Manager of Counseling Services - Florida Connections Academy

School Summary

Florida Connections Academy (FCA) is a tuition-free, online public charter school serving students in grades K-12 statewide. FCA is authorized by Hillsborough County Public Schools and is governed by an independent Board of Directors. The school is accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, the Northwest Accreditation Commission, and the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), which are accrediting divisions of Cognia.

Position Summary and Responsibilities

Working remote within the state of Florida, the Manager of Counseling Services will work in conjunction with the school’s leadership team to help students, ensuring that each child successfully completes his/her instructional program. The Manager of Counseling Services will provide direction to staff and will assist students and parents in understanding and meeting graduation requirements, course selection and scheduling, post-secondary school planning, and crisis intervention. 

Key responsibilities include the following:

• Ensure the academic success of individual students by utilizing all levels of academic support available and by maintaining a high level of communication with parents to deliver program information and address individual student needs;
• Lead, supervise, and support a team of school counselors across K-12 grade levels, providing regular coaching, mentoring, and performance evaluations to ensure professional growth and alignment with school counseling standards.
• Provide specified assistance to families in need of additional support to prevent unnecessary withdrawals and encourage a high level of participation;
• Handle any student problems escalated by parents and teachers;
• Develop, plan and implement counseling programs for students and families related to academic and career planning and graduation;
• Oversee and maintain the Personal Learning Plan (PLP) of each student;
• Keep abreast of all high school graduation requirements, including special requirements such as community service, and communicate this information to the principal and school leader;
• Plan and supervise the secondary school course selection process according to specific state credit and graduation requirements and student needs and interests.  An integral part of this process is assisting students and parents to develop a Four-Year Plan for meeting graduation requirements;
• Counsel students with issues related to dropping courses and changing schedules;
• Supervise the review of student transcripts and the entry of credits into the online transcript system;
• Develop and implement procedures to ensure that transcripts are accurate and up-to-date;
• Counsel families through the school withdrawal process, assisting with data collection regarding withdrawal;
• Develop, plan and implement counseling programs for students and families related to interpersonal adjustment issues;
• Design and implement crisis prevention and management plans for the school and provide leadership to the School-Based Threat Management Team;
• Report and refer critical incidents that jeopardize student well-being as obligated by law, administrative regulations, or ethical standards;
• Lead school teams in identifying school and community resources and maintain an up-to-date list of those resources, making them available to school teams and to families;
• Develop and implement processes to regularly and frequently review the status of each secondary school student related to attendance, participation, and performance;
• Ensure that the counseling staff can assist teachers when students enroll mid-semester, making sure that teachers receive guidance on integrating the students into their coursework, and ensuring that previous grades, credits, and evaluations are handled appropriately;
• Research, develop and implement special programs such as Advanced Placement support, SAT and ACT Preparation, dual enrollment, and college entrance preparation.
• Coordinate a team of staff, helping to identify students who are at risk or in crisis;
• Provide state testing support including logistics for scheduling, tracking participation and contracting for testing facilities;
• All other duties assigned.

 Requirements  

• Minimum of 5 years school counseling and management/leadership experience.
• Florida Professional Teacher Certification in School Counseling.
• ESOL Endorsement or Certification preferred.
• Strong knowledge of Florida graduation requirements and school accountability framework.
• Technologically proficient (especially with Microsoft Office and Google products).
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Customer focused approach.
• High degree of flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced virtual environment.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in a team-based setting.
• Travel across the state is required for state testing administration, which may include overnight travel.
• Ability to work and manage a team remotely.
• Willingness to work some occasional evening hours as needed to support students and families.
• Must be able to use a personal electronic device and email address for two-step authentication.