Franklin Academy is seeking dedicated and proactive candidates for the role of Academic Advisor & College Counselor to work with a cohort of neurodivergent post?graduate students. This position provides individualized academic support and targeted interventions aligned with each student’s learning profile and performance needs. The Academic Advisor & College Counselor will directly monitor student progress, provide academic and course advising, conduct both 1:1 and group interventions, and collaborate closely with Franklin Academy faculty and partner college faculty to promote student success. This role is responsible for guiding students and families through the post?secondary application and transition process. The ideal candidate brings a background in education, special education, or transition services and a strong commitment to supporting student growth in organization, goal?setting, executive functioning, and social engagement.

1. Case Management & Student Support

• Serve as the primary point of contact for academic services for a cohort of approximately 16–19 post-graduate students, providing ongoing academic and emotional support.
• Directly advise 6-8 students, supporting direct communication and outreach to families. 
• Monitor and evaluate student performance, and develop and implement personalized learning plans and targeted intervention strategies.
• Maintain regular communication with students, faculty, and parents regarding academic progress, goals, and support plans.
• Conduct individual and group interventions focused on academic success, organizational skills, study strategies, and social engagement.
• Partner with local colleges and universities on enhancing academic course offerings for post-graduate students. 

2. Collaboration & Communication

• Collaborate with faculty and staff to establish a coordinated and responsive support system for students.
• Ensure students’ learning plans and 504 accommodations are clearly communicated to relevant faculty and staff, with follow?up as needed.
• Support student registration with offices of disability services at the local community college. 
• Partner with internal stakeholders to align academic expectations, supports, and student goals.

3. Progress Monitoring & Reporting

• Collect, analyze, and interpret student performance data to identify trends, strengths, and areas requiring additional intervention.
• Provide regular, clear, and actionable updates to parents and guardians regarding academic and behavioral progress.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and recommend adjustments or new strategies as appropriate.

4. Postsecondary Oversight & Transition Planning

• Establish collaborative and supportive relationships with students and families throughout the post?secondary planning process.
• Assist students with college or post?Franklin program applications, ensuring timely and accurate completion of required materials.
• Create, maintain, and file student transcripts as requested during enrollment and post?graduation.
• Utilize the student information system to track progress, inform advising decisions, and communicate next steps to families.
• Collaborate with the Associate Dean of College & Career Counseling to design and deliver workshops or classes preparing students for transition beyond high school.

5. Community Engagement & School Service

• Serve on Franklin Academy committees as assigned.
• Actively participate in school-wide professional development activities.
• Engage fully in the life of the school community, including residential and extracurricular programming.

6. Evening & Weekend Programming 

As part of Franklin Academy’s residential program, participation in evening and weekend programming is required and additional stipend is earned.  Responsibilities include:

• One assigned evening duty per week, based on residential life needs.
• Weekend duty as assigned per residential life schedule.
• Leading or supporting evening seminars, workshops, or activities.
• Participating in all?campus special events and community programming.

About Franklin Academy

Franklin Academy is a coeducational boarding and day school in East Haddam, Connecticut, set on a 75-acre campus along the Connecticut River and bordering the 700-acre Chapman Pond Preserve. Serving neurodivergent students in grades 8 through postgraduate year, Franklin supports intellectually capable learners whose needs around executive functioning, language processing, emotional regulation, and social cognition are not well met in traditional school settings. Our students are curious, motivated, and deeply relational, and they thrive in an environment where educators value flexibility, creativity, and a strengths-based approach to learning. Our faculty and staff are the heart of Franklin Academy. We seek educators and professionals who are eager to work collaboratively in a holistic boarding school environment where academic, residential, and student support programs are intentionally aligned. Franklin is not a traditional boarding school or a single-model program. Instead, we integrate best practices from independent schools, special education, and neurodevelopmental research to prepare students for college and life through explicit skill-building and authentic relationships.... This work is demanding and deeply meaningful, and while it is not the right fit for everyone, those who join our community find purpose, professional growth, and the opportunity to make a lasting impact on students’ lives.

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Connections working at Franklin Academy