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El Cajon, California
Posted: 18-Jun-26
Location: San Francisco, California
Type: Full Time
Salary: $80,000 - $120,000
The School
Founded in San Francisco in 2010, Alta Vista School (AVS) is an independent JK-8 school serving approximately 310 students across two campuses. We implement an inquiry-based STEAM program where students are encouraged to go beyond academic foundations to pursue their passions.
At AVS, we are "serious about play." We believe children learn best in joyous, authentic settings where teachers serve as guides in an inquiry-based journey of discovery. Our approach is rooted in the scientific method, design thinking, and the belief that technology, guided by the arts, can be leveraged to benefit all.
The Position
Starting August 1, 2026. Alta Vista is seeking a Lower School Counselor. The Lower School Counselor serves as a vital champion for the emotional, social, and mental health of students in Grades JK–5. This role collaborates closely with teachers, parents, and administration to cultivate a supportive, inclusive, and emotionally responsive learning environment that aligns with the school's mission and values.
Key Responsibilities
Direct Student Support
- Provide individual and small-group counseling to support students navigating social, emotional, behavioral, or academic challenges.
- Facilitate evidence-based crisis intervention and responsive services as unexpected student needs arise. Communicate as necessary with families and outside services, which may occasionally occur outside of traditional work hours.
- Design and implement targeted social-skills groups to foster positive peer relationships, conflict resolution, and emotional regulation.
- Observe students in natural environments (classrooms, recess, lunch) to proactively identify behavioral needs and develop actionable intervention strategies before they escalate, sharing these as needed with teachers, families, and outside providers. Be actively involved in implementing said action plans.
Curriculum & Community Programming
- Partner with lower school faculty to design, implement, and integrate a robust, culturally responsive Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum across all grade levels.
- Occasionally lead classroom lessons (or as needed) and faculty meetings focusing on empathy, resilience, digital citizenship, anti-bullying, and community accountability.
- Coordinate and facilitate parent and caregiver workshops on child development, parenting strategies, and mental health trends.
Faculty & Family Collaboration
- Serve as a trusted consultant for teachers, providing them with practical classroom management tools, behavioral plans, and trauma-informed strategies.
- Act as a bridge between home and school, offering guidance to families and connecting them with external mental health professionals, therapists, or other outside providers when needed.
- Co-manage and oversee the weekly grade-level Student Support Team (SST) infrastructure:
- Co-facilitate overall logistics, including setting agendas, ensuring accurate documentation/note-taking, assigning stakeholder tasks, and coordinating parent follow-up.
- Partner with the Learning Specialist, who leads the academic intervention and accommodation planning aspects of these meetings.
- Co-lead weekly SST leadership debriefs to review holistic academic, behavioral, and SEL trends across grades.
School Culture & Inclusion
Collaborate with the Director of Equity and Community to ensure counseling practices and SEL curricula are culturally sustaining and inclusive of all backgrounds and identities.
Contribute positively to the lower school community by participating in community meetings, school-wide events, and faculty committees.
Qualifications
Education & Licensure: Master's degree or higher in School Counseling, Social Work (MSW), Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), School Psychology, or a related field required; Valid California Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential, or relevant state licensure (LCSW, LMFT, LEP) preferred.
Experience
Experience working with lower school-aged children in a school or clinical setting, with school counseling experience preferred; familiarity with child development, restorative justice practices, SEL frameworks, and trauma-informed practices. The ability to handle sensitive, confidential issues with extreme discretion, empathy, and professionalism is essential.
Relational Skills
Demonstrated ability to build trust-based relationships with children and communicate with warmth, clarity, and professional ethics. Ability to collaborate effectively with teachers, administrators, and families.
Organization
Strong time management skills with the ability to manage a caseload, coordinate across teams, and respond to both scheduled and emergent student needs. A proactive, solutions-oriented approach that anticipates student needs and surfaces concerns early, rather than waiting for issues to escalate.
Equity Lens
Commitment to equity, inclusion, and ensuring that counseling services are accessible and affirming to all students of all backgrounds or identities.
Physical Demands & Work Environment
- Requires physical presence on campus.
- Ability to sit/stand for 4–8 hours and navigate stairs regularly.
- Regular pushing, pulling, bending, stooping, kneeling, and lifting (1–20 lbs.).
