Manager of Counseling - Lowcountry Connections Academy

School Summary: Lowcountry Connections Academy (LCCA) is a tuition-free, full-time virtual school serving students in grades K-12 throughout South Carolina. LCCA is authorized under state law by the Charter Institute of Erskine and operated by LowCountry Connections Academy, a nonprofit corporation, through a contract with Connections Academy LLC. Connections Academy, a division of Connections Education, is accredited by Cognia, and LCCA is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement. Position Summary and Responsibilities: Lowcountry Connections Academy: Working from your home office in South Carolina, 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. The Manager of Counseling Services will support the entire educational program of the school with special emphasis on the secondary school (grades 6 – 12). Key responsibilities include the following:

• Support the teachers in exhibiting and maintaining a high level of professionalism, instructional support and customer service;
• 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;
• Assist teaching staff with implementing any program changes and/or new software application introductions as appropriate to support student success;
• Exhibit high quality communication with all staff, students and families;
• Provide specified assistance to families in need of additional support to prevent unnecessary withdrawals and encourage a high level of participation;
• Participate in student recruitment efforts including in-state trips, presentations, Q & A sessions and responding to the press;
• Support parent Community Coordinators to suggest social activities and relevant field trips for students;
• Devise and implement virtual methods of creating and maintaining the school community;
• Handle any student problems escalated by parents and teachers;
• Communicate and coordinate any overlapping responsibilities with the school leadership;
• 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 High School Coordinator and the principal;
• 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 Connections Academy transcripts are accurate and up-to-date;
• Supervise efforts to secure complete and accurate records for Connections Academy students;
• Generate and authorize official transcripts for families upon request;
• 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 Crisis 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 is able to 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.
• Work closely with teachers to review the content of secondary school courses, making recommendations for enhancement to the Curriculum Team related to content and state requirements.
• Research, develop and implement special programs such as Advanced Placement support, SAT and ACT Preparation, and college entrance preparation.
• Understand the requirements for and facilitate the administration of all high school testing, including exit exams, PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP exams;
• Design and implement professional development activities for teachers and school staff members.
• Design and coordinate high school graduation ceremonies;
• Coordinate a team of middle and high school teachers, helping to identify students who are at risk or in crisis;
• Oversee student accounting functions including attendance maintenance and tracking and assisting with payment collection;
• Monitor all enrollment requirements and communicate requirements to the Enrollment Department;
• Provide state testing support including logistics for scheduling, tracking participation and contracting for testing facilities;
• Support the Marketing Department with student outreach, marketing and public relations; and
• All other duties assigned.

Requirements:

• Minimum of five (5) years teaching experience and some counseling or management experience preferred
• South Carolina Counseling Credential endorsement preferred
• Advanced degree preferred
• Technologically proficient (especially with Microsoft Office products)
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Customer focused approach
• High degree of flexibility
• Demonstrated ability to work well in fast paced environment
• Team player track record
• Must be able to use a personal electronic device and an email address for two-step authentication.

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