Certified School Counselor - Bloom Academy

Bloom Academy Charter School exists to provide a high quality, rigorous, and joyful educational experience to students in grades kindergarten to fifth grade. We are a new and independent school seeking to add deeply mission aligned, smart, hardworking, and emotionally intelligent people to our founding staff. We opened August 2019 with a cohort of kindergarten and first graders, and have added a grade level each year culminating with kindergarten through fifth grade for the 2023-2024 school year.  

WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE BELIEVE

At Bloom Academy we provide a safe, joyful, inclusive, and challenging learning environment for all students. This includes children with special needs. This includes children from low-income households. This includes children who have been historically marginalized. We believe that all children can learn at high levels. We believe that all children are extraordinary. We believe that children can only be as great as the adults in front of them. We believe that excellent teaching requires planning, coaching, constructive feedback and reflection. We believe that teaching is one of the greatest and hardest responsibilities in the world. We treat each other with respect and value the talent each person adds to our organization no matter their position on our organizational chart.  The Founding School Counselor will play an integral role in ensuring our scholars are seen, loved, heard, and successful. 

We exist to change the narrative about what children from low-income neighborhoods are capable of achieving both academic and personally. We exist to change the narrative about what Black and Brown children are capable of achieving both academically and personally.  We are unapologetic about our philosophy. All applicants must share this mindset – no exceptions.

The Bloom Academy Founding School Counselor 

Driven by our mission to ensure every child succeeds, the Founding School Counselor will be responsible for establishing and maintaining a safe, joyful, and reflective learning environment for each of our scholars. The School Counselor will provide individual assessments of scholars and classes to identify and support social-emotional needs in classrooms, and assess for additional interventions as needed. The School Counselor is crucial in problem-solving and providing scholars the necessary social-emotional and problem-solving skills necessary for character development and academic success. 

The Founding School Counselor will have the following key responsibilities:

• Provides individual/group counseling for scholars on campus, as needed, and refer scholars/families to specialized mental health services and outside agencies when warranted. 
• Conduct reliable and valid assessments of scholars and families to inform the design of interventions to remove barriers to learning.
• Work closely with the PEIMS Coordinator to ensure proper coding in scholar files for at-risk coding, and other.
• Collaborate with the Dean of Emotional Support to implement SEL objectives and lessons in classrooms for the scholars. 
• Provide consultation to school personnel, parents/guardians, and community partners for the purpose of enhancing their understanding of student needs, developing effective interventions, and building school capacity.
• Provide guidance to teachers and staff of effective SEL measures and skills for themselves and scholars to assist with classroom management and learning. 
• Conduct professional development seminars at times, in coordination with campus leadership team, to staff for effective SEL training and education.
• Communicate effectively with families and lead parent conversations between families and teachers to problem solve and ensure we are meeting the needs of the scholars. 
• Facilitate crisis response and provide follow up crisis counseling and referrals to appropriate providers.
• Direct implementation of state mandated guidance lessons to all scholars to develop life skills, promote good character, and develop resilience.
• In coordination with the Dean of Emotional Support, provides feedback, training, and development for teachers and supports social-emotional needs in the classroom.

Disclaimer: This job description provides the general nature and level of work to be performed by individuals hired for this position. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required. Bloom Academy Charter School reserves the right to change any or all content of this job description based on the school's needs. If applicable, the incumbent will be notified of any changes before they take effect. 

Qualifications

• Texas school counselor certification.
• Bachelor's degree required, Master's degree preferred. 
• Deep alignment with the school's mission and core values.
• Experience in an urban school setting, preferred. 
• A staunch belief that all students regardless of race or socio-economic status can achieve at high levels and be positive contributors to their communities.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail required.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to establish and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with all school stakeholders.
• Strong emotional intelligence.
• Can-do, team first, “glass half full” attitude.  Innovative, thoughtful, question-asking intellect. Always looking for ways to do things better, faster, in a more user-friendly fashion. Eager to contribute to an intellectual environment in which the best idea always wins.  
• Ability to evaluate situations and assess needs quickly; prior experience using your strategic abilities and leadership skills to drive others towards an ambitious mission.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment juggling multiple priorities at once.
• Ability to recognize when to move with urgency and when to slow down in order to bring in others and work forward more effectively.
• Ability to produce quality content in short timelines.
• An understanding of effective communication.
• Knowledge of office equipment and services including computers, printers, copiers, fax machines, phones, and software. 
• Open and receptive to feedback about performance and self-reflective about ways to improve.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs

Compensation

Bloom Academy utilizes a pay scale commensurate with experience for the position. The scale increases based on years of experience in teaching and school counseling, and salaries are determined on this basis. 

Bloom Academy offers employee benefits such as medical, dental and vision insurance and contributes to the cost of employee benefits. Additionally, Bloom Academy provides short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance benefits to employees at no cost to them. 

Additional benefits include seven days of paid time off each school year in addition to the designated school breaks and holidays, as well as employer paid family leave calculated based on time employed at Bloom Academy.

Bloom as you are.

Bloom Academy is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and strive to create an inclusive environment for all adults and children who enter our doors.