About the company:

At Optima Classical Academy, we are dedicated to providing unparalleled educational experiences with a strong emphasis on character development. We aspire to instill in our students a love for learning, a sense of moral responsibility, and the intellectual prowess to navigate the complexities of the world. We embrace the classical education model, a time-tested approach that has proven to produce well-rounded, critical thinkers throughout history. Our curriculum emphasizes the trivium – grammar, logic, and rhetoric – guiding students through a journey of intellectual development that sharpens their minds, refines their communication skills, and nurtures a deep appreciation for the wisdom of the past. At Optima Classical Academy, education should not only enrich the mind but also cultivate virtues like courage, self-government, courtesy, service, honesty, responsibility, and perseverance. Our students are encouraged to embody these virtues, fostering a positive and respectful community within our school.

The Position

The school counselor is a salaried, exempt position with a 12-month work schedule. Salary will be set annually on a performance-based schedule. The school counselor will report to the school principal.

Major Function

The school counselor performs administrative work in the academic operational area of the organization. The school counselor’s essential duties and responsibilities are as follows:

Administrative

• Develops and implements a comprehensive counseling program that aligns with state guidelines.
• Plans and implements the counseling program to address the academic, career, and personal/social needs of every student.
• Coordinates the delivery of an annual needs assessment for the counseling program.
• Delivers the four program components: the counseling curriculum, individual student planning, responsive services, and system support.
• Provides short-term individual and group counseling opportunities for students to promote school success, personal growth, self-understanding, communication, problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Assists families by providing referrals to outside services for students with acute or chronic mental health needs.
• Assists in curriculum development, professional development, and identification of interventions to assist students.
• Consults with administration, staff and parents regarding mental health issues in order to assist students with attitude, learning and/or behavioral problems.
• Serves on the school health/mental health team.
• Assists with test preparation (e.g., test-taking skills, staff training on optimal testing conditions) and interpretation of standardized testing.
• Evaluates the counseling program on an annual basis for continuous improvement.
• Regularly attends counseling meetings to keep current on policies, procedures, and best practices regarding school counseling programs and issues.
• Facilitates the development of the school/community social and health assessment as a required component of the state accreditation process.
• Provides counseling services for students, and advisement to parents, teachers, staff, and outside agencies. Counseling services may include, but are not limited to, targeted individual counseling, small group counseling, classroom presentations to support academic success, social skills, stress and anger management, and crisis intervention. Counseling services may include a review of psychological evaluations and standardized test scores.
• Serves as a member of RtI (Response to Intervention) and/or Multi-tier System of Support (MTSS)/Positive Behavior Support System (PBS) to support the referral process to include pre-referral screening and conferences, student progression, school level articulation and staffing for ESE. Assists with the coordination of student placement, agency referrals, student records, and student recognition programs.
• Serves as a member of the school’s ELL (English Language Learners) Committee.
• Plans, implements, and delivers the school adopted school counseling curriculum, based upon Florida’s School Counseling Frameworks through the coordination of school-wide programs and grade specific classroom presentations, requiring articulation with the administration and classroom teachers.
• Consults with teachers, teams, administrators, families and/or students regarding the progress of students.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the school principal.
• Any other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Three years of experience in a public-school setting or counseling environment.
• Master’s Degree in Counseling.
• Guidance Counseling K-12 Certificate.

Computer Skills

• To perform this job successfully an individual must have knowledge of spreadsheet software and word processing software.

Additional Qualifications:

• Ability to demonstrate, uphold, and promote in daily interactions a commitment to the school’s mission and vision, and the moral character and civic virtue the school embodies.

The organization is an equal opportunity employer. The organization is committed to providing equal opportunity for all individuals in all areas of recruitment, selection, placement, training, assignment, transfer, compensation, benefits, discipline, retention, and promotion. The board commits itself to the policy that there shall be no unlawful discrimination against any person because of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin or disability. All decisions with regard to employment shall be in compliance with applicable state and federal laws.