Overview: The Counselor/Testing Coordinator is a professional member of the leadership team and is
instrumental in making sure that student behavior supports the mission, goals, and objectives of Avant
Garde Academy. The Counselor reports directly to the Principal.
Requirements:
- Master’s Degree Preferred
- Valid teaching certification
- Florida Educator Certification in School Counseling or eligibility to obtain certification.
- Knowledge of student development, counseling practices, and educational programs.
- Strong communication, organization, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work effectively with students, staff, and families
Duties and Responsibilities:
o Provide one-on-one counseling sessions to students who may be experiencing personal,
emotional, behavioral, or social difficulties.
o Provide counseling sessions for students facing peer relationships, self-esteem, anger
management, or grief.
o Conduct assessments and evaluations to determine the mental health needs of students. This
may involve administering psychological tests, conducting interviews, and gathering
information from teachers, parents, and other relevant parties.
o Respond to crises or emergencies within the school environment, threats of violence, or natural
disasters. Provide immediate support and intervention to students in distress and coordinate
with other school staff and external agencies as needed.
o Collaborate with teachers, administrators, and other school personnel to address mental health
concerns within the school community.
o Provide consultation on behavioral interventions, classroom accommodations, and strategies
for supporting students with mental health challenges.
o Develop and implement prevention programs and educational workshops to promote mental
health awareness, resilience, and positive coping skills among students.
o Refer students to external mental health services or community resources when additional
support is needed beyond the scope of school-based counseling.
o Maintain accurate and confidential records of counseling sessions, assessments, interventions,
and communications with students and other stakeholders.
o Engage in ongoing professional development and training to stay informed about best practices
in school-based mental health counseling, evidence-based interventions, and relevant legal and
ethical guidelines.
o Advocate for the mental health needs of students within the school system and advocate for
policies and initiatives that support mental health promotion and access to services.
o Other duties and responsibilities and determined by the school principal.
- Part-Time Test Coordinator:
- Schedules and administers all progress monitoring tools as well as district proficiency and
standardized assessments.
- Develop and manage the testing schedule in coordination with the Instructional Coaches for
various assessments (standardized tests, state/district assessments), to include but not limited
to: FAST PM 1-3 and STAR
- Arrange for test materials, testing locations, testing plan
- Attend district and state mandated trainings
- Provide training regarding test administration requirements and protocols to staff
- Serve as a point of contact for testing questions or issues
- Maintain accurate federal, state and district required records.
- Ensure testing materials and results remain confidential and secure
- Address and report testing irregularities or violations immediately
- Ensure students with IEPs, 504 plans, or ELL needs receive appropriate accommodations
- Collaborate with Special Education and ELL staff to implement accommodations accurately and
develop small groups required for testing
- All other duties as assigned by the Principal.
Skills and Knowledge:
Demonstrates enthusiasm and commitment towards the job and the mission of the
school.
- Demonstrates excellent communication skills including oral presentations, written skills,
active listening skills and ability to negotiate and influence.
- Establishes excellent interpersonal skills between all constituents: being courteous,
professional, and helpful; demonstrates high level of interpersonal skills to handle
sensitive and confidential situations.
- Ability to organize, prioritize and manage multiple projects.
- Ability to be at work consistently, to arrive on time, to follow instructions, to respond to
management direction and to solicit feedback to improve performance.
- Problem analysis and problem resolution at both a strategic and functional level.
- Seeks ways to improve and promote quality and demonstrates accuracy and
thoroughness. Strives to research, evaluate and implement best practices.
- Strong customer orientation.
- Strong track record for analyzing complex problems/issues, identifying patterns and
recommending creative solutions.
- Proactive and takes initiative. Think creatively. Drives projects to completion. Insists on
the highest level of quality.
- Establishes and maintains professional and cooperative working
relationships with all stakeholders: parents, students, staff, neighbors, and
partners.
