Classification Title: Guidance Counselor

Department: School Administration

Pay Grade:  District Salary Schedule

FLSA Status: Exempt 

Days/Hours: 190 Days/7.5 Hours per day

Certification in guidance required:

Candidates who hold SC certification in another area and who are currently enrolled in a State-approved guidance degree program may qualify for temporary certification while completing a guidance degree.

Primary Educational and Certification Requirements:

The guidance counselor should hold a Master’s Degree in Counseling and shall be certified as an elementary or secondary school guidance counselor by the State Department of Education. Personal qualifications should include highly develop human relations and communications skills to include basic technology skills. The candidates should also have the qualities of objectivity, tact, empathy, tolerance, and stability. His/her experience should include at least three (3) years of teaching experience at the elementary school level.

Function:

• To provide a comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program for all children in middle schools
• To consult with teachers, parents/guardians, and staff to enhance their effectiveness in helping students
• To provide support to other education programs in the elementary schools

Major Responsibilities:

1. Implementing the comprehensive developmental elementary guidance and counseling program

• Conducting guidance activities in each teacher’s classroom and/or systematically conducting developmental counseling groups for each grade level throughout the year
• Consulting with and/or providing resources to teachers to facilitate their instruction of counseling content and to infuse counseling content into the regular education curriculum

2. Counseling individual and small groups of students in their academic development; in their career awareness; and in their development of life skills
3. Counseling individual and small groups of children toward personal, social, and emotional growth and development - Examples of key duties:

• Conducting goal-oriented counseling sessions in systematic response to the identified needs of individuals or groups of students regarding such issues as academic failure, family problems, child abuse, attendance and/or behavior problems, peer problems, and substance abuse
• Serving as a student advocate and avoiding the role of disciplinarian

4. Consulting with and training teachers, parents/guardians, and staff regarding children’s needs - Examples of key duties:

• Participating in student intervention/assessment meetings
• Conducting in-service programs for faculty
• Acting as a resource person for faculty, staff, and parents
• Conducting conferences with teachers and/or parents
• Conducting or providing opportunities for parent-education programs
• Writing articles for parent newsletters
• Assisting families with school-related problems

5. Referring children and their families to special programs, specialists, and community agencies when appropriate - Examples of key duties:

• Consulting with and coordinating efforts with in-district and community-based specialists such as nurses, physicians, and psychologists
• Facilitate or administer assessments that involve special placements and consult with parents regarding referrals when appropriate. e.g. GT, etc…

6. Participating in, coordinating, and conducting activities that contribute to the effective operation of the counseling program and the school – Examples of key duties:

• Contributing to the district and school goals for enhancing education
• Conducting in-service trainings
• Ccting as an advocate for groups or individual students as system decisions are made

7. Participating in the intervention team process and/or as a member of the school’s student support teams. The system support component includes indirect guidance management activities that maintain and enhance the total guidance and counseling program. The responsibilities of guidance counselor in this component encompass staff and community relations, special research projects, committees, professional development, and student support teams.  Example of key duties:

• Assuming an advocate role in designing, implementing, monitoring, and adjusting education plans for individual students

8. Planning and evaluating the counseling program Examples of key duties:

• Reviewing the counseling program annually with staff and administration
• Establishing the counseling department’s annual plans
• Evaluating guidance learning activities as they are implemented
• Completing an annual counseling program evaluation

9. Pursuing continuous professional growth - Examples of key duties:

• Attending district, state and locally sponsored staff development offerings
• Joining professional associations
• Reading professional journals and contributing to professional literature
• Taking postgraduate courses
• Attending relevant workshops and conferences sponsored by professional organizations and the South Carolina Department of Education
• Becoming knowledgeable about multicultural and legal/ethical issues in education
• Collaborating and exchanging knowledge and resources with counseling colleagues

Organizational Relationships:

An elementary school counselor is supervised by the administration, collaborates with other district counselors, and works cooperatively with other school and district staff.

Additional Requirements:

1. Should maintain active membership in and attend professional meetings that relate to the areas of responsibility.
2. Should keep abreast of current developments in the field.
3. Should possess leadership skills necessary to implement an effective developmental comprehensive guidance and counseling program that will enhance the personal-social, academic and career needs of each student.

Organizational Relationships:
The counselor is supervised by the administration, works collaboratively with other counselors and counseling staff, and works cooperatively with other school and district staff.

 All candidates must be able to pass an extensive background investigation before being hired.

The School District of Pickens County does not discriminate for reasons of age, race, sex, handicap, national origin, or religion in its communications with students, employees, the community, applicants for employment, events, or for access to its services.