachusetts Teaching license in School Counseling is required. Additional content area license is encouraged. Please note that licensure requirements are subject to change at the discretion of DESE.

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

Experience supporting students in the academic, social/emotional, and behavioral domains is preferred.

Framingham Public Schools seeks candidates whose background, teaching, or service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging in all aspects of education. Also, we are interested in candidates who will bring to their professional practice the perspective that comes from a non-traditional educational background or an understanding of the experiences of those underrepresented in the educational field.

SKILLS AND ABILITY:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to apply knowledge of current research and theory in the educational field; to communicate clearly and concisely both in oral and written form; to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups including staff, parents and the general public; to read, analyze and interpret professional periodicals and journals, technical procedures and governmental regulations; to write reports and correspondence, as needed; to use reasoning ability to evaluate information and determine/recommend an appropriate course of action; to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions; to use professional literature, evidence-based research, and continuing education content to make practice decisions; to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, parents, staff and the community; to work independently, prioritize tasks and manage several projects simultaneously; to perform duties with awareness of all district requirements, state and federal laws, and Framingham Public Schools policies (as long as the policies do not conflict with the Framingham Teachers Association (Unit A) Contract); to work with students and families of diverse backgrounds with diverse needs in an equitable and inclusive manner that bears witness to cultural proficiency and competency; to maintain appropriate confidential records; to react professionally and objectively to unpredictable situations (e.g. environmental changes, behavior/aggression, seizure activity, etc.); to operate and/or acquire skills to operate a computer and related software including but not limited to Google; and ability/willingness to plan, coordinate, conduct and participate in ongoing professional and staff development.

Experience evaluating student skills and writing reports to interpret/summarize findings. Strong collaborative, teaching, coaching, and leadership skills to support student programming and work in a team setting. Strong problem-solving skills to support student success. Strong data-collection skills to help to inform decisions for students. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Strong organizational skills to balance the demands of a multi-tasking position. A proactive and solution-focused approach to meeting student needs. Knowledge of specialized content areas as well as any related laws and procedures.

Ability to consistently collaborate with colleagues through shared planning and/or informal conversation to analyze student performance and development, and to plan appropriate interventions at the classroom or school level; and to regularly provide advice and expertise to general education teachers and the school community to support the creation of appropriate and effective academic, behavioral, and social/emotional learning experiences for students.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustration of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee, and is subject to change by the employer, as the needs of the employer and the requirements of the job change.

• Provide strategies and preventative interventions for clinical issues related to all school-age children, including issues surrounding substance abuse, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, violence, health and changes in the family system
• Provide individual and/or group counseling as appropriate, utilizing knowledge of principles of therapeutic relationships, personal and systemic change, and use of self in a problem-solving relationship
• Provide crisis intervention, and serve as a member of the school's Crisis Team Provide representation to the district-wide Crisis Task Force
• Attend/convene SCAN meetings as needed; file reports with the Department of Children and Families when necessary
• Serve as the school's liaison to the Department of Children and Families
• Provide data collection, assessment and intervention in response to referrals from teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, students, families and community agencies
• Design, implement and assess the guidance curriculum
• Utilize responsive counseling, initiating individual and group sessions for students' personal, social and academic concerns
• Consult with families and staff to appraise student needs and interests and to discuss appropriate recommendations for educational options
• Plan, coordinate and provide classroom group guidance sessions to meet the identified guidance and counseling competencies in the areas of academic achievement, career and educational development, and personal and social development
• Prepare students for the transition to the next level(s), activities and options
• Plan and coordinate programs such as career fairs, test preparation, improved/perfect attendance celebrations and other extensions of the counseling program as needed/appropriate
• Use individual student planning activities and classroom guidance to assist students in navigating educational and community experiences that support their needs and develop their potential
• Collaborate with parents/guardians and educators to assist students with educational and career planning
• Assist teachers in understanding their students, including providing and interpreting student data
• Provide in-service training on topics related to the school counseling program and supporting student achievement
• Identify problem behaviors and develop strategies for intervention
• Refer students and families to outside treatment as necessary
• Provide consultation for faculty, administration and families
• Guide and counsel individuals and groups of students through the development of
• educational and career plans
• Attend pre-referral and solution seeking meetings to collaborate with the team on appropriate strategies to assist the referred students and their families
• Service as a member of Special Education Team Meetings and meet with parents/guardians to complete a Social/Developmental history as needed for students to be evaluated
• Collaborate with the Multilingual/ESL/ELL Department to address the learning and emotional needs of students in the multilingual(s) program
• Advocate for students with guidance, administration, and educators; when possible, provide native language support and outreach for students and their families, as appropriate
• Serve as a liaison with Psychiatric Emergency Services, District juvenile court, and all outside treatment facilities, as appropriate
• Serve as in-building liaison/coordinator for McKinney-Vento students
• Convene re-entry meetings for students returning to school from a treatment facility to ease the transition back to an academic setting
• Attend staff meetings and serves on staff and or school committees
• Participate in staff development programs
• Other duties and responsibilities as reasonably assigned

PHYSICAL WORKING CONDITIONS:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be required to move about and may be required to traverse occasionally throughout the school building;
• Must often remain in a stationary position for considerable periods of time;
• Is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and sit, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl;
• Is expected to lift at least 20 lbs (i.e. books, school supplies, etc.);
• Must frequently use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and use hand strength to grasp tools;
• Must be able to assist students who have physical difficulties;
• Operate a computer and other office productivity machinery (i.e., a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer);
• Must be able to input information into a computer and as well as read material from a computer monitor as well as handwritten or printed matter with or without visual aids;
• Must be able to communicate effectively with students, parents, and other staff members in person, via email, and on the telephone;
• In the classroom, must be able to see and hear on a continuous basis in order to ensure the safety of students as well as speak frequently to provide instruction;
• Must be able to assist students who have physical difficulties;
• May be required to move quickly across even or uneven surfaces;
• Working in a normal school environment with an acceptable level of noise;
• Must interact with students, parents, and other staff members;
• Must be able to kneel, sit, stand, crawl, push, and pull to assist and teach children throughout the day;
• Is directly responsible for the safety, well-being, and work output of students;
• Must be able to interact with students, parents, and other staff members and occasionally must meet multiple demands from several people;
• While the majority of the workday is spent inside, must spend time outdoors for recess, fire drills, and special activities;
• May be exposed to bodily fluids, disease, or pathogens;
• May receive unintentional injuries from aggressive students; and
• May be required some degree of physical interaction with students who have difficulty controlling physical behavior.

REPORTS TO:

Building Principal and the Director of Health and Wellness. The performance of this job will be evaluated as per the Framingham Teachers Association (Unit A) Contract.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

None.

FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT (FLSA) CLASSIFICATION:

This position is classified as Exempt (Professional).

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:

Covered under the Framingham Teachers Association (Unit A) Contract. Please note that the District reserves the right to transfer all personnel among buildings on an as needed basis to serve the best interests of all students as long as this does not conflict with the Framingham Teachers Association (Unit A) Contract.

HELPFUL LINKS:

Framingham Teachers Association Contract

Click here for more information about our amazing benefits!

Framingham Public Schools provides equal employment. opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Framingham Public Schools complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the District has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Framingham Public Schools expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, ancestry, marital status, or veteran status.