DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING - YES PREP WEST (2021-2022)

Dir. College Counseling JD

POSITION: Director of College Counseling

REPORTS TO: Principal

POSITION TYPE: 11-month

START DATE: July 2021

COMPENSATION: Starting at $64,000

THE CHALLENGE

Across the nation, only half of all students from low-income communities graduate from high school and only 10% earn a college degree. Even though 89% of our students are economically disadvantaged, YES Prep provides evidence that different outcomes are possible. Eighty-three (83%) of YES Prep alumni matriculate to college within one year and alumni like Eddie Zapata are earning their college degrees at five times the rate of their peers with similar socioeconomic backgrounds. How do we do this? YES Prep has 21 campuses serving K-12, 19 campuses of those campuses serving 6th-12th graders, like Monique Bowie . The remaining 2 are YES Prep's newest elementary campuses starting in the 20-21 school year, and we will continue adding 2 elementary campuses per year until 2024. This allows us to serve even more families and provide access to a college preparatory mindset from a child's first schooling experience.

Houston is the 4th largest city and our increasing population translates into 2,000 families on YES Prep's waitlist. YES Prep's student enrollment is estimated to grow from 14,500+ students currently, to 23,000 by the 2024 - 2025 school year.

This challenge is magnified when we are serving the communities who are most impacted by the national pandemic of COVID-19. Regardless of the method of learning-virtual, in-person, or a hybrid model-we will "Keep YES Prep Learning," so that our students maximize their potential and educational experience, maintaining college readiness for all students as the bar. At the end of the day, we will work relentlessly to shape our path forward and use current challenges to become a stronger organization.

THE OPPORTUNITY

YES Prep needs a dynamic Director of College Counseling with a diverse set of experiences to make our mission a reality. As a YES Prep employee, you will achieve jaw-dropping results, create pathways to opportunity for our students, build transformative relationships, and eliminate educational inequities to advance social justice.

To put it simply, you will play an integral role in overseeing the execution of all campus college initiatives work, including college readiness, college matriculation, and alumni support programs that will fulfill the YES mission.

THE ROLE

When you join the YES Prep team, some of the exciting work and responsibilities will include:

• Planning, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive college advising and alumni support program that leads to college matriculation, persistence, and graduation;


• Managing college counselors and seminar teachers in executing the college advising and alumni support program including but not limited to building college lists, teaching seminar, financial aid, testing preparation, college visits, and alumni outreach;


• Researching, establishing and maintaining long-term relationships within the college admissions arena as well as maintaining awareness of the higher education landscape;


• Working with appropriate stakeholders across all grade levels to develop a strong college-going culture;


• Managing registration, supervising, and other related issues regarding standardized tests including PSAT, SAT, ASVAB, SAT, and TSI;


• Progress monitoring all campus College Initiatives goals including but not limited to college lists, applications, financial aid, SAT, and alumni matriculation;


• Coaching the team to guide seniors and juniors and their families through the college search, admissions, financial aid, and enrollment process;


• Planning and executing campus and district events such as parent nights, career fairs, college visits, Senior Signing Day, and graduation;


• Serving as a member of the campus Director's team directly impacting and executing campus-wide goals and initiatives;


• Ensuring all students are on-track to graduate from high school;


• Additional duties as assigned.

THE PERSON

We seek staff with diverse backgrounds, talents, interests, and ideas. Certain traits consistently shine through for our most successful employees: passion for the mission, drive for results, care for students, and resilience. Other traits needed and desired for this role are:

THE MUST HAVES

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four-year educational institution


• 3-5 years of experience in college counseling, college access, or college admissions


• Experience managing a team and/or leading adults


• Proficiency with all MS Office programs including: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook


• Possess strong analytical and communication skills


• Experience using data to drive decisions


• Ability to work outside of normal hours and on weekends


• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core value of YES Prep Public Schools


• Openness to giving and receiving frequent feedback


• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress


• Ability to work urgently in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment


• Creates and maintains positive working relationships on a team and/or in a highly collaborative environment


• A dedication to learn, grow, and develop as a professional

THE NICE TO HAVES

• Master's Degree


• Counseling certification


• Instructional experience


• Experience working in a school setting


• Fluency in Spanish

THE PERKS

• Compensation -This position is an exempt, salaried position; salary offers commensurate with experience.


• Health and Supplemental Insurance- A $10 monthly medical option that includes $600 towards a Health Savings Account, in addition to a variety of supplemental benefits including Dental, Vision, Disability, Life, etc. Employees must work 20+ hours a week to be eligible for a full spectrum of benefits, and 10 hours a week minimum for medical benefits.


• Retirement Plans- Participation in Teacher Retirement System of Texas and a 457 Retirement Plan.


• Paid Time Off- 12 days of Paid Time Off in addition to the system closures of our Academic Calendar for all regularly scheduled employees working 20+ hours a week.


• Paid Leave Programming- In the event you need to be out due to medical needs (including maternity and paternity leave), YES Prep offers paid leave, paid out at 100%, based on eligibility and tenure.


• Professional Development - YES Prep values longevity and performance over time. We invest in developing leaders through high-quality programs, effective coaching, and ongoing professional development.


• Award Winning Culture -The strong cultures of our campuses and Home Office are just one of many reasons we were named Houston's Best Place to work in 2018 and 2019. We won the 2012 Broad Prize for Excellence in Urban Education and were a 2016 finalist as well.

WE ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO EQUITY & DIVERSITY

YES Prep strives to recruit a diverse team of leaders. We believe there is a transformative academic and social benefit for students when their teachers and leaders reflect a diversity of backgrounds. Ninety-five percent (95%) of staff members agree that the organization provides a welcoming environment given their background and identity according to our latest system survey.

YES Prep is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood.

THE NEXT STEPS

If this sounds like your just right job, apply today!

If you are not sure this opportunity is for you, are simply curious, or know someone who would be perfect, please reach out to our Talent team to be connected to a recruiter by filling out this form .

Type : INTERNAL & EXTERNAL

Location : WEST CAMPUS

Job Family : COLLEGE INITIATIVES

Posting Start : 06/11/2021

Posting End : 12/31/9999