School Counselor

The Queen City Difference

At Queen City Academy Charter School, teachers are our most treasured assets. We expect academic and character excellence from QCACS students, and our teachers help foster a dynamic learning environment where students receive the necessary preparation and support to rise to that challenge. Therefore, teacher recruitment at QCACS is a vitally important process through which we seek to attract and retain educators with an immediately discernible passion for helping children meet their highest potential. Teachers work in a collegial setting where the faculty and administration collaborate to ensure a high quality education experience for students, while benefiting from supportive parent partners who are deeply committed to their children's success.

The Queen City Academy Charter School is Plainfield, New Jersey's first charter school. QCACS serves scholars in grades K-10 and growing to K-12. Our mission is to create lifelong learners and equip staff with the opportunities to successfully shape and transform lives by cultivating learners that possess the ability to be critical-thinkers and demonstrate leadership skills required to continuously open new doors which create generational successes. All staff are expected to be committed to the mission of QCACS, have a positive and professional attitude, exhibit a strong work ethic (including a willingness to work long hours) and possess an inner drive for personal and professional excellence. The Queen City Academy Charter School of Plainfield is an equal opportunity employer.

School Counselor Position Overview

The school counselor assists the Director in strengthening the alliance between home, school, and community while promoting emotional, social, behavioral wellness and academic success via various interventions and initiatives. Under the direction of the Chief Academic Officer/Director and Assistant Academic Director School Counselors will function as child advocates who believe students are first. The School Counselor will work closely with home, school, and community to empower students to elevate their potential and must be resourceful and creative to find services to maximize students' emotional, social, behavioral, and academic development.

The School Counselor should be able to:

• Serve as coordinator and case manager for the Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) team which conducts meetings and forms action plans to analyze/address students' academic, behavioral, and emotional challenges. Organize and disseminate all documentation for each case.
• Attend monthly Parent Advisory Council (PAC) meetings.
• Conduct home visits related to establishing communication and positive connections between the parent/guardian and school setting around identified issues
• Serve as the Anti-Bullying Specialist to investigate allegations of Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB). Prepare monthly reports to be shared with the Board of Trustees.
• Provides crisis intervention services
• Collaborate with staff on behavioral-emotional-environmental issues affecting student participation in the learning process
• Conduct social skills groups and character education classes on identified areas of concern for QCACS students or staff
• Conduct workshops for adults focusing on strengthening parenting skills. Serve as a resource for parents on child development issues.
• Develop and implement orientation and articulation programs for students, parents, and staff (i.e. Middle School Transition Activities)
• Serve as liaison with community agencies and assist in fostering communication between schools, parents/guardians, and community leaders.
• Show resourcefulness by locating and mobilizing community resources to support QCACS's educational program
• Maintain the school-wide behavioral modification program called Battle of the Homeroom
• May spearhead an after-school program or club
• Assist 7th and 8th grade students in applying to prestigious high schools and enrichment programs such as; New Jersey SEEDS, WIGHT Foundation, A Better Chance, and Kean & Rutgers Upward Bound Programs.
• Serve as Truancy Officer and monitor students' attendance
• Work closely with the Special Education department in providing counseling services and attend IEP meetings when necessary
• Adhere to QCACS code of conduct and always display professionalism, ethics, and respect.

Qualifications

The successful candidate must possess a Master's degree in School Counseling from an accredited university and a New Jersey School Counselor Certificate of Endorsement from the NJ Department of Education. Preference is given to those who possess a minimum of three years' successful experience in working with schools, as well as families and community health and social services agencies in an urban area. Applicants must demonstrate success in problem solving, communications, organization, planning, time management, record keeping and human relations. The ideal candidate has the ability to work effectively and successfully with students, staff, parents, administrators, and other stakeholders. They should be able to function effectively while handling multiple responsibilities.