SY 26-27 High School Guidance Counselor (Bushwick)

Math, Engineering, and Science Academy (MESA) Charter High School is a community high school in Bushwick, Brooklyn. We opened our doors in August 2013 and we now have 498 students in grades 9-12. We graduated our first class of seniors in June 2017 and our cumulative graduation rate is 94%. Our students come from more than forty different middle schools, including traditional public, parochial, and public charter schools. Some are advanced students coming from magnet schools; others are beginning English Language Learners. What they all have in common is a desire to succeed; MESA students come to school every day, ready to work.

What makes us different is our staff. This year, 25% of our staff are in their fifth year or beyond at MESA, and we are proud to have seven MESA alumni on staff at Bushwick! MESA teachers believe…

• that the greatest contribution we can make to social justice is to give a young person control of their destiny
• committed people, when given autonomy, will find innovative and creative ways to make change
• that being a great educator takes intellectual preparation and a strong sense of personal accountability to produce high quality work.

What makes us different is our model:

• Intentional Grading—MESA uses a standards-based grading system, which makes data understandable and accessible. This enables teachers to create targeted, focused instruction, and helps students understand and track their own progress. MESA teachers love data or at the very least, aren’t afraid of it!
• Intentional Support—MESA teachers have a minimum of rote administrative duties in order to better focus on planning and instruction. Teachers receive ongoing coaching while dedicated time for co-teaching, department and grade team planning are built into the school schedule.
• Intentional Professional Development—MESA has a comprehensive professional development calendar that includes sessions on instructional practices, school culture as well as diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
• Intentional School Culture—MESA’s advisory model connects small groups of entering freshmen with a teacher-advisor for all 4 years of high school. Advisors provide guidance on academic progress and are mentors, facilitators and positive influencers. Students are recognized by their teachers regularly for academic achievement and effort and are incentivized to meet school expectations around attendance, punctuality and preparedness.
• Intentional Relationships—MESA knows that all caregivers want their children to succeed. MESA enlists families as partners in their child’s education through regular communication, workshops, and access to student attendance information and grades. More than 85% of MESA caregivers attend the initial parent-teacher conference of the school year.
• Intentional Scheduling—MESA’s school day starts and ends later than most DOE schools, as research indicates that a late start helps high-school students succeed. The calendar and earlier start allows for “Intersession,” during Spring Break where students receive enrichment, skill remediation, or Regents preparation.

Counseling Responsibilities

• Provide mandated counseling services pursuant to students’ IEPs
• Provide clinical support and supervision to MESA counseling staff as needed
• Provide “at-risk” counseling for students referred by staff or self-referred, for those students whose behavior, school progress, or mental or physical impairment indicates a need for assistance
• Conduct student observations and/or Functional Behavior Analyses for students who have persistent behavioral issues
• Develop behavior and academic plans for those students who require such plans
• Coordinate external services for those who require
• Develop and review service plans in consultation with students, their families, and school staff, and perform follow-up assessing the quantity and quality of service provided
• Support school staff in addressing issues such as suspected child abuse and neglect. Training school staff in their role as mandated reporters; act as school liaison with Administration for Children’s Services
• Maintain case history records and prepare reports
• Train staff on compliance with the Dignity for All Students Act
• Address emergency situations impacting students, such as leading group counseling sessions that provide support in areas such as grief, stress, or chemical dependency
• Arrange for medical, psychiatric, and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures
• Interview students individually, in families, or in groups and assessing their circumstances, capabilities and problems, to determine what services are required to meet their needs
• Other duties, as assigned by the Principal

Qualifications: (1) Masters degree or higher in School Counseling or Social Work, as appropriate; (2) Appropriate New York State Certification; (3); Minimum four years experience working as a school counselor in an urban public or charter school; (4) Demonstrated ability to work productively with staff and with diverse populations of students, parents, and families, including students with disabilities or students with limited English proficiency; (5) Experience supervising adults and leading a team of adults in service of students and families (6) Demonstrated understanding of issues facing children and youth, especially in urban environments; (7) Belief in and alignment with MESA’s core values, educational philosophy and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; (8) Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic and Russian speakers are a strong plus.

Salary: $60,000 - $100,000, based on experience.

To apply: Please email your resume and cover letter to Arthur Samuels, Co-Executive Director, at hiring@mesacharter.org with the subject heading “SY 26-27 High School Guidance Counselor” Cover letter should specifically indicate why you want to work at MESA. APPLY BY EMAIL ONLY. Due to the nature of the position and the volume of applications received, MESA will not be able to reply to all submissions. MESA will contact candidates with next steps.

MESA is committed to attracting, hiring and retaining a diverse and inclusive staff. It is MESA’s policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, national origin, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status, uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.