Newcomer Center Counselor

The Lansing School District serves over 10,000 PreK-12 students across 25 school buildings in the increasingly diverse urban community of Lansing, MI. We are unique compared to other districts because of the wide variety of exciting and innovative educational options from which families and staff members can choose. All of Lansing School District’s team members are dedicated to our mission to provide an excellent education to all students in a safe and nurturing environment.
In pursuit of this mission, we are hiring new counselors. A school counselor ensures that students have the necessary credits to graduate, guiding them through academic planning and course selection. They also manage scheduling, balancing student needs with course availability to optimize educational outcomes.
In particular, we are hiring a Multilingual Learner Counselor for the Newcomer Center within the Lansing School District. Students who qualify to enroll in the Newcomer Program may have limited formal schooling, migrant lifestyles, and low literacy levels in their native language, making it extremely difficult to transition directly into a traditional secondary school setting. The counselor will lead students to success by evaluating transcripts, coordinating schedules with home schools, fostering positive behavior, and collaborating with teachers and staff to support the transition into formal US education systems. This position will nurture resiliency in students on their caseload, create a welcoming environment  where background knowledge, language and culture is valued and time is given to orient students and families to a new culture, school, and community.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in education or in counseling
• Previous experience working with children
• Strong understanding of Michigan graduation requirements
• Alignment with Lansing School District's mission and values

Preferred Qualifications

• Valid Michigan teaching certificate with a counseling endorsement (NT)
• Previous experience in an urban setting
• Training in CRPBIS and other related instructional methodologies
• Knowledge of and experience using Synergy, Portal, and Elevation

Job Responsibilities

• Demonstrate passion for and expertise of school counseling
• Use data to guide decisions related to scheduling and graduation planning
• Learn and grow by incorporating feedback from school leaders, colleagues, students, and professional development sessions
• Build relationships with students and parents to ensure a safe, welcoming, and engaging learning environment
• Other duties as assigned to best support the Lansing School District mission

Additional Qualifications and Responsibilities

• Qualifications
• Proficiency in a language beyond English is desired
• Experience with academic, college, and career advising, including enrollment of newcomers, college scholarships, and specialized programs 
• Responsibilities
• Provide an opportunity to meet with newcomer students and parents/guardians to review the student's academic records and educational options available in the district, and engage each student and family in creating an educational plan to support overall graduation efforts
• Evaluate overseas transcripts to determine validity and student’s eligibility for high school grade level and cohort  placement (when applicable)
• Collaborate closely with building administrators and support staff, throughout the district, to facilitate successful transitions when students exit the Newcomer Center to attend their homeschool
• Be the district representative for the MDE Seal of Biliteracy

At the Lansing School District, we champion diversity, equity, and inclusion, providing equal opportunities to all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or sexual orientation. We foster a rich environment for professional growth and student experiences by valuing diverse perspectives. As an equal opportunity employer, we invite passionate individuals dedicated to educational excellence to apply for our positions.
We value internal mobility and list "Strong Internal Candidate" when considering an internal candidate before posting a job. We still encourage all candidates to apply.
Complete the attached online application at your earliest convenience. If selected, we will contact you to set up an interview. While we strive to provide prompt feedback, the high volume of applicants may limit our ability to do so. All of our jobs will be posted for at least 10 days (unless otherwise noted), but we will review applications on a rolling basis.
External candidates interested in multiple positions within the same department need only appl