Substitute Guidance Counselor

About the Employer

Job Summary

The school counselor serves as a student advocate, supporting students' academic, personal/social, and career success. The counselor works under the supervision of the director of guidance and the building principal.

Qualifications

Certified by the Massachusetts Department of Education as a guidance counselor. Graduate degree in school counseling, counseling psychology, or a related field.

Job Description

This is a long-term substitute position available until approximately December 17, 2026. The pay is $120 per day. This position does not include employee benefits.

Primary Functions

• Deliver the school counseling curriculum in a classroom setting
• Assist students with academic planning, career planning, and personal/social development
• Provide individual and small-group counseling in a variety of settings
• Consult and collaborate with teachers, staff, and parents to understand and meet student needs
• Make appropriate referrals of students and parents to outside agencies and specialists
• Participate in activities that contribute to the effective operation of the school
• Pursue continuous professional growth to stay current in the field
• Promote understanding and appreciation of diverse populations and cultures
• Monitor and advise students and parents on progress toward promotion/graduation
• Prepare students for transition to the next level, high school, and post-high-school activities

Counseling

• Provide individual planning sessions in academic planning/success, career awareness, and social-emotional development, aligned with graduation objectives
• Lead goal-oriented group counseling sessions addressing identified student needs (e.g., academic skill building, social skill development, career awareness, conflict resolution, family issues, healthy decision-making)
• Support students' transition from middle school to high school and to post-secondary options
• Interpret test results, student data, and other assessments appropriately within the counseling context
• Provide individual counseling in response to student requests

Consulting

• Provide information to students, parents, staff, administration, and the community to support students' academic, career, and social development
• Take a leadership role in integrating counseling content into curriculum, staff development, and parent education programs
• Assist parents in addressing school-related problems and issues
• Refer students and parents, as needed, to appropriate specialists, programs, or outside agencies
• Inform students and parents of relevant test results and their implications for educational and career planning

Coordinating

• Facilitate liaison and coordination among school activities/resources and communication between home, school, community agencies, and business/industry
• Advocate for equal access to programs and services for all students
• Plan and coordinate programs such as career fairs, college fairs, scholarships, and other extensions of the counseling curriculum
• Coordinate parent education programs supporting smooth transitions (elementary to middle school, middle to high school, and post-high-school planning)

Curriculum Management

• Design, deliver, evaluate, and revise a planned, sequential, developmentally appropriate school counseling curriculum covering academic success, career awareness/planning, and personal/social growth
• Deliver curriculum systematically using diverse strategies and settings
• Facilitate instruction in collaboration with school and community resources

Individual Planning

• Develop and evaluate high school and post-high-school plans annually through individual planning, resulting in a career/education plan for each student
• Address curriculum objectives appropriate to each grade level

Managing

• Establish a planning calendar for program activities
• Plan, implement, maintain, and evaluate systems that support, maintain, and improve the school counseling program
• Communicate the school counseling program to students, parents, staff, and the community
• Develop and maintain technology skills and participate in professional development

Accountability & Data-Driven Decision-Making

• Use data to document the results of strategies and interventions aimed at improving student academic performance

School System

• Participate in school decision-making and activities that support effective school operation
• Collaborate with other professionals to enhance student education
• Communicate with administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and students regarding the counseling program's role in the school

Professionalism

• Adhere to ethical standards of state and national school counselor associations
• Follow preferred practices prescribed by state and national school counselor associations
• Demonstrate knowledge of state and federal laws pertaining to school counseling
• Pursue ongoing personal growth and professional development