Guidance Counselor, 2024-2025 School Year

The Champlain Island Unified Union School District seeks a 1.0 Guidance Counselor for the 2024-2025 school year and beyond. This position will act as a member of a team of educators and other support personnel throughout our school buildings.

Candidates must be team players willing to work collaboratively to ensure all learning community members are curious, creative, courageous, and capable of pursuing their aspirations in a diverse and ever-changing world. CIUUSD is located in the Champlain Islands region of Vermont and is part of the greater Burlington area. We operate two k-6 campuses consisting of 210 students in total. Our middle and high school students have a "choice" and receive a voucher to attend an independent or public middle or high school that best meets the student's needs.

We are an easy commute from Burlington, about 1.5 hours from Montreal or under 4 hours from Boston. Our region has breathtaking views and access to Lake Champlain, boating, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, canoeing, and other outdoor opportunities.

The Burlington and Saint Albans regions offer amenities such as fine dining, shopping, theatre, a vibrant music and art scene with seasonally relevant festivals, and access to higher education opportunities through UVM and Champlain College. Our communities attract wholesome families, faculty, and staff. Our schools maintain impassioned faculty, personalized beliefs about success, and a caring, safe school culture.

Only completed online applications at schoolspring.com will be accepted. An online application must include a profile, letter, resume, transcripts, references, tests, certifications, and questions if asked. Hard copies of Vermont Certification with appropriate endorsements, three written letters of reference, and transcripts will be required for verification at the interview level.

Visit our website http://www.gisu.org for information about our schools. Minority applicants are encouraged to apply.

This job involves both providing school counseling services, such as one-on-one and small group as well as teaching social-emotional skills See below for a list of descriptive statements in the skill areas needed for this position.

A. Learning and Teaching -
Performs the duties of teacher and instructional consultant as a specialist in social-emotional learning resources and strategies.
Utilizes current research and methods in SEL and counseling resources, learning, and teaching.
Uses various materials and activities to stimulate and maximize learning to help students achieve educational and personal goals.
Utilizes ACT 1 Curriculum.
B. Counseling
Provides academic, personal, and social-emotional advice to students.
Work with students to support potential skills to build their self-esteem for success in their future endeavors.
Promotes the guidance program by maintaining a positive relationship with students, staff, and community.
Develops and implements policies and procedures to provide small group and topic-focused meetings with students.
C. Professional Practice, Research, and Development
Applies ethics and standards of professional practice in delivering school psychological services and observes relevant laws and policies that govern practice. Participates in professional organizations and continually seeks to improve professional knowledge and skill.
Delivers services consistent with the ethical principles and professional standards of practice of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and the American Psychological Association (APA).
Observes federal, state, and local policies and regulations in delivering school psychological services.
Works to ensure students' rights and welfare in the school and community.
Engages in continuing professional development by assessing one's needs and seeking ways to address needs.
Uses research design, statistical procedures, and applied research to plan and conduct investigations of existing or proposed programs.
Critique curricula programs and apply research knowledge to help guide schools in selecting curricula or other academic/intervention programs.
Applies and translates research findings into service delivery improvements for students.
D. Interpersonal Communication and Collaboration
Communicates effectively with students, parents, and school staff
Effectively communicates knowledge and ideas orally to individuals and groups.
Effectively communicates knowledge and ideas in writing.
Maintains effective interpersonal relationships and communication in the professional setting.
Collaborates effectively with school personnel, parents, and community providers in the planning and decision-making process at the individual, group, and systems levels.
Collaborates with school personnel to design, implement, and evaluate school-wide standards, protocols, and other practices to enhance the educational structure for students.
E. Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily, in addition to the following:
Education and Experience. A National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) accredited Specialist Level or Master's degree or an American Psychological Association accredited Master's degree in School Psychology or the equivalent. Relevant post-degree experience is also required.

Knowledge. Demonstrates knowledge of school psychological concepts and skills delineated in current national professional standards.
Certifications and Licenses. Valid Vermont Professional Educator's License with a School Psychologist, Counselor, or social worker endorsement. A valid VT driver's license, a good driving record, and a willingness and ability to transport students using private vehicles are also required.

Language Skills. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret standard scientific and technical journals and legal documents.

Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from parents, educators, regulatory agencies, or community members. Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and boards of directors.

Mathematical Skills. Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory, and factor analysis.
Computer Skills and Experience. Ability to proficiently use Microsoft Word, Google tools, and various student information systems.

Reasoning Ability/Mental Requirements. Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with abstract and concrete variables.
Communication & Interpersonal Skills. Ability to communicate courteously, efficiently, and effectively with various individuals, including students, faculty, administrators, parents, and representatives of outside organizations. Ability to work cooperatively and effectively with peers, subordinates, supervisors, parents, and outside agencies.

PHYSICAL EFFORT AND STRESS. Physical ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined above, in addition to the following:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, push and pull, handle and feel, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must occasionally lift and move up to 50 pounds.

WORKING CONDITIONS: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions and extreme cold. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.