College Seminar Teacher Position - SY2026

North Lawndale College Prep Position Overview Job Description - 10 month position

The College Seminar Teacher plays a critical role in preparing seniors for postsecondary success. This position combines direct instruction individualized advising and accountability support to ensure all seniors complete required milestones related to college access and career planning. This course is designed to help scholars navigate the complexities of postsecondary pathways-including 2-year and 4-year colleges FAFSA completion scholarship acquisition vocational training military enlistment and career planning.

This role also includes partnership with the broader senior grade-level team and may involve leadership or coordination duties around key school events like College Decision Day senior exit surveys and transcript reviews.

Reports To:

Principal or designee

Instructional Responsibilities

• Facilitate a daily College Seminar course with a clear engaging curriculum tailored to 12th-grade scholars.
• Provide whole-group and small-group instruction on:
  • FAFSA completion
  • College application processes (Common App Coalition App etc.)
  • Scholarship searches and applications
  • Resume writing and personal statements
  • Postsecondary research and decision-making
  • Financial literacy and college budgeting
  • Career pathways and vocational training options

Advising & Support

• Provide 1:1 and small-group advising to monitor scholars progress on:
  • FAFSA and state aid completion
  • College application submissions and acceptances
  • College match and fit decisions
  • Scholarship applications
  • Job/career planning for non-college-bound scholars
• Maintain regular check-ins with scholars to ensure deadlines are met and data is up to date in school tracking systems.

Data & Accountability

• Track key senior metrics and ensure timely updates to internal dashboards or trackers.
• Monitor and report on:
  • FAFSA submission and completion rates
  • College applications submitted per student
  • Acceptance enrollment and scholarship data
  • Post-secondary intention forms and verifications
• Work with the college counselor and leadership team to analyze gaps and implement interventions.

Collaboration & Events

• Partner with school counselor(s) teachers and administrators to support overall senior success.
• Plan and support school-wide college and career events including:
  • College visits (virtual or in-person)
  • Onsite college fairs
  • College Decision Day
  • Financial Aid Nights
  • Senior exit presentations
• Attend senior grade-level meetings and contribute to the coordination of senior programming including capstone projects or transition-to-college workshops.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors degree required; Masters degree in Education Counseling or related field preferred
• 2 years working in college access college advising or high school teaching
• Deep knowledge of FAFSA college admissions and postsecondary planning
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Commitment to equity and belief in the potential of all scholars
• Strong organizational and data management skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with first-generation college students
• Familiarity with tools such as Naviance SCOIR or internal tracking platforms
• Bilingual preferred (if applicable to community served)

Ideal Candidate Will Be:

• Results-oriented and data-driven
• Highly collaborative and communicative
• Culturally competent and responsive to the needs of underserved communities
• A passionate advocate for college access and postsecondary success

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Regularly required to stand walk sit and interact with students and staff.
• Occasional lifting of up to 25 pounds.
• Frequent computer work required.
• The noise level in the work environment can be moderate to loud especially in collaborative classroom settings and schoolwide activities.

Conditions of Employment

• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
• Compliance with all board policies ISBE requirements and relevant educational laws and regulations.