High School Placement Counselor (NY)

Who We Are

Excellence Community Schools (ECS) is a Charter Management Organization (CMO) supporting schools in the Bronx, NY and Stamford, CT. Our programs are based on a proven, nationally recognized model, which originated in our flagship school, the Bronx Charter School for Excellence, a National Blue Ribbon School.

Our Mission and Vision

Our schools prepare young scholars to compete for admission to and succeed in top public, private, and parochial high schools by cultivating their intellectual, artistic, social, emotional, and ethical development. We accomplish this by offering a challenging and rigorous academic curriculum, which at the earliest of grades has an eye towards college preparation. To achieve this, our schools create a supportive and caring environment that at all times has high expectations of all students. We offer a differentiated, project-based learning environment that seeks to develop high-level analytic and critical thinking skills in all of our students. Our engaging and rigorous approach to educating our scholars is implemented by a collaborative team of teachers.

Who We Need:

We are seeking individuals who are dedicated, ambitious, and committed to student success and education reform. Qualified candidates must demonstrate records of achievement, high degrees of personal responsibility, and the drive to do whatever it takes to ensure that every child achieves academic success. This individual must be committed to excellence, lead by example, and see collaboration as a key component of success.

The Position

Reporting to the Director of High School Placement, the High School Placement Counselor is responsible for providing program support to educate scholars and families on the high school placement process. The successful candidate will be responsible for programming in service and support of middle school scholars within our network. The High School Placement Counselor establishes close partnerships with Excellence Community Schools’ school leadership, teaching staff, parents, and guardians.

Qualifications

• Dedicated to our mission. Committed to ensuring that each scholar is placed in the best fit high school. 

• Willingness to make things happen with a sense of urgency to ensure that each scholar is provided with optimal opportunities. 
• Experience in high school admissions, education, or nonprofit industry.

• Prior teaching experience preferred and/or working with 5th through 8th grade students.

• Knowledge of independent, selective public, specialized, charter, or catholic school admissions, academic advising, and financial aid. 
• Ability to work collaboratively and be a proactive team player. 
• Demonstrated commitment to educational opportunities and equity for underrepresented youth.
• Excellent attention to detail, good judgment, a high level of integrity, adhering to deadlines.
• Familiarity with MySchools, Ravenna, the SAO, and Gateway, preferred. 
• Possess strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to communicate and work with multiple stakeholders within and outside the organization.
• Enthusiasm to support new projects and see them through.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products such as Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Maintain a high level of sensitivity to different family cultures and dynamics.
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Fluency in Spanish or Bengali is a plus.

Candidates who do not meet the above requirements will not be considered.

Requirements

Responsibilities

• Support in all aspects of the high school admissions process, including scholar essays and portfolios, test preparation, interviews, financial aid support, and school selection. 
• Collaborate with the Director of High School Placement to ensure a comprehensive and integrated high school placement process for all scholars. 
• Teach and assist with middle school (5th-8th grade) high school prep curriculum, preparing scholars for competitive independent day and boarding schools, Catholic, Specialized, and selective public schools.
• Develop relationships with middle school parents through group and individual meetings regarding the high school placement process, which includes high school options, test prep, the application process, financial aid, etc.
• Prepare scholars for various high school admission exams (SHSAT, ISEE, SSAT, and TACHS), essays, and portfolios.  
• Support, coordinate and proctor practice exams and mock interviews for scholars. 
• Record meeting notes for each scholar and parent interaction.
• Create and maintain scholar profiles.
• Nominate scholars for academic enrichment, performing and visual arts, and competitive athletic programs. 
• Prepare scholars and families for open houses, visitation days, and registration for entrance exams.
• Communicate closely and regularly with parents regarding the high school application process via phone, email, text, and in-person meetings.
• Support with network High School Placement office hours for application support on occasional Saturdays or after school.  
• Process admissions documents and ensure timely submission of applications. 
• Support in the execution of High School Placement departmental summer programming. 
• Attend education fairs with scholars and families.
• Provide support to the Director of High School Placement as needed. 
• Perform other associated duties and projects as assigned by the Director of High School Placement. 

Working Conditions

• This is a year-round position, requiring working during the summer, occasional evenings, and weekends to meet the needs of our scholars and their families.

• Ability to travel within our network as needed for high school placement support and coverage.

• This position will be based on-site at one of our middle schools and report to the Director of High School Placement and the Principal.

Benefits

Compensation

• Starting salary $65,000. Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• Health Insurance, dental, vision & 403b Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off/Paid Sick Leave/Parental Leave/FMLA
• Short-term, Long-term Disability benefits and Life Insurance

To learn more about our schools, please visit www.excellencecommunityschools.org andwww.stamfordexcellence.org.