School Counselor (2024-25 SY)

Job Summary

The school counselor works as part of a team with school staff, parents, and the community to create a caring climate and atmosphere through a comprehensive developmental school counseling program.

By providing education, prevention, early identification and intervention, school counselors help all children achieve academic success.

The counselor reports to and is evaluated by the site principal.

This position requires a valid Alaska type C certificate. The number of work days is based upon the AEA negotiated pay scale.

Information on the pay scale can be found online on our . Positions that are 0.50 FTE to 1.0 FTE are associated with the Alaska Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS), positions that are 0.

40 to 0.49 FTE are associated with the Alaska Employees’ Retirement System (PERS). Positions that are 0.39 FTE or less are not eligible for state retirement benefits.

Job Requirements

The following are required :

• A valid Alaska type C special services certificate with endorsement as a school counselor, guidance and counseling, or school social work.
• Completion of a school-based counseling internship with school age children.

The following are preferred :

• Experience in providing behavioral and academic interventions with youth.
• School guidance counseling experience.

Essential Job Functions

The responsibilities listed below are representative of the essential functions of this position. The successful candidate :

• Schedules students into appropriate academic course placements.
• Utilizes appropriate counseling techniques to accommodate a variety of functioning levels.
• Provides career and educational counseling.
• Acts as a student advocate.
• Implements the prevention guidance curriculum through delivery of classroom lessons and infusion in content areas.
• Supports and reinforces the key role of the classroom teacher.
• Serves as a consultant to staff and parents.
• Counsels individuals and small groups toward social and emotional resiliency.
• Consults with parents and other family member on individual student needs.
• Acts as a liaison among school staff, parents and public or private agencies.
• Conducts parent group meetings and workshops.
• Provides in-service training to all staff to assist them with planning and implementing interventions for adolescents in order to maximize the developmental benefits in all students.
• Devises and implements appropriate counseling techniques to accommodate a variety of functioning levels.
• Is accessible to all students for career, educational, and personal counseling.
• Consults with staff to increase students' awareness of the relationship between school and work.
• Participates in counseling and guidance program development, maintenance, evaluation and enhancement.
• Consults with school staff concerning early identification, remediation and the use of an effective referral process for assisting students and other in using special programs and services.
• Assumes a leadership role in promoting a positive school climate.
• Pursues continuous professional growth.
• Assists with the intake and exit process as a member of the team, as necessary.
• Assists with establishing positive behavior plans.
• Consults with and provides parenting training as needed to all parents of transitioning students to further ensure student success.
• Assists with completion and collection of all data needed for program evaluation.

Physical / Mental Demands

The physical demands of this job require frequent standing, walking, sitting, speaking and hearing. Specific visual abilities are also required.

The employee is regularly required to reach with his / her hands and arms and occasionally lift items weighing less than 40 lbs.

Additionally, the employee must be able to understand vague and implicit instructions, be able to readily recall facts and details, handle conflict and make effective decisions under pressure.

The employee must have the ability to effectively manage the stress of working with students, parents, and other employees representing diverse cultures, personalities, and work styles in a dynamic work environment.

The Anchorage School District is committed to providing reasonable accommodations, according to applicable state and federal laws, to all individuals with a qualified physical or mental disability.

Work Environment

Work is performed in a professional environment with a wide variety of individuals having differing functions, personalities and abilities, including working with diverse groups of people in a variety of different settings.

While performing the duties of this job the employee may be regularly exposed to a video display. The employee may be exposed to outdoor weather conditions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.