School Counselor - IDEA Valley View (Immediate Opening)
Description
Role Mission: Students and families are the most important stakeholders at IDEA Public Schools. The role of School Counselor leads the campus family engagement vision, social emotional learning program, and coordination of mental health and counseling supports for all scholars on the campus, while also providing direct counseling services.
School Counselors play a vital role in ensuring every IDEA Greater Cincinnati student is known, supported, and on a clear path to success in college, career, and life. As our schools grow, counselors serve as the bridge between academic readiness and student well-being—providing proactive support for social-emotional development, persistence, and mental health. They help students set goals, overcome challenges, and navigate key academic transitions, ensuring that no student falls through the cracks. By fostering trust, building resilience, and partnering closely with teachers and families, School Counselors strengthen our culture of care and accountability—making IDEA schools safe, supportive, and empowering environments where every student can thrive.
When the work is lead effectively, the entire school staff is clear on their roles in supporting students and families, has the data needed to drive action, inspired, and supported to engage with students and parents in a meaningful way which would result in meeting the goal for all students to have the academic and social skills they need to achieve their goal of going to and through college. Through this work, School Counselors ensure our schools are a place where students feel safe physically and emotionally safe and therefore can learn, grow, and succeed in and outside of the classroom.
This position is grant-funded with Accelerate Great Schools funds. This is a grant-funded position and funding may be extended. A grant-funded position has no guarantee of ongoing and indefinite employment. All duties and responsibilities tied to this position are allowable and allocable to the grant. The employee will work solely (100%) on allowable activities outlined in the grant program.
What We Offer
Compensation:
Salaries for people entering this role typically fall between $60,569 and $72,683, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications and in alignment with internal equity. This role is also eligible for a performance bonus based on team performance and goal attainment.
Other Benefits:
We offer a comprehensive benefits plan, covering the majority of the employee premium for the base medical plan and subsidizing the majority of costs for a spouse/domestic partner and children. Some of the special benefits we offer at IDEA include:
- Paid Family Leave: Eligible staff may receive up to 8 weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, based on their tenure with the organization and caregiver designation.
- Tuition Reimbursement: Staff members may apply for up to 50% of tuition paid toward a qualifying degree program, up to $5,250 maximum per year subject to manager discretion and budget availability.
- Employer-Paid Mental/Behavioral Health: 5 face-to-face counseling sessions within a year, unlimited 24/7 telephonic counseling, and other work-life services available at no cost.
Other benefits include dental and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending account options, generous vacation time, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) plan. IDEA may offer a relocation allowance to defray the cost of moving for this role, if applicable.
What You Bring -- Competencies
Qualifications:
- Education: Master's degree in School Counseling, Counseling, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, or related field required
- Experience (preferred): Previous experience in a school or school setting
- License or Certification: Valid OH School Counselor certification or counseling/social work licensure (LMSW, LCSW, LCSW-S, LPC-A, LPC, LMFT-A, LMFT) required
Knowledge and Skills:
- Proven track record of success
- Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
- Ability to manage student behavior
- Belief in and alignment with IDEA’s mission and values is non-negotiable
- Ability to adjust and adapt to a multitude of situations in the school environment
What You’ll Do -- Accountabilities
1. Counseling and Student Support
- Provide individual and group counseling to students to address academic, behavioral, emotional, and social needs.
- Maintain accurate and timely documentation of all interventions and services (minimum of 10 hours of direct student services weekly).
- Serve on the Campus Crisis Team, responding to and supporting students in need of immediate care or intervention.
- Refer students for intensive or specialized services and coordinate with mental health providers and community agencies.
- Support teachers and staff in understanding and responding to student social-emotional needs.
2. Family Engagement and Student Persistence
- Lead the campus strategy for student persistence and family engagement, ensuring strong relationships between families and school staff.
- Partner with campus leaders and grade-level teams to identify and intervene with at-risk students.
- Facilitate family problem-solving meetings to ensure students’ needs are met and families feel supported.
- Plan and execute family engagement events aligned to campus culture and community needs (minimum of four annually).
- Analyze persistence and withdrawal data to identify trends and develop proactive retention strategies.
- Ensure 90%+ persistence among new students through strong onboarding, communication, and belonging initiatives.
3. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Leadership
- Lead implementation and monitoring of Crew curricula.
- Train and coach teachers to deliver Crew lessons with fidelity.
- Conduct regular classroom observations, provide actionable feedback, and track progress using observation rubrics.
- Administer fall and spring student and family surveys, analyze results, and guide the campus in responding to feedback.
- Facilitate schoolwide SEL programming, including Bullying Prevention Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, and related events.
4. Data, Compliance, and Reporting
- Maintain 100% accuracy in student documentation, risk assessments, and At-Risk/Leaver coding.
- Collaborate with the EMIS Registrar team to ensure accurate persistence, attendance, and student support data.
- Document all counseling services, crisis interventions, and family contacts in the district-wide documentation system.
- Ensure compliance with state-mandated guidance lessons and SEL assessment requirements.
5. Campus Collaboration and Leadership
- Partner with teachers and Assistant Principals of Instruction, and Content Leads to align student supports with academic goals.
- Serve as a thought partner to the Campus Lead Team to build systems that promote belonging, resilience, and college readiness.
- Provide professional development on SEL, family engagement, and supporting students in crisis.
- Foster a campus culture of care and connection where all students feel physically and emotionally safe.
Performance Indicators
- ≥ 90% documentation compliance
- ≥ 90% new student persistence
- ≥ 90% of assigned teachers implement Crew curriculum with fidelity
- “A” rating on the School Counselor Report Card
- Positive growth in student and family survey results
Working Conditions
- Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, with regular on-site work at IDEA campuses and partner organizations.
- Some evenings and weekends required for recruitment and university events.
- Occasional travel within Ohio and to national IDEA network events.
About IDEA Public Schools
At IDEA Public Schools, we believe each and every child can go to college. Since 2000, IDEA Public Schools has grown from a small school with 150 students to a multi-state network of tuition-free, Pre-K-12 public charter schools.
IDEA Public Schools boasts national rankings on The Washington Post and U.S. News & World Report’s top high schools lists. IDEA serves over 80,000 college-bound students in 143 schools across Texas, Florida, Ohio, and is on-track to maintain its legacy of sending 100% of its graduates to college.
When you choose to work at IDEA, you are part of our IDEA Team and Family. You will work alongside team members who set and reach ambitious goals every day, are excited to continue to grow with IDEA, and work relentlessly to make college for all a reality.
Staff Experience
At IDEA, the Staff Experience Team uses our Core Values to promote human connection and a culture of integrity, respect, and belonging for all Team and Family members. Learn more about our Commitment to Core Values here!
To Apply
Please submit your application online through Jobvite. It’s in your best interest to apply as soon as possible.
This position is grant funded with Accelerate Great Schools Grant and will require a time and effort report. The employee and the employee supervisor must sign this job description acknowledging that this position is grant funded.
IDEA Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability, in admission or access to, or treatment of employment in its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning the organization's compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), or Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), may contact IDEA Human Resources at (956) 377-8000.
Disclaimer
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
