Guidance Counselor

American Paradigm Schools

8101 Castor Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19152

Discovering Excellence Through Cultivating Differences

American Paradigm Schools are dedicated to equity and excellence for all learners, while celebrating the uniqueness of our communities. Our values drive our dedication to providing a world class education.

Position: Guidance Counselor

Position type: Full Time

Position location (School):First Philadelphia Preparatory Charter School

Employment status: Exempt

Employment duration: 10 Months

Position Summary:

Working collaboratively with other members of the school staff and with parents, the Guidance Counselor acts as an advocate for the student, arranging for appropriate resources when necessary, and assisting students in understanding the school and its environment, understanding themselves and their relationships with others, as well as, their strengths and needs.

Major Responsibilities

• Provide crisis intervention to students when difficult situations occur at schools.
• Confer with parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, and other professionals to discuss children's progress, resolve behavioral, academic, and other problems, and to determine priorities for students and their resource needs.
• Identify cases of domestic abuse or other family problems and encourage students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals.
• Counsel individuals to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational or vocational situations.
• Counsel students regarding educational issues, such as course and program selection, class scheduling and registration, school adjustment, truancy, study habits, and career planning.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Administration and Management
• Customer and Personal Service
• Active Listening
• Public Safety and Security
• Personnel and Human Resources
• Clerical
• Judgment and Decision Making
• Monitoring
• Systems Analysis
• Learning Strategies

Technology Skills

• Google Suites
• SIS
• Video conference

Education and certifications

Certification requirement

• Graduate degree in school counseling with PA State Certification

Physical Requirements

• Sitting
• Walking
• Standing
• Talking
• Pushing
• Driving
• Lifting 20-25 Lbs.
• Moving Up and Down from a seated position
• Restraining students (training required)

American Paradigm Schools are Caring School Communities.

Relationships are the foundation of classroom and school life and underpin teaching, learning, and prosocial development. Building relationships and fostering students' sense of community are a critical part of our work at APS and as such, we have partnered with the Collaborative Classroom to implement the Caring School Community Model in all of our schools.

Caring School Community model builds positive classroom and schoolwide communities while developing students' social and emotional learning (SEL) skills and competencies. It is designed to help students become caring, responsible members of their school communities and, ultimately, to grow into humane, principled, and skilled citizens of a democratic society. The lessons in the program help faculty and staff create a warm, safe, and disciplined school environment where all community members can develop the skills and dispositions they need to interact constructively with others.

All employees at American Paradigm Schools are expected to be true champions of the Caring School Community Program.