Assistant Director of Counseling - South Carolina Connections Academy

School Summary

South Carolina Connections Academy (SCCA) is a tuition-free, K–12 online public school. The school was launched in 2008–09 under contract to the South Carolina Connections Academy Charter School. SCCA is South Carolina’s very first virtual charter school, authorized by the Erskine Charter School District. The school serves students in grades K–12 from anywhere in South Carolina. Ninety-three percent of all Connections Academy parents rated the program an “A” or “B” for the 2018-2019 school year.

South Carolina Connections Academy strives to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the diversity of the people we serve. We foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to create a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

Position Summary And Responsibilities:

Working from home in the state of South Carolina, this Assistant Director will work directly with our Counseling Services Administration in collaboration with the school leadership team, to establish processes and procedures to implement a high quality high school counseling program at SCCA.  The Assistant Director of Counseling Services is responsible for supporting our comprehensive school counseling programming operations working with parents, students, school staff, and partner relationships.  

This is a 12-month position.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement departmental goals, objectives, policies, and procedures aligned with the school's mission and vision;
• Provide guidance and support to departmental staff in the execution of their duties, which will include:
• Supervising high school counseling services with a focus on academic, college, and career initiatives (Student Placement, Individual Graduation Plan Meetings, Dual Enrollment, NCAA, College/Career exploration activities, Summer School, Senior Graduation), 
• Overseeing social/emotional initiatives including Child Welfare and Curriculum support, and
• Supporting state reporting data accuracy for course scheduling, transcripts, cohort years and other related Counseling Services tasks;
• Assist with secondary school course selection and course code mapping, ensuring compliance with South Carolina’s regulations;
• Responsible for growth and development of high school counselors and other counseling team members; 
• Represent the Counseling Services Department in meetings with school leadership, external agencies, and other stakeholders;
• Lead and participate in professional development activities to enhance staff skills and knowledge;
• Collaborate closely with the Leadership Team, particularly Grade Band Administrators, to support school goals;
• Support escalated students or families with personal or academic concerns;
• Stay abreast of all state regulations relating to incident reporting and documentation;
• Serve as a consultant to SCCA staff;
• Participate in the recruitment, training, supervision, and evaluation of school staff; 
• Understand K-12 state testing requirements and support site leads; 
• Work to develop RAMP designation; and
• All other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• South Carolina School Counselor professional certificate
• Experience working with High School students as a virtual school counselor
• School Leadership experience and direct management of High School Counselors
• Knowledge and familiarity with South Carolina regulations, colleges, scholarships, and guidance via the Uniform Grading Policy and Activity Coding System 
• Proficiency in office software applications, including Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with a professional and courteous demeanor
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion in handling sensitive information
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing priorities and demands in a fast-paced environment
• Willingness to travel for school events, leadership team meetings, trainings, and state testing (may require occasional overnight travel)
• Must be able to use a personal electronic device and email address for 2-step authentication

Capabilities:

• Student Centric – Acts with a strong customer mindset and is a visible advocate for students.  Builds strong relationships and uses those to improve student and family experience and outcomes.
• Communications - A great communicator who engages teams and stakeholders with thoughtful delivery and messages that resonate.
• Building a strong team - Creates strong morale and inclusive spirit within our team.  Proactively addresses team performance and communication challenges.  Demonstrated success onboarding and developing talent.
• Takes personal responsibility – Can be relied on to complete tasks timely and well, demonstrates “ownership” regardless of the outcome, proactive in exploring and exploiting new opportunities.