The Role

The Middle School Advisor is an instrumental member of the Academy team. The advisor provides highly individualized, small, and large group support to Academy students as they progress from 6th grade through 8th grade. The advisor engages with students, families, school partners, the Academy team, and others to ensure every student experiences exceptional social, emotional, and academic support and builds the agency and belief to excel in school, work, and life.

The advisor is assigned a caseload of students and is responsible for executing the Academy advisory structure and pedagogy. The advisor reports to the advising manager and works closely with the Middle School Advising Manager to ensure that every Academy student receives the support necessary to succeed in elementary school and prepare for a seamless high school transition.

The Advisor’s approach to working should reflect the core values and habits of the Academy staff: tireless focus on excellence, determination despite obstacles, impeccable integrity, willingness to work hard, ability to learn from multiple sources, relentless focus on results, constant reflection and self-awareness, zest, social intelligence, and pertinacity.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Define and focus the advising program based on the academic, attendance, and socio-emotional data

• Provide direct student services through instruction, appraisal, advisement, and advising

• Execute highly individualized advising support for a cohort of middle school students with key goals and adjustments to levers of support based on evidence of effectiveness and individual student needs

• Support students with building high school awareness and applying to a diverse range of competitive high schools

• Provide support and indirect student services through consultation, collaboration, and referrals.

• Instill a culture of intensive individualized support, rapid response to issues as they arise, and tracking and responding to all aspects of student growth and development

• Practice and promote asset-based thinking with students, among staff and families

• Support a culture of academic and personal excellence by working with colleagues to develop and reinforce a culture grounded in pertinacity

Additional shared accountabilities/duties

• Build agency and belief in Academy students

• Promote individual student success

• Communicate with students, families, and the Academy team regarding student progress

• Coordinate student advising meetings

• Collect and record students’ report card data

Education and experience requirements of the ideal candidate:

• Bachelor’s degree; Master’s in school counseling or related field required

• Minimum of 3 years of advising or counseling experience

• Successful experience serving African American and Latino students

Additionally, the Advisor will have a proven track record demonstrating the following capabilities:

• Understanding of current trends and best practices in education and professional school counseling

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills

• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with a diverse group of people

• Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission focus, and autonomous nature

• Knowledge of current community challenges and opportunities relating to the mission of the organization

• Ability to work under dynamic, evolving conditions

Location

• This position will be based in Chicago, IL, 900 N. Branch. Hybrid (onsite Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) at Chicago Headquarters