School Counselor

Title: School Counselor
Location: CICS Longwood High School- 1309 W 95th St Chicago IL 60643
Reports To: Principal/Assistant Principal
Salary: Starting at $73000 commensurate with experience
Employee Type: Regular Full Time
Start Date: January 2026

Distinctive Schools creates diverse joyful welcoming communities rooted in social justice and rigorous learning. We support all learners to be engaged curious and to achieve their full potential. Our students become confident advocates creative problem-solvers and collaborative leaders.

Position Overview

The School Counselor will serve as a vital team member of the schools educational leadership team to provide comprehensive developmental support within the academic personal/social arts and career domains to ensure that students become the productive well-adjusted adults of tomorrow. The School Counselor will work with students administrators teachers families community organizations and other stakeholders to promote student success and respond to identified student needs.

The School Counselor will implement a comprehensive school counseling program that addresses college career and personal development for all addition the School Counselor will be responsible for advising and/or planning with students and families as it relates to college and career goals.

School counselors are uniquely trained professional educators with a mental health perspective who understand and respond to the challenges presented by todays diverse student population. As such the School Counselor will also team with the Student Support Team to proactively implement programs and services to help all students achieve success in school.

Responsibilities

Development and Management of a Comprehensive School Counseling Program

• Develop and maintain a written plan for effective delivery of the school counseling program based on the Developmental Counseling Model for Illinois Schools current school achievement plan and current individual school data with a focus on arts integration
• Communicate goals of the comprehensive school counseling program to administrators teachers students and families
• Maintain current and appropriate counseling/college/career/arts resources for students and families
• Be accountable for the implementation and management of the school counseling program
• Use data to develop comprehensive programs that meet student needs
• Assist teachers families and other stakeholders in interpreting and understanding student data
• Adhere to laws policies procedures and ethical standards of the school counseling profession
• Delivery of a Comprehensive School Counseling Program
• Implement developmentally appropriate and prevention-oriented activities to meet student needs and school goals

Individual Student Planning

• Develop individual college career arts and personal goals and plans for caseload of students
• Collaborate and assist students and families with high school scholarship college entrance and financial aid applications

Preventive and Responsive Services

• In collaboration with the Student Support Team provide counseling in consult and collaboration with families teachers administrators and other educational/community resources to caseload students with identified concerns and needs
• Implement an effective referral and follow-up process for caseload students as needed
• Monitor caseload students academic performance behavior and attendance and facilitate appropriate interventions
• Accurately and appropriately use assessment procedures for determining and structuring necessary individual and group counseling services for Tiers I II and III

Accountability

• Measure and analyze data results of the comprehensive school counseling program activities and share results as appropriate with relevant stakeholders to help guide program direction and emphasis

Additional responsibilities

• Host family meetings to communicate college going processes financial aid application scholarship information etc.
• Support the middle school transition to high school via retention and HS decision making strategies
• Design staff professional development in coordination with the Student Support Team focused on trauma-informed instruction SEL and restorative practices
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements (minimum)

Education: Masters Degree in School Counseling

Qualifications

• Valid Professional Educator License
• Valid School Counselors Endorsement
• Candidate must be able to demonstrate the academic progress of students under their leadership and articulate the methods used to achieve those results
• Technology demands:
  • Proficient in cloud based software solutions - GoogleSuite
• Travel to campuses and professional trainings as needed

Physical demands

• Majority of work is performed in a general office environment. Position requires availability for extended hours plus non-traditional hours required to perform job duties. Also requires participation and attendance at organization-sponsored events and meetings
• Generally the job requires 30% sitting 50% walking and 20% standing

Benefits

• 25 Paid holidays & 10 days PTO annually (in addition to summer break for educators/campus positions)
• 12 weeks family paid leave
• Comprehensive Healthcare (Medical Dental Vision)
• 403b match
  • Fully match up to 3%
  • 50% match up to 5%
• Professional development including tuition reimbursement
• Gym and wellness discounts
• And more

Description Disclaimer: Since no job description can detail all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a job duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a job reasonably required for its performance or required due to the changing nature of the job shall also be considered part of the jobholders responsibility.

EEO: Distinctive Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race color religion sex gender national origin age disability veteran status marital status sexual orientation gender identity gender expression or any other personal characteristic protected by applicable law.

Distinctive Schools is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified keeping with our commitment Distinctive Schools will take the steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly if reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process to perform the essential functions of the position and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment please contact or call 773.828.4191