School Counselor (High School) - KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools

KIPP
KIPP Public Schools is a national network of tuition-free public schools educating 120,000 students in grades Prek-12 across 21 states and Washington, DC. While each of our schools is as unique as the community to which it belongs, we are united around a shared promise: Together, A Future Without Limits. You can learn more at www.kipp.org.

KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools
KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools  is part of the KIPP national network. Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose – college, career, and beyond – so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. 

In the 2024-25 school year, the KIPP Jacksonville region will be comprised of four schools educating more than 3,000 students, kindergarten through twelfth grade in the North and West sides of Jacksonville, Florida.

• KIPP Impact Academy: Kindergarten - 4th grade, 6th - 8th grade 

• KIPP VOICE Academy: Kindergarten - 8th grade 

• KIPP Bessie Coleman Academy: Kindergarten - 8th grade 

• KIPP Bold City High School: 9th - 12th grade

For the current school year, teachers at KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools work the following hours Monday through Friday and may have occasional meetings or special school events outside of these hours. Hours for teachers and students may vary slightly by school.

• K-8 Staff: 7:30am - 4:30pm K-8 Students: 8:00am - 3:30pm, Wednesday K-8 dismissal is at 1:30pm 

• High School Staff: 6:45am - 3:45pm, High School Students: 7:15am - 2:30pm, Wednesday High School dismissal is at 12:30pm. 

Every Wednesday is a student early release day, which allows teachers to participate in weekly professional development and content team meetings. *This doesn’t include Wellness Wednesdays when all staff leave at student dismissal. 

To support these schools, we will employ more than 300 full-time staff members. We seek educators and colleagues that represent our core values of high expectations, growth mindset, commitment to team, trust, joy, and sustainability. To learn more about what it is like to work and teach at KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools, please visit www.kippjax.org/teach where you can also view all of our job postings.

*Florida certification in School Counseling (grades PK-12) is required*  Please do not apply to this position if you aren't eligible for FLDOE certification in School Counseling. See the certification notes in the qualifications section if you're unsure. 

Position Overview:

The School Counselor is a year-round, certified position that is responsible for working closely with families, Learning Specialists, social workers, teachers, students and School Leader(s) to enhance the school’s ability to meet its academic mission, especially where home, school, and community collaboration is key to achieving that mission.

Success in this role is measured by positively impacting (1) student attendance, (2) the onboarding experience of new families, (3) students’ social/emotional well-being, and (4) ensuring our students have the necessary credits and courses to be promoted each year and, ultimately, earn their high school diploma. Counselors also execute at least 1 school-based community event a school year and create/maintain systems that support their initiatives.
 

Specific Position Duties: 

• Prepares students for the transition both to high school and the next level: college, career, post high school activities and post-secondary options
• Advertises course offerings to students and advises  each student in their course scheduling process
• Supports the Assistant School Leader of Operations in scheduling students
• Completes the course selection process including updating and editing student course selections
• Partner with the KIPP Through College team to plans and coordinates programs such as career and college fairs, test skills preparation, and other extensions of the counseling program to support students’ knowledge of post-secondary options
• Assisting with 8th to 9th grade matriculation between KIPP Jacksonville’s K-8 Academies and Bold City High School
• Monitors each student's assessment requirements, course requirements, and GPA for promotion and/or graduation
• Serve as the coordinator and LEA for all district MRT meetings
• Support classroom teachers with classroom guidance as determined by school leadership
• Provide individual or small group counseling for students, including weekly social and/or emotional interventions for students
• Provide appropriate updates to leadership on student emotional/physical well-being based on interactions with families, assessments, and observations 
• Support students with challenging behaviors
• Track school wide attendance data and work with families of students with low attendance to increase attendance
• Serve as liaison between families and community resources, including creating programming or forming partnerships to benefit students and families
• Onboard new families to KIPP in partnership with the operations team
• Oversee summer and credit recovery programs through FLVS
• Other duties as outlined by school or regional leadership teams

Compensation*
Our compensation is competitive and is commensurate with experience 

• Our current starting salary for a first-year lead teacher or counselor is $50,000 
• Fee individual-level health benefits, including medical, dental, and vision
• Free individual short-term and long-term disability insurance 
• 403(b) retirement program with a company match
• To support professional practice and growth, all counselors receive individualized coaching and professional development

*compensation and benefits are outlined in an offer, if received, and are subject to change per school year. 

• Bachelor's Degree and a relevant Master’s Degree to meet the standards outlined for certification
• Relevant Florida Certification or Equivalent (Guidance and Counseling Pre-K- Grade 12)
• At least one year of teaching or school counseling experience with a proven track-record of high achievement in the classroom
• KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools believes that our staff will represent our core values of high expectations, growth mindset, commitment to team, trust, joy, and sustainability. We search for established educators who embody them.
• Possesses a deep commitment to both racial and educational equity
• Passing a background check, as required by law

Highly Preferred Qualifications          

• Two or more years of school-based high school counseling that includes evidence of building systems and partnerships OR two or more years of high school teaching experience with a proven track-record of high achievement in the classroom. 

Certification Note:
The FLDOE website outlines that a Master’s degree is required for this position. If you have questions about Florida certification, please visit www.fldoe.org/edcert. Please list details about where you are in the certification process on your application so we can process your application accurately. If you hold a statement of eligibility or an out-of-state certificate, please list that information on your application.

APPLY
Please complete an application and upload a resume via our job board. No applicants will be considered that submit resumes through other job postings.  Link here: https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/KIPP/jacksonville 

If you're a current KIPP Jax team member, you should:

1) Inform your current manager of your interest in the role and

2) Complete the online application

QUESTIONS

If you have questions about positions at KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools, please email Emma at ekosanda@kippjax.org. Please understand that resumes and/or cover letters are not accepted via email and you will be redirected to apply via the website.

KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying for employment at our schools. KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation or national or ethnic origin.