Job Description:

Position Title: School Counselor - Elementary
Location: Multiple openings available.
Department: Behavioral Health & Wellness
Reports To: Building-level Principal
Term: Ongoing 188-day contract beginning with the 2024-2025 school year
Schedule: Mon-Fri Full-time following school hours of operation

SUMMARY: The School Counselor will be responsible for the implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program that focuses on learner outcomes, teaching and reinforcing learner competencies, and providing services to learners, families, school staff, and the community. This will include lessons, providing classroom educator support, and supporting the MTSS team to meet learners' social and emotional needs. The School Counselor will work collaboratively with district administration.

Candidates from diverse backgrounds that reflect the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, abilities, and cultures of the WFPS community are strongly encouraged to apply.
 
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and requirement satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required for the role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
 
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: (Other duties may be assigned)
Collaboration:
Develops positive, effective working relationships with learners and staff.
Engages with other district staff in the professional learning community process.
Communication:
Consults and collaborates with parents/guardians, educators, and community organizations.
Connects and shares ideas through appropriate/applicable formats to express thoughts and ideas with integrity.
Utilizes effective communication skills to facilitate connection and sharing of thoughts and ideas in multiple formats with diverse audiences.
Establishes and clearly articulates procedures and routines that promote efficiency and appropriate use of time.
Utilizes questions, discussions, and dialogue that promote critical thinking about diverse perspectives, viewpoints, and experiences. 
Connects and shares ideas through appropriate/applicable formats to express thoughts and ideas with integrity.
Compassion:
Creates a safe and equitable classroom.
Empowers learners to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic learners, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information.
Understands the complexities of cultural and global issues and how they relate to employee and learners’ experiences.
Partners with others to resolve potential controversy and conflict through respectful discussion.
Proactively seeks to understand the ideas, opinions, and skills of others.
Creativity:
Incorporates organizational assessments and tools that are concrete, clearly delineated and reflective of the school’s needs. Including: advisory councils, school counselor competency and program assessments, or curriculum, small-group, and closing-the-gap action plans.
Establishes a classroom culture that values high expectations, work ethic, and a growth mindset.
Develops and implements data/needs-driven, standards-based and research-supported programs, and engages in continuous program evaluation activities.
Connects with team members and shares ideas in an effort to improve the overall learner and employee experience.
Critical Thinking:
Creates a comprehensive school counseling program focusing on learner outcomes.
Reasons, interprets, and analyzes information to generate new knowledge and understanding.
Reflection:
Maintains communication with supervisor and director regarding general feedback, career advancement opportunities, and areas of growth opportunities.
Resilience:
Maintains composure while dealing with stressful situations.
Proactively seeks out resolutions and takes initiative to resolve knowledge gaps.
Responsibility:
Instruct learner competencies and deliver with identified professional competencies.
ASCA Student Standards guide the development.
ASCA School Counselor Guidelines guide the decision-making process and help to standardize professional practice.
Provides direct and indirect learner services.
Seeks out and provides input on referrals for additional assistance as needed.
Utilizes district behavioral plan as the backbone to promote positive learner behavior.
Utilizes the district protocol for maintaining information about learner progress.
 
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT: The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the essential duties and responsibilities of this role, the employee is regularly required to reach with hands and arms.
While performing the essential duties and responsibilities of this role, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, bend, talk, and hear.
The specific vision abilities required for this role include close and peripheral vision.
The employee may be required to lift up to ~30 pounds.
The employee must work with the public and various WFPS staff while simultaneously managing several competing demands.
The employee may come in contact with bloodborne pathogens or other bodily fluids on rare occasions.
The employee will work in an environment that has a quiet to loud noise level.
 
Education and/or Experience:
North Dakota Teaching License with School Counselor credential K-12.
Master’s Degree in School Counseling.
Experience working with complex learner behaviors is preferred.
Experience working in an elementary school setting is preferred.
Experience working in a school setting is preferred.
Experience as a counselor is preferred.
 
Language Skills:
Ability to read, write, and comprehend simple instructions and short correspondences in the English language.
Ability to communicate effectively verbally, expressively, and reactively.
 
Other Skills and Abilities:
Exercise confidentiality, discretion, and good judgement.
Adhere to the assigned work schedule by maintaining regular and punctual attendance.
 
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
None.

Salary: Position follows the Teacher Salary Schedule 2023-2025. Position is grant-funded through 2027 - https://www.west-fargo.k12.nd.us/departments/human-resources/salary

To Apply: Please complete the application and provide a letter of interest, a resume, and three letters of recommendation. Please also include your transcripts and a copy of your licensure through ESPB, if available.