Job Details

Description

School Summary

Lighthouse Connections Academy (LCA) is a tuition-free K–12 online public school that students attend from home. Authorized by Oxford Community Schools, Lighthouse Connections Academy is state certified and open to students located throughout Michigan including Troy, Royal Oak, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester, Farmington, and beyond.

Key Responsibilities Include The Following

• 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;
• Provide specified assistance to families in need of additional support to prevent unnecessary withdrawals and encourage a high level of participation;
• Handle any student problems escalated by parents and teachers;
• Develop, plan and implement counseling programs for students and families related to academic and career planning and graduation;
• Oversee the school’s College and Career Readiness Program with the goal of increasing participation
• Lead the school’s efforts in external partnerships as related to College and Career Readiness
• Oversee FASFA for college-bound students
• 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 Graduation Coach/College and Career Readiness Specialist 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;
• Oversee the school’s strategic graduation rate plan working closely with various teams to ensure improved graduation rates and reduced drop out rates at LCA
• 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;
• Supervise efforts to secure complete and accurate records for LCA 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;
• Research, develop and implement special programs such as Advanced Placement support, SAT and ACT Preparation, and college entrance preparation.
• Design and implement professional development activities for teachers and school staff members;
• Design and coordinate high school graduation ceremonies;
• Coordinate a team of staff, helping to identify students who are at risk or in crisis;
• Assist the Executive Director and work collaboratively with the administrative team in implementing, monitoring, and supervising the School Year Cycle;
• Supervise and evaluate the effectiveness of the staff (including, but not limited to Advisors, School Social Workers, School Counselors, Interns) in a performance-based environment and frequently conduct informal and formal observations;
• Recruit, supervise and evaluate all school staff as required by the state;
• Understand the school budget and how to utilize the available resources successfully to meet the outlined goals of the assigned Department;
• Support school administration in managing the school’s budget and various grants;
• Evaluates the effectiveness of school counseling programs and recommends revisions and improvements as needed.
• Provide state testing support including logistics for scheduling, tracking participation and contracting for testing facilities;
• All other duties assigned
  

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in School Counseling or Guidance Counseling
• Meet Michigan Department of Education School Counselor Requirements
• Minimum 3 years of counseling experience in a secondary school setting preferred
• Michigan Residency Preferred
• Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from a regionally accredited college/university Required
• Strong leadership qualities and a commitment to goal-directed management and accountability
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Knowledge of Professional Learning Communities
• Customer-focused approach
• Flexible, ability to transition from task to task quickly
• Demonstrated ability to work well in fast-paced environment
• Team player
• Technologically proficient (especially with Microsoft Office products and Google Suite)
• Travel and attendance at in-person events, including State Testing is required throughout the school year, as determined by the school. This may require overnight travel
• Ability to work some occasional evening hours, as needed to support some families
• Must be able to use a personal electronic device and an email address for two-step authentication
  
  

Lighthouse Connections Academy strives to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the diversity of the people we serve. We foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to create a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.