Founding Guidance Counselor and Culture Lead Job Description: SY25-26 - Compass Collegiate Academy

School Mission

Compass Collegiate Academy provides every scholar with the academic foundation and strong habits that inspire and cultivate lifelong learners who lead purposeful, civic lives.

Compass Collegiate Academy strives to create a diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist community. People from historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

School Overview

Compass Collegiate Academy (CCA) is a public charter school that opened in Charleston, South Carolina with grades K-1 in August of 2021. Our school is adding a grade each year thereafter until we are a full Kindergarten through 8th grade school. CCA has intentionally built its school model and structured its budget to ensure that the student body is representative of the student population in North Charleston and the Charleston peninsula, the school’s geographic target area. CCA is driven by the following core beliefs for its school model:

All Means All - The school will operate with a non-negotiable belief in the potential of every child. Every adult employed at the school will operate with a daily mindset that every scholar can achieve at high levels irrespective of a scholar’s family income, disability, language proficiency or prior developmental experience.

Rigorous Curriculum - The school’s rigorous curriculum and academic program is designed to assist scholars to acquire a foundation of knowledge and advanced literacy skills in the early grades that will prepare scholars to undertake higher order analysis, evaluation, and critical thinking skills in later grades.

An Intentional Commitment to Scholar Social and Emotional Growth - Preparing scholars for successful secondary and postsecondary pursuits involves growing both sharp minds and big hearts. CCA will focus on helping scholars to better understand their own identities, their communities, and how to successfully build relationships with peers across lines of difference. Scholars will develop character strengths such as kindness, determination, curiosity, gratitude and integrity and will be better equipped to positively impact their diverse local communities and world.

High-quality Staff - The school will have a robust hiring and development model based on some of the nation’s best public schools to ensure a high-quality teaching and learning environment for scholars. Teachers and leaders will be respected as skilled practitioners and professionals in a culture that prioritizes continuous growth and development for adults as well as scholars. 

Personalized Learning through Data-Driven Instruction - Through a continuous cycle of assessment, analysis, and action, the school will identify personalized needs to close academic gaps while also differentiating instruction for scholars with more advanced achievement. 

Parental Involvement and Intentional Community - The school values families as partners in the academic growth and human development of scholars. Families can expect daily updates on scholar progress, weekly phone communication and availability with a scholar’s teacher, open doors to the school, and access to workshops and seminars on childhood human development. The school will intentionally cultivate a supportive school community among diverse families.

Role Expectations

Our Founding Guidance Teacher will be part of a hardworking team to help grow Charleston’s newest open enrollment public elementary charter school serving all scholars. The Guidance Counselor at Compass Collegiate Academy will play a vital role in fostering a positive school environment through the development and implementation of supportive, values-driven systems. Working closely with the leadership team, the Guidance Counselor will help create a year-long strategy to promote scholar and staff well-being, address behavioral needs, and celebrate successes across all grade levels. This role involves direct interaction with scholars, collaboration with teachers, and a proactive, PBIS approach to data-driven support and school-wide initiatives. Our Guidance Counselor is responsible for achieving the school’s mission through leading joyful, school-wide initiatives that are academically rigorous, intensely focused on skill development for all scholars, and intentional about daily scholar social and emotional growth. He or she will report to the Executive Director and contribute to creating the school’s achievement-oriented culture.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Strategic Planning and Collaboration

  • Collaborate with the leadership team to develop and execute a year-long strategy for systems, structures, and events aimed at supporting scholars, families, and staff while promoting the school’s core values.

  • Identify key focus areas and establish events that align with the school’s goals for social, emotional, and behavioral growth.

• Classroom Support and Intervention

  • Act as a resource for classroom teachers who require additional assistance when a scholar’s needs surpass classroom management capabilities.

  • Provide direct support and intervention for scholars experiencing disruptions or behavioral challenges, using a supportive and solutions-focused approach.

  • Work closely with families to design and implement effective interventions for scholars who need additional support.

• School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

  • Actively participate in the development, maintenance, and improvement of school-wide PBIS systems to create a positive, inclusive, and supportive school environment.

  • Lead initiatives that reinforce positive behavior, celebrate achievements, and foster a culture of respect and inclusivity.

• Data Tracking and Analysis

  • Track all instances where a scholar is removed from class and document the circumstances, duration, and outcomes.

  • Analyze this data weekly, identifying trends and actionable insights, and share findings with the leadership team to inform interventions and support strategies.

• Family Engagement

  • Organize and facilitate Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Nights quarterly (at a minimum) to provide resources, guidance, and support for families in their efforts to reinforce SEL at home.

• Individual and Group Counseling

  • Provide counseling to individual scholars as needed, addressing academic, social, emotional, and behavioral concerns.

  • Manage outside mental health service providers, including but not limited to our relationships with SCYAP, Empowered Families, and MUSC

  • Lead group counseling sessions and facilitate small groups focused on social skills development, emotional regulation, and other SEL needs. Tailor these groups to scholars identified as needing additional SEL or behavioral support.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in School Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, or a related field.

• State licensure/certification as a School Counselor (or eligibility for certification) preferred.

• Experience working with school-aged children, preferably in a K-5 educational setting.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with teachers, families, and administrators.

• Knowledge of PBIS and SEL frameworks.

• Commitment to fostering a positive school culture and promoting the school’s values.

Ability to:

• Work hard to achieve the school’s mission.

• Improve the minds and lives of scholars in and out of the classroom.

• Communicate clearly and effectively in both oral and written language.

• Establish and maintain positive relationships with a variety of people. 

• Engage families and the larger community in the life of the school.

Key Competencies:

• Empathy and Sensitivity: Approaches scholars’ needs with empathy and a supportive attitude.

• Data-Driven: Uses data effectively to drive interventions and track scholar progress.

• Organizational Skills: Ability to manage multiple responsibilities, including data analysis, counseling sessions, and school-wide events.

• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to connect effectively with scholars, families, and colleagues.

We Offer:

• A part-time, flexible schedule that includes evenings and weekends.

• A supportive and energetic team environment.

• Opportunities for professional growth and community impact.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with your experience. Compass Collegiate Academy full-time employees are provided with a benefits package that includes medical, vision, and dental insurance, retirement plan, parental leave, and a laptop.

All employment with CCA is AT-WILL and nothing contained in this job description or in any other document provided by CCA creates a contract of employment for a specified term. In at-will employment, both the employee and employer retain the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time and for any reason, with or without cause and with or without any advance notice.

Compass Collegiate Academy is committed to providing equal access to educational and employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, pregnancy, age, sex, or any other protected characteristic, as may be required by law.