School Summary

Georgia Connections Academy is a tuition-free, full-time virtual school for students K through 12. The school is authorized by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission and governed by an independent Board of Directors, with a mission to maximize academic achievement for students who are seeking other academic options. The school is operated by Georgia Connections Academy, a nonprofit corporation, through a contract with Connections Academy of Georgia, LLC, to provide its educational program and other services. Connections Academy, a division of Connections Education, is accredited by AdvancED, and GACA is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement.

Position Summary and Responsibilities

This is a Term of Project position for the 2025-2026 School Year.

Working from our office in Duluth, Georgia, or from your home in Georgia, the High School GRASP (Graduates Ready to Attain Success in Postsecondary) Counselor is a one-year grant funded position. The counselor will support a limited caseload of identified at-risk students in achieving academic, personal, social, and career development success. The counselor will assist students and parents/learning coaches with course selection, scheduling and will be the initial point of contact for student concerns that span multiple subject areas as well as non-academic issues.

All GACA staff must be able to participate in monthly in-person activities, including but not limited to:

• School and department meetings,
• Student engagement opportunities,
• Required training/development,
• School-level events, such as in-person student success sessions, state testing and graduation.

The High School GRASP Counselor will be responsible for the successful completion of the following tasks:

• Conduct in-depth student analyses to understand the population needs and establish an appropriate caseload of off-track and/or supportive one-on-one student collaboration to create unconventional, individually tailored plans and programs of study to meet the unique needs of the students on his or her caseload.
• Establish a comprehensive team to provide student support for each student on his or her caseload.
• Engage his or her caseload in discovering, examining and exploring postsecondary options and possibilities.
• Implement a counseling program to support caseload students.
• Maintain accurate and ongoing data collection.
• Partner with counseling team in developing and implementing a cluster counseling plan to address at-risk students.
• Collaborate with the program specialist to ensure that interventions and strategies are aligned with identified need and program expectations.
• Develop a sustainability plan for activities developed throughout the grant.

In addition:

• Advise students with issues related to dropping courses and changing schedules, seeking support as needed, while ensuring that the school’s course selection and drop policies are adhered to;
• Review caseload student transcripts and the entry of credits into the online transcript system;
• Work with school teams to identify and help families access school and community resources;
• Report and refer critical incidents that jeopardize student well-being as obligated by law, administrative regulations, or ethical standards. Stay abreast of all state regulations relating to incident reporting and documentation;
• Implement special programs such as Advanced Placement support, SAT and ACT Preparation, Dual Enrollment, and college entrance preparation;
• Educate students and parents about college admissions requirements and financial aid;
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Georgia service certification in School Counseling
• Strong technology skills (especially with Microsoft Office products)
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Customer focused approach
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills
• High degree of flexibility
• Team player with demonstrated leadership skills
• Demonstrated ability to work well in fast-paced environment
• Willingness to travel on occasion for student success sessions, marketing and state testing events (may require occasional overnight travel)
• Must be able to use a personal electronic device and an email address for two-step authentication

Term of Project: Based on potential student enrollment changes, this position will work until the end of each semester of the 2025-2026 School year. At that time, the school and department leadership will evaluate the status of this position and could extend it for the following enrollment period or school year if they deem it necessary. Full-time positions are
eligible for most employee benefits, including medical, dental, and vision.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.