Job Description

Title: School Counselor
Location: CICS Longwood 1309 W. 95th Street Chicago, IL 60643
Reports To: Principal/Assistant Principal
Salary: Starting at $73,000, commensurate with experience
Employee Type: Regular Full Time
Start Date: August 2026

Company Mission

Distinctive Schools creates diverse, joyful, welcoming communities rooted in social justice and rigorous learning. We support all learners to be engaged, curious, and to achieve their full potential. Our students become confident advocates, creative problem-solvers, and collaborative leaders.

Position Overview

The School Counselor will serve as a vital team member of the school's student support and instructional leadership team, to provide comprehensive, developmental support within the academic, social emotional and career readiness development to ensure that students become the productive, well-adjusted adults of tomorrow. The School Counselor will work with students, administrators, teachers, families, community organizations, and other stakeholders to promote student success and respond to identified student needs.

The School Counselor will implement a comprehensive school counseling program that addresses academic development, social emotional development and age appropriate career and life readiness for all students. In the Elementary and Middle School setting, this includes classroom lessons, small groups, individual student planning, consultation, responsive services and collaboration with school teams to support attendance, behavior, wellness, transition planning and early career exploration.

Responsibilities

Development and Management of a Comprehensive School Counseling Program

• Develop and maintain a written plan for effective delivery of the school counseling program based on the Developmental Counseling Model for Illinois Schools, current school achievement plan, and current individual school data

• Develop and implement a comprehensive school counseling program based on national and state standards

• Maintain current and appropriate counseling student support, community resource, transition and career awareness resources for students and families

• Deliver counseling services that are comprehensive in scope, preventive in design, developmental in nature, and data-informed

• Collaborate with school teams to ensure the counseling program supports equitable access, student belonging, attendance, behavior, wellness, and academic growth

• Adhere to laws, policies, procedures, and ethical standards of the school counseling profession

Academic Guidance

• Assist students in academic goal-setting, organization, self-management and developmentally appropriate planning aligned with grade level expectations and school success

• Monitor academic progress and credit recovery to identify students in need of support or intervention

• Collaborate with teachers, administrators, and families to support student learning

• Develop individual academic, social emotional and future-readiness goals and plans for students receiving targeted or individualized support. college, career, arts, and personal goals and plans for caseload of students

• Support students and families with elementary-to-middle school and middle-to-high school transitions, including school selection processes, orientation supports, and readiness planning, as applicable by grade band

• Provide classroom and small-group instruction on study skills, self-advocacy, problem-solving, goal setting, and executive functioning skills

Student Planning, Transitions, and Records Support

• Support student records review, cumulative file processes, and transition documentation as needed for enrollment, transfer, promotion, and student support planning

• Maintain accurate student records, including student support documentation, intervention records, transition plans, and counseling notes

• Support enrollment, transfer, and articulation processes for newly enrolled students and students transitioning between schools or grade bands

• Collaborate with school staff to support promotion review processes, summer support recommendations, and student transition planning

Data Entry & Management

• Support student scheduling as assigned by school leader and appropriate to the grade band

• Use data to develop comprehensive programs that meet student needs around attendance, behavior and climate

• Analyze data to assess student needs and evaluate program effectiveness

• Report on student outcomes and program results to school leadership

• Assist teachers, families, and other stakeholders in interpreting and understanding student data

• Ensure that student records are maintained and used in compliance with the Federal Educational Records Privacy Act and the Illinois School Records Act

Preventive and Responsive Services

• In collaboration with the Student Support Team, provide counseling, in consult and collaboration, with families, teachers, administrators, and other educational/community resources to caseload students with identified concerns and needs

• Implement an effective referral and follow-up process for caseload students as needed

• Monitor caseload students’ academic performance, behavior, and attendance and facilitate appropriate interventions

• Advise families in understanding intervention plans, promotion concerns summer learning recommendations and and available student supports

• Provide classroom lessons, small-group counseling, short-term individual counseling, crisis response, conflict resolution, restorative and problem-solving supports as appropriate to the role

• Participate in and support the school’s MTSS framework, including collaboration around Tier 1 prevention, Tier 2 targeted interventions, and Tier 3 individualized supports within the counselor’s scope of practice

• Measure and analyze data results of the comprehensive school counseling program activities, and share results as appropriate with relevant stakeholders to help guide program direction and emphasis

Career Awareness and Future Readiness

• Design and implement developmentally appropriate activities that help students identify their interests, strengths, habits, and future aspirations

• Introduce students to a broad range of careers, community roles, and pathways through career awareness activities, classroom lessons, speakers, and school-based experiences

• Help students understand connections between learning, goal-setting, and future opportunities

• Support middle grades students and families, as applicable, with high school awareness, transition planning, and informed school selection

• Collaborate with staff and community partners to promote future-readiness experiences appropriate to the grade span

Social-Emotional Learning, Belonging, and Wellness

• Lead or support implementation of developmentally appropriate school counseling lessons focused on self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, responsible decision-making, empathy, and conflict resolution

• Partner with teachers and school leaders to strengthen school climate, student belonging, and inclusive student support practices

• Support students in building coping skills, emotional regulation, peer relationship skills, and self-advocacy

• Collaborate with families and staff to identify barriers to student success and connect students with internal and external supports

• Respond appropriately to crises, safety concerns, and student wellness needs in collaboration with administration and student support teams

Additional responsibilities

• Participate in school meetings, student support teams, and professional development activities

• Serve as a liaison between the school and community organizations

• Support student transitions to high school via retention and HS decision making strategies

• Other duties as assigned

Requirements or Qualifications (minimum)

Education

Master’s Degree in School Counseling

Qualifications

• Valid Professional Educator License OR Educator License with Stipulations (ELS) with a School Support Personnel/ School Counselor Endorsement

• Candidate must be able to demonstrate the academic progress of students under their leadership and articulate the methods used to achieve those results

• Technology demands:

  • Proficient in cloud based software solutions - GoogleSuite

  • Proficient in PowerSchool

• Travel to campuses and professional trainings as needed

Physical demands

• Majority of work is performed in a general office environment. Position requires availability for extended hours plus non-traditional hours required to perform job duties. Also requires participation and attendance at organization-sponsored events and meetings.

• Generally, the job requires 30% sitting, 50% walking, and 20% standing.

Benefits

• 25+ Paid holidays & 10 days PTO annually (in addition to summer break for educators/campus positions)

• 12 weeks family paid leave

• Comprehensive Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Vision)

• 403b match

  • Fully match up to 3%

  • 50% match up to 5%

• Professional development including tuition reimbursement

• Gym and wellness discounts

• And more

Description Disclaimer

Since no job description can detail all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a job, duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a job, reasonably required for its performance, or required due to the changing nature of the job shall also be considered part of the jobholder's responsibility.

EEO

Distinctive Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other personal characteristic protected by applicable law.

Distinctive Schools is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with our commitment, Distinctive Schools will take the steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the position, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact talent@distinctiveschools.org or call 773.828.4191

Job Tags

Similar Jobs