School Counselor (5th-8th Grade)

Chinese American International School seeks a

School Counselor (5th-8th Grade)

(This is an English language position, NO Chinese language proficiency required.)

OPPORTUNITY         

Bridging the elementary to middle school journey, the 5th-8th Grade School Counselor is distinctively positioned to witness and support the transformation children make as they find their way and discover who they want to be in the world. The outgoing counselor attests, “each CAIS student who has crossed my path has been smart, interesting, talented, and their desire to learn and become their best self has been inspiring.”

At CAIS we value honest self assessment, thoughtful self reflection, intentional planning and focused implementation. We are known as an ambitious school, and in recent years we have introduced and implemented a number of significant initiatives in the areas of overseas programing, student support services, systematic assessment in Chinese, reading and writing workshop across languages, educational technology, integrated curriculum units across subjects and languages, the arts, diversity equity and inclusion, and daily scheduled PLC time, to name a few.

BENEFITS         

The CAIS Board of Trustees and administration are expressly dedicated to ensuring that CAIS is a great place work. As a critical component of our Strategic Vision, the school has committed to attracting, developing, retaining, and rewarding top-tier faculty and excellent educators with a benefits package including:

• Transparent salary scale benchmarked to the Bay Area’s competitive market
• Robust opportunities for professional development, support, and growth
• Comprehensive insurance package (covering 100% of premiums for individual employee)
• School contribution to 403(b) retirement plan
• Numerous opportunities to participate in international travel
• Commuting cost assistance

OUR STUDENT SERVICES TEAM

At CAIS, we are committed to educating our students by providing ongoing support to address their academic, social and emotional well being. Our teachers understand and respect that each individual child is different, and they ensure that our educational program and services support all types of learners. The Student Services Team (SST) members regularly meet and collaborate with classroom teachers to address the needs of our students.

The SST consists of a director who oversees the department and works with students, learning specialists, school counselors and Chinese language support specialists. Resources in this department are not only for our students and teachers, but also for our family community.

SCHOOL COUNSELOR’S MAIN AREAS OF FOCUS AND RESPONSIBILITY IN GRADES 5-8

• Identify students in need of social emotional support in consultation with faculty members
• Provide brief (short-term) social, emotional, and behavioral support for individual students as needed.
• Collaborate with faculty members to implement social emotional curriculum and strategies to support all students
• Facilitate communication between families, allied professionals, and the school to effectively support students
• Bridge the transition between the Lower School and Middle School Create and evaluate the Middle School advisory curriculum and supervise Middle School advisors
• Create and facilitate support groups as needed
• Work closely with both the Middle School and Lower School Division Directors in regards to student behavior
• Conduct classroom observations of children referred to the SST
• Recommend effective classroom strategies for behavior
• Serve as a liaison and case manager between outside resources and school staff
• Maintain a detailed working file on each case designed in conjunction with administration and accessible to administration as needed
• Perform crisis intervention as needed
• Create and maintain a list of outside resources and referrals
• Coordinate with administration on any grade level specific meetings for parents, students, or staff
• Participate in all faculty meetings and other school activities such as Back to School Night, parent education, etc.
• Create and maintain the puberty development, technology safety, healthy body image and substance abuse curriculum in collaboration with classroom teachers and outside presenters.

ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree in MSW, LCSW, MFT with license, or MS in Counseling

• At least 3 years of experience as a counselor
• Experience in working with school age populations, children, staff, and parents
• Experience in screening students, providing sound recommendations and making referrals
• Experience with teaching and implementing of social emotional skills curriculum and parent education
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills with students, parents, and teachers
• Some teaching experience preferred

ABOUT CAIS         

The CAIS mission exhorts all community members to embrace Chinese, become their best selves, and create their place in the world. As the nation’s first dual language Chinese and English Pre-K through 8th grade school, CAIS works continuously to maintain our role as a leader in immersion education. Our dedicated, volunteer Board of Trustees work with the HoS to provide long-term vision and planning. Our administration, teachers, and staff create a vibrant, collegial setting that embodies the mission. The supportive, stimulating atmosphere is made all the more enjoyable by seeing the children whose lives CAIS touches each day through our life changing, world changing program.

Our three campuses are located in the heart of San Francisco and accessible by public transportation in San Francisco. The lively neighborhood echoes the school’s vital energy and provides ready access to cultural treasures such as the Asian Art Museum, SF Jazz, the San Francisco Symphony and more. For more information, visit https://www.cais.org/about-us/employment

TO APPLY         

CAIS’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is central to our mission. People of color and LGBT candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Email cover letter, resume, and list of references to student_services_jobs@cais.org. In subject line please indicate “5th-8th Grade School Counselor.” Please no calls.