Description | Job Goal: The School Counseling Department Chair is responsible for the planning, oversight, and implementation of a preventative, comprehensive, developmental, data-based counseling program to meet the academic, personal/social, and workplace readiness needs of all students at Somerville High School.
The Department Chair oversees school counseling services at each grade level (9-12) and consults with counselors regarding counseling, advocacy, and case coordination of students. The Department Chair is a member of the Somerville High School leadership team with other Department Chairs and Assistant Principals.
Job Responsibilities:
- Oversee school counseling programs, specifically the areas of social/emotional counseling, academic counseling, college/career counseling, and crisis intervention
Department/Staff:
- Supervise and evaluate all staff members in the school counseling department including, at the time of this posting: all school counselors, regular education adjustment counselors, bilingual adjustment counselor, Bridge staff, RISE staff, Registrar, Newcomer Seminar teacher/counselor, School Counseling Administrative Assistant
- Oversee Bridge and RISE programs and other Tier 2 and Tier 3 Social Emotional Support Programs at Somerville High School
- Assist and monitor department members in the handling of day-to-day school counseling problems, assessment of students, and act as a resource-support person for them while providing appropriate consultation services for the department
- Recruit, screen, interview, and recommend student service professionals and secretaries for employment and assignment
- Plan and facilitate School Counseling department meetings.
- Coordinate with MLE Department Head to oversee the MLE Newcomer Seminar program
- Act as liaison to the administrative team by providing a school counseling perspective
- Manage the staffing patterns within the offices to assure personal, professional, sick days, and other forms of leave are being handled appropriately and in compliance with District protocol and/or policy
- Organize, oversee and coordinate departmental professional development and provide ongoing in-service programs for department members and specialists
- Coordinate and collaborate with other high school department chairs
Counseling Programs and Services:
- Collaborate with the Director of College & Career Readiness on programming and supports for students related to post secondary planning
- Supervise counselors in 504 creation and implementation processes, participate in 504 meetings. Serve as school’s Section 504 Coordinator
- Oversee the programmatic approach to school counseling services at each grade level (9-12)
- Oversee expectations and tracking for individual student meetings at each grade level
- Consult with counselors regarding counseling, advocacy, and case coordination of students
- Participate in regular student support team meetings
- Works with testing coordinator to maintain a list of students on Educational Proficiency Plans and work with families and school personnel to monitor graduation requirements
- Serve as College Board SSD coordinator and assist counselors in submitting requests for accommodations on College Board examinations
- Provide updated information to Somerville Public Schools website regarding school counseling department as needed
- Communicate about counseling department services within the department, school, and community
- Regularly analyze data regarding accessibility and efficacy of social emotional supports; identify gaps and propose and implement new systems to meet the needs of all students
- Initiate and/or oversee any additional partnerships/programs that support Social Emotional and mental health needs of students
- Participate in the creation and maintenance of Social Emotional MTSS Supports
- Oversee the implementation of educational services in home and hospital per DESE regulation
- Ensure compliance with local, state, federal, and other policies and regulations
- Collaborates with the Director of Student Services to ensure the continuity of supports and professional development for all counselors across the District
School-Wide and Leadership Responsibilities:
- Work closely with other high school administrators to ensure the effective coordination of regular education and special education programs and services
- Oversee state testing including MCAS and ACCESS testing. Supervises SHS Testing Coordinator and all testing processes
- Help supervise the Registrar and Data Supervisor’s responsibilities
- Oversee course selection and add/drop processes
- Consult with school leadership on creation of the master schedule
- Develop and administer a budget and its priorities for School Counseling at the high school
- Serve as coordinator of SHS Crisis Team and Hospital Response Team
- Other duties and responsibilities appropriate to the School Counseling Department Chair as assigned by the principal
Qualifications:
- Master's degree
- Five years outstanding counseling or related experience at the high school level
- Meets Massachusetts Certification requirements (Supervisor/Director School Counseling)
- Experience in counseling in a diverse school preferred
- Multilingual candidates preferred
Position Reports to:
- Somerville High School Principal
Terms of Employment:
- July - June
- 201 Days
- Somerville Administrators’ Association (SAA)
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