Middle School Counselor, Long Term Substitute

Come join a committed, caring, talented faculty in delivering an exemplary and inspiring general and Jewish education. Together, we ensure a vibrant Jewish future through the growth of confident, compassionate thinkers who engage the world through Jewish values. 

The Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD is seeking candidates to serve as a long term substitute for the position of Middle School Counselor for part of the 2023-2024 academic year.  

The ideal candidate is a warm, creative, charismatic school counselor, who loves working with middle school students and has expertise in and passion for helping early adolescents navigate their middle school years. This position will work as a member of a collaborative team in the counseling department and will work closely with Middle School Administration. The ideal school counselor will provide students with both individual and group counseling support. Leading candidates will have a history of using Collaborative Problem Solving, or similar tools, when working with students, families, and teachers. 

Exemplary candidates will have a record of using student data to design and implement successful social-emotional lessons and grade-wide programming targeted to students’ needs.  Strong candidates will have strong verbal and written communication skills. Ideal candidates have demonstrated success in partnering with learning support staff and families in addition to integrating positive behavior management in neuro-diverse classrooms. 

Responsibilities include: 

• Provide short individual counseling on a regular basis for students including scheduling needs, social/emotional support, educational/study skills guidance, co-curricular coordination. 
• Serve as a case manager for students on their caseload to oversee a holistic approach to supporting the student, including interfacing with students’ parents/guardians, caregivers, teachers, learning specialists, ESOL specialists, outside professionals and administration as needed.   
• Help students resolve teacher and classroom concerns and assist students in developing advocacy and problem solving skills. 
• Complete student observations, interpret behavioral data, develop functional behavior analyses, and behavior intervention plans. 
• Further develop, lead, and implement social-emotional, health, and wellness curricula. 
• Work with educators to integrate social-emotional/values-based and relational arts curricula into all content areas. 
• Work with administration to register students, design individual schedules to meet students’ holistic needs, and balance classes. 
• Coach faculty, students, and families in using the Collaborative Problem Solving protocol and tools. 
• Welcome and assist new students and their families as they integrate into the School community. 
• Attend meetings to collect and provide information pertaining to individual students, student groups, and/or grades as deemed necessary and appropriate. 
• Meet weekly with learning specialists to review student information and progress to determine action plans and student support. 
• Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ). 

Qualifications: 

• M.Ed. School Counseling or an MSW is required, as well as three to five years of related professional experience in an elementary and/or middle school setting.   

• Candidates must have strong interpersonal, technology and organizational skills, as well as experience in guidance/school counseling or social work. 
• Experience in using PowerSchool and Schoology preferred. 
• Training in Collaborative Problem Solving preferred. 
• Knowledge about Jewish values and traditions a plus, but not required. 
• Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ). 

To learn more about this position and the School, visit https://www.cesjds.org/about/work-at-cesjds 

Work Environment:  

• Faculty may be asked to perform their work responsibilities on campus and/or at home. In both settings, the counselor is required to maintain a professional environment. 
• While on campus, classes may be operating either in person or in an alternative setting. Counselors are expected to be present and accessible for the entire school day (contracted hours), regardless of the setting. 
• In accordance with the School's duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards, the School has adopted a mandatory Vaccination Policy to safeguard the health of our employees and their families and the community at large from infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and the flu, which may be reduced by annual vaccinations. This policy complies with all applicable laws and is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health authorities, as applicable. 

The Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate all applicants without unlawful consideration of race, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The School encourages candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply.