Director of School Counseling

REPORTS TO: Associate Principal for Curriculum/Principal

SUPERVISES: Licensed and Non-Licensed Staff in Counseling Department

Assigned Activity Sponsors

POSITION OBJECTIVE: The Director of School Counseling provides strategic leadership and oversight for the comprehensive school counseling program, ensuring its alignment with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model and the Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Framework. This role is responsible for the overall vision, management, and evaluation of a data-driven program that supports students across all grade levels in their academic, career, and social-emotional development, fostering successful secondary school and post-secondary transitions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) with General Administrative Endorsement preferred but not required

• Masters Degree in School Counseling or related field

• Teacher Evaluator designation

• Teaching or administrative experience in content area

• Experience working successfully in a diverse, multicultural environment

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and evaluate school counseling staff

• Strong team-building skills and the ability to foster a collaborative departmental culture

• Ability to read, interpret, and explain materials from Board policy, administrative procedures, professional journals, and legal documents, including Illinois School Code

• Ability to problem solve, make independent decisions, and effectuate change

• Good verbal and written communication skills

• Demonstrated leadership ability to work with high school students and adults

• Experience developing and implementing departmental goals, policies, and procedures

• Deep understanding of adolescent development, mental health, crisis intervention, and trauma-informed practices

• Expertise in academic advising, college/career planning, and postsecondary readiness

• Ability to design and oversee a comprehensive school counseling program aligned with ASCA National Model

• Skilled in conflict resolution, mediation, and restorative practices

• Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data to 1) inform programs and interventions and 2) produce high-quality presentations and documents

• Experience using student outcome data to improve academic, social-emotional, and college/career supports

• Familiarity with school information systems and counseling data management platforms

• Ability to deal with difficult situations courteously, tactfully, and with discretion and good judgment

• Ability to interact effectively with a variety of audiences and individuals

• Current knowledge of best practices in business, operations, and human resources

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Serve as a member of building leadership team

• Provide high-quality leadership to coordinate and improve the student academic and support services provided to students and families.

• Provide leadership and vision for implementing systems and practices that promote inclusion, equity, and anti-racism throughout the school.

• Lead and serve on the building administrator's leadership team, providing knowledge and expertise about school initiatives and programs, Professional Learning Communities, and the School Improvement Goals.

• Assists the building leadership team in the overall administration of the school

• Supervise various student events throughout the year including weekends and evenings

• Models mutual respect; integrity; professionalism; multicultural awareness; gender, racial, and ethnic equity; and the values, beliefs, and attitudes that inspire others to perform to their highest potential.

• Performs special projects and assignments at the direction of the Principal and/or designee.

Program Leadership & Management (ASCA: Management, Accountability):

• Develop, implement, and continuously evaluate a comprehensive school counseling curricular program for all students based on the ASCA National Model (Foundations, Management, Delivery, Accountability).

• Lead the counseling team in setting annual program goals and objectives, ensuring alignment with district strategic plan, school improvement plans and student data.

• Oversee the collection, analysis, and interpretation of extensive student outcome data (academic, attendance, discipline, post-secondary enrollment) to demonstrate program effectiveness, identify achievement/opportunity gaps, and inform program adjustments.

• Supervise and evaluate all counseling certified staff, including College Counselor, Career Counselor, School Counselors, and non-certified staff.

• Foster strong collaborative relationships with school administration, faculty, parents, and extensive community stakeholders (e.g., numerous colleges, diverse businesses, military, community organizations).

• Works in a supportive role with colleagues (e.g. cooperative course planning, curriculum development, test construction, materials preparation, methodology)

• Present program results and data to stakeholders to advocate for program needs and celebrate successes for a large and varied school community

• Recruits, screens, hires, trains, recommends for hiring, and assigns candidates

• Supports the professional development of staff members

• Supervises and evaluates department activities

Strategic Post-Secondary and Career Readiness (PaCE Framework & ASCA: Career Development):

• Collaborate closely with the College Counselor and Career Counselor to ensure robust and integrated implementation of PaCE Framework benchmarks across all cohorts.

• Monitor school-wide data related to college enrollment, career placement, and financial aid attainment to drive continuous improvement.

Systemic Advocacy & Equity (ASCA: Advocacy):

• Facilitate systemic change within the school to promote equity, access, and opportunity for all students.

• Advocate for student needs at all levels, ensuring the counseling program addresses the diverse needs of a large student body.

Coordinates the Review, Revision, and Implementation of Department Mission

• Leads counseling team in developing graduation plans aligned to college and career pathways for each student

• Analyzes student placement and student progress in grade level

• Assists in the planning of departmental professional development

• Plans and coordinates curriculum night for incoming ninth graders in collaboration with curriculum directors

Leads the Department

• Implements board policies and procedures

• Organizes and coordinates departmental meetings

• Keeps informed about current trends and practices in subject fields and instruction and promotes curricular innovation and a culture of professional learning

• Establishes and pursues goals to improve professional competence

• Identifies school or counseling problems and suggest appropriate solutions in team settings

• Collaborates with other departmental leaders to coordinate programs

• Participates in activities for continued professional growth

• Works to resolve both inter and intra-departmental conflicts

• Maintains open communication with parents, parent groups, and community organizations

• Represents the district at professional meetings and conferences

• Co-lead curriculum committees with the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction

• Works with principal and building leadership team on school improvement initiatives

• Promotes the use of data-informed decision-making in various contexts and oversees the design of student intervention programs that support school improvement initiatives and college and career readiness.

• Understands the master schedule and assists in the development of student schedules as well as making student scheduling adjustments as needed throughout the academic school year

• Maintains administrative records; prepares reports and correspondence

• Serves as a member of the core administrative team

• Supervises school-sponsored events; supervises chaperones as assigned

• Performs other duties as assigned by the principal

• Manages requests for attendance and travel to professional meetings and conferences by assigned staff

Provides Fiscal Management for the Department

• Develop and manage the departmental budget and resources effectively.

• Contracts for purchase and delivery of goods and services

• Approves purchase requisitions for the department

• Obtains comparative prices and quotations per Board Policy

• Manages extracurricular and/or after-school budgets

• Prepares and administers the budget for assigned department

• Advises the principal(s) on the department's budgetary needs

• Prepares and implements grants as appropriate

Assists with Summer School

• Assists the Summer School Principal with planning, evaluating, and overseeing the course offerings and schedule during summer school.

• Performs other related duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of summer school.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: 205 day work calendar with irregular or extended work hours including evenings and weekends.

SALARY RANGE: Target hiring range for this position will be between $130,000 to $160,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Apply online at: www.niles219.org

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.

Niles Township High Schools District 219 is an equal-opportunity employer. It is the policy and practice of District 219 to decide all matters relating to employment solely on the basis of the applicant's ability to perform the essential functions of the position. District 219 ensures equal employment opportunities regardless of race, creed, sex, sexual orientation, color, national origin, religion, age, or handicap.