Middle School Substitute Guidance Counselor

South Fayette Township School District is seeking a Middle School Substitute Guidance Counselor.
REPORTS TO: Middle School Principal(s)
JOB GOALS:
1. To promote optimal academic, career, and personal/social development in each middle school student
2. To promote the schools mission including student achievement, student teacher relationships, and community participation
3. To promote an understanding of the middle school child among staff and parents
4. To help students overcome problems that impedes learning, and assists all students in achieving academic success.
5. To establish rapport with students, parents, and other staff members in the middle school
6. To work collaboratively with other members of the educational team
7. To function as the central figure in carrying out the guidance program as an integral component of the total educational program

QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Valid Pennsylvania certificate as School Counselor
2. Masters Degree in Counselor Education from an approved program of studies
3. 3.0 or higher QPA
4. Working knowledge of best practices in school counseling according to the guidelines of the American School Counselors Association
5. Working knowledge of the characteristics that when present in a middle school over time lead to higher levels of student achievement and overall development.
6. Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
7. Demonstrates personal growth and professional development
8. Demonstrates computer literacy especially in using the administrative software program effectively, retrieval of student information, maintaining student attendance, utilizing SAP software, etc.

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Works with students on an individual basis in the solution of personal problems related to such issues as school, home and family relations, health, and emotional adjustment.
2. Remains readily available to students so as to provide counseling that will lead each student to increased personal growth, self-understanding, and maturity.
3. Addresses students study habits, skills and attitudes, test anxiety, and barriers to motivation and academic success.
4. Provides developmental guidance activities/lessons about bullying, conflict resolution, interpersonal skills, and other relevant topics, in the classrooms upon request.
5. Facilitates small group experiences for students around such topics as divorce, friendship, anger management, grief/loss, etc.
6. Monitors students for excessive absences and follow-up with parents in accordance to School Board Policy.
7. Assists in the maintenance of student files, including academic records, confidential records, test results and transcripts.
8. Meets with students experiencing academic failures and creates a plan for improvement.
9. Confers with parents on issues related to guidance whenever necessary.
10. Assists administrators as needed in matters of behavioral and disciplinary issues that interfere with learning. 11. Accepts and makes referrals to teams; processes, screens, and provides interventions for students at risk.
12. Serves as a member of the Student Assistance Team.
13. Attends the middle school grade level team meeting to address the needs of individual students.
14. Works with teachers and other staff members to familiarize them with the general range of services offered by the guidance department and to improve the educational prospects of individual students.
15. Processes enrollments and withdrawals.
16. Registers new students to the school and orients them to school procedures and the schools varied opportunities for learning.
17. Administers and coordinates a wide variety of assessment instruments throughout the year.
18. Assists parents in interpreting test data.
19. Coordinates services for students and families for school-based educational groups, outside counseling, psychological evaluations, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, etc.
20. Attends workshops and conferences for local, state, and national guidance counselor organizations, updates for testing, maintenance of licensure, etc. as requested.
21. Takes an active role in interpreting the schools objectives to students, parents, and the community at large. 22. Assist s the administration with the scheduling process as requested.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: Terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the South Fayette Township Board of Education and the South Fayette Education Association.
EVALUATION: Performance of this job will be evaluated by the building principal and communicated to the superintendent for review.

EOE