Counselor Jobs in Boston, MA

This position is an anticipated vacancy. It is expected to be vacant by 09/18/2026. However, the current incumbent has a right to rescind their retirement, leave, or resignation up until the day of the expected vacancy date. Your hire will not be confirmed until the position is vacated, and you may start the year as a Long-Term Substitute if the position does not become vacant by the start of the school year.

The Student Development Counselor (SDC) will be a highly visible position within the school. This individual will work closely with students, family, faculty, and community partners to support students in their personal and academic development. The SDC will assist students to recognize their aptitudes, needs, interests, and capabilities when making personal life decisions, career, and educational or post-high school plans. The SDC will assist in the creation of electronic student portfolios that will store student work throughout their time at the school.

Reports to: Head of School/Principal

Responsibilities

• Coordinate Student Advisory Team.
• Facilitate and track student assessment referrals and counseling.
• Co-create and monitor student goals, providing outlines and opportunities for further enrichment to reach the greatest potential.
• Coordinate and conduct student orientation, socialization, and culture-building activities, participation, and collaboration with parents, community-based organizations, and business partners.
• Establish strong commitment and collaboration with parents to ensure student success.
• Coordinate ongoing strategies and activities to assist students with high-stakes tests that includes after-school MCAS/PARCC preparation, coordination, with HERC and academic support services, SAT preparation (registration and preparation).
• Assist students with research and selection of educational or career planning initiatives, college application processes, college visits, and exhibitions
• Meet regularly with each student and parent to monitor academic progress.
• Coordinate new student scheduling, orientation, and acclimation to small school environment.
• Manage and facilitate all standardized testing and assessment.
• Create, monitor, and update the electronic portfolio system.
• Evaluate and report on performance (individual and school-wide).
• Support the Family Liaison.
• Facilitate student counseling services (individual and group).
• Coordinate all external resource alignment and coordination.
• Works collaboratively with College and Career Center Staff to create opportunities for students.
• Reviews and assists in the oversight and implementation of ISSP's within their caseload.

Core Competencies: Using the Rubric of Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP), the Office of Human Resources has identified priority skills and abilities that all BPS SISP should demonstrate.

• Accountability for Student Achievement

(II-A-1 Quality of Effort and Work, II-D-2 High Expectations, I B-2 Adjustments to Practice)

• Sets ambitious learning goals for all students, uses instructional and clinical practices that reflect high expectations for students and student work; engages all students in learning.
• Consistently defines high expectations for student learning goals and behavior.
• Assesses student learning regularly using a variety of assessments to measure growth, and understanding.
• Effectively analyzes data from assessments, draws conclusions, and shares them appropriately.
• Communicating Professional Knowledge

(I-A-1 Professional Knowledge, I-A-2 Child Adolescent Development, I-A-3 Plan Development)

• Exhibits strong knowledge of child development and how students learn and behave, and designs effective and rigorous plans for support with measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrates knowledge of students’ developmental levels by providing differentiated learning experiences and support that enable all students to progress toward intended outcomes.
• Equitable & Effective Instruction

(II-A-3 Meeting Diverse Needs, II-A-2. Student Engagement, II-B-1. Safe Learning Environment, II-B-2 Collaborative Learning Environment, I-D-3 Access to Knowledge)

• Builds a productive learning environment where every student participates and is valued as part of the class community.
• Uses instructional and clinical practices that are likely to challenge, motivate and engage all students and facilitate active participation.
• Consistently adapts instruction, services, plans and assessments to make curriculum/ supports accessible to all students.
• Cultural Proficiency

(II-C-1. Respects Differences, II-C-2. Maintains Respectful Environment)

• Actively creates and maintains an environment in which students’ diverse backgrounds, identities, strengths, and challenges are respected.
• Parent/Family Engagement

(III-A-1. Parent/Family Engagement, III-B-2. Collaboration)

• Engages with families and builds collaborative, respectful relationships with them in service of student learning.
• Consistently provides parents with clear expectations for student learning behavior and/or wellness and shares strategies to promote learning and development at school and home.
• Professional Reflection & Collaboration

(IV-A-1. Reflective Practice, IV-C-1. Professional Collaboration, IV-C-2. Consultation)

• Regularly reflects on practice, seeks and responds to feedback, and demonstrates self-awareness and commitment to continuous learning and development.
• Consistently collaborates with colleagues through shared planning and/or informal conversation to analyze student performance and development, and to plan appropriate interventions at the classroom or school level.
• Regularly provides advice and expertise to general education teachers and the school community to support the creation of appropriate and effective academic, behavioral, and social/emotional learning experiences for students.

Qualifications Required

• Massacusetts Licensure as a School Guidance Counselor at the appropriate level.
• Three years experience working with educational, social service, and/or mental health agencies.
• Master's Degree in education, counseling, or other related field.
• Ability to meet the BPS Standards of Effective Practice as outlined above.
• A demonstrated strong background in college admissions processes.
• An in-depth understanding of the small schools initiative.
• Commitment to the learning of urban students.
• Demonstrated writing ability.
• Broad professional involvement (e.g., professional membership, conference attendance, workshop presentations, etc.).
• Experience with database management.
• Experience working with English Language Learners and immigrant families.
• Experience working with small and large groups.
• Experience working with students and families in an urban setting.
• Exceptional interpersonal, organizational, and oral communication skills, and the integrity to look reflectively and critically at student engagement and overall student success.

Qualifications-Preferred

• Three to five years of working with immigrant communities, along with urban education exposure.
• Experience implementing in-service programs for staff, students and parents.
• Experience with generic counseling model.
• Experience with the standard guidance counseling model.
• Training in Critical Incident Stress Management.
• BPS values linguistic diversity and believes that candidates who speak another language bring added value to the classroom, school, and district culture and diversity. BPS is particularly interested in candidates who are fluent in one of BPS' official languages: Spanish, Creole (Cape Verdean), Creole (Haitian), Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese, & Somali.

Terms/Salary Grade: BTU, Group I, Plus 10% for the 11th month

Please refer to the BPS website for more information on salary and compensation. Salaries are listed by Unions and Grade/Step.

The start and end times of BPS schools vary, as do the lengths of the school day. Some BPS schools have a longer school day through the "Schedule A" Expanded Learning Time (ELT) agreement.

The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record, physical or mental disability, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics, natural or protective hairstyle, military status, immigration status, English language proficiency, or any other factor prohibited by law in its programs and activities. BPS does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to work or learn. If you require an accommodation pursuant to the ADA for the application process, please contact the Accommodations Unit at accommodations@bostonpublicschools.org.