Instructional Support Counselor

Empowerment is hiring an Instructional Support Counselor (ISC) for High School Students at Empowerment Academy. This is for an immediate vacancy for the current school year and beyond. The “ISC” supports the Dean of Students, Leadership, Teachers, and most importantly Students with their social emotional and academic learning.

Salary: $54,000-$61,000

Why Our School is Special

Empowerment Academy is a highly successful charter school that truly supports its teachers and staff. We serve a student mix that is among the most diverse in America while enjoying the cultural vibrance of Jersey City, Hoboken and New York City. If this appeals to you, then apply today! We have achieved academic success without burning out our teachers/staff by meshing an effective education program with effective support and professional development.

We truly value our faculty and work hard to control other costs so we can focus our resources on supporting them. In fact, throughout our history, we have annually increased faculty salaries by more than at other public schools and now, among those with similar experience, OUR FACULTY MEMBERS ARE AMONG THE HIGHEST PAID IN NEW JERSEY.

• Bachelor’s Degree (or higher) in Relevant Field
• New Jersey DOE Issued School Counselor Certification or Certificate of Eligibility or School Social Worker Certification is a BONUS (but not a requirement)
• Experience working with children
• Excellence in communication and counseling skills
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with students, families, staff and community with diverse backgrounds
• Demonstrated aptitude, professionalism, and competence for assigned responsibilities
• Self-Starter and someone who takes initiative

Counselor Responsibilities

• Scholar/Parent Relations - Encourages positive student behavior and establishes a positive rapport with students and their parents/guardians.
• Attendance Counseling/Truancy Prevention – Tracks student attendance/truancy and leads the school’s parent outreach efforts to counsel parents about the critical importance of their young scholars being in school each day.
• Crisis Intervention – Responds to situations where young scholars, whether due to misbehavior, stress or other factors, need to be temporarily removed from the classroom. Walks or sits with scholars to de-escalate stress and help scholars return to their classroom as quickly as possible.
• Counseling/Life Skills/Social Skills/Coping Skills Training – Provides counseling, life skills, social skills and/or coping skills training to young scholars, as needed.
• Tutoring – During classroom removals, supervises/tutors young scholars while they are doing school work.
• Parent Communications and Training – Communicates with parents and provides training, as needed, to help them foster the emotional, social, physical and educational well-being of their children.
• Internal Relationships – Works closely with the Director of Education, Dean of Students, Social Worker, Special Education Coordinator and Teachers. Serves on the school’s RTI team.
• Internal Reporting and Compliance - Completes periodic reports for the Director of Education, Board of Trustees and state-regulatory authorities, as well as for communications to parents and the community, in a timely and accurate manner.
• Other tasks as assigned by the Director of Education in the realm of student behavior and social-emotional development.

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development

As an equal opportunity employer, Empowerment Academy hires without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability.