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School Counselor

Brooklyn Waldorf School
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SUMMARY: We are looking for an individual with training in child and adolescent social work, school counseling, or school psychology to work at our independent school. Candidates should possess a skill set that includes being able to screen for possible behavioral issues that might require outside intervention, along with the ability to provide guidance for families facing parenting challenges. Some basic knowledge of Waldorf education and openness towards our methodology would be beneficial to long term success at our School.

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Exempt/Full-Time

TERM: 2025/2026 School Year / Administrative

LOCATION: 11 Jefferson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238 (on-site) 

SCHEDULE: M – F (~40 hours/week) 

REPORTS TO: Director of Pedagogy/Faculty Administrator

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS: $80,000-$93,000; opportunities for professional development

 ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

School Wide

  • Act as one of the public faces of the EC-8 learning support department; communicate effectively with colleagues, students, caregivers and other constituencies about the department’s philosophy, vision, and program
  • Facilitate horizontal and vertical communication and alignment between and among  faculty, parents, and students
  • Consult with administration, including the Student Services team members, to develop strategies for handling disciplinary matters that involve students with behavioral/emotional difficulties
  • Assume a leadership role in collaborations supporting positive mental health and designing programs to meet the needs of students, families and faculty
  • Support crisis assessment and response
  • Has training in classroom behavior management programs such as Responsive Classroom
  • Is knowledgeable of our school’s Health and Social-Emotional Learning (HSEL) program and works collaboratively with faculty in the training, planning, implementation, and alignment across each grade  

 Student Services Team 

  • Work in collaboration with the Director of Pedagogy, the Faculty Administrator, the Director of Learning Support, the Director of Equity,  Faculty, and School Nurse as an equitable and holistic support model
  • Establish and maintain connections with outside providers and manages individual crisis intervention 
  • Oversee the development and delivery of the school’s HSEL curriculum and teaching lessons in this curriculum
  • In collaboration with the the Director of Pedagogy, the Faculty Administrator, and the Director of Learning Support and the faculty, plan and deliver programs for faculty on such topics as social and emotional well-being, learning, and mental health

 Family/Student Support

  • Build deep relationships with students, families, and faculty; cultivates a classroom and community of belonging 
  • Has a deep understanding of child development and promote an appreciation for student wellness and an understanding of the connection between emotional health and intellectual wellbeing 
  • Possess experience in cultural competencies and apply these understandings in their work with students, faculty, families, and in curriculum 
  • Prioritize continuous examination of own biases with respect to student diversity, equity, and inclusion 
  • Provide guidance and support to parents around child development and issues related to mental health 
  • Identify developmental, psychological, cognitive, and behavioral needs of students in Grades EC-8 to collaborate and assist faculty with planning to meet these needs 
  • Use evidence-based practices, research, and student needs to inform decisions and programming that support the social-emotional, health, and wellness of all children (EC- Grade 8)
  • Meet with individual students on a short-term (2-3 sessions) basis to determine, in consultation with the Learning Support team and teachers,  if the student  needs outside referrals for longer-term therapeutic work
  • Lead small-group sessions to support students with identified needs
  • Provide short-term (2-3 sessions), culturally responsive consultations to families whose children are experiencing behavioral or emotional difficulties, and plan next steps
  • Serve as a consultant and liaison among students, parents, faculty and administrators
  • Offer parent workshops and faculty trainings on topics related to child development and social-emotional learning
  • Consult with teachers to help them gain a deeper understanding of the behavioral and emotional issues faced by individual students in their class
  • Recognize the importance of integrating SEL in all aspects of students’ lives at school and support students via participation in classroom teaching, small group, and one-on-one meetings as needed 

 Teacher Support & Capacity Building 

  • Serve as a resource and educator for all teachers and administrators through the lens of clinical psychology 
  • Collaborate with teachers to address behaviors or needs when presented in the classroom, and responds both proactively and responsively
  • Address psychosocial issues in the classroom (e.g., helping teachers navigate peer conflicts) and developing relevant lessons in timely response to their occurrence in the classroom
  • Support teacher implementation of behavior plans
  • Identify through observation the individual, classroom, and grade-wide social and emotional needs of students, and address specific trends, to design appropriate interventions and supports 

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE & REQUIREMENTS 


 

  • Master’s Degree or higher in psychology or social work, with appropriate certification or licensure by the State of New York
  • Ability to organize, plan, demonstrate flexibility, and implement tasks independently 
  • Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; appreciation for diverse student life experiences, family structures, and human temperaments; experience supporting LGBTQIA+ youth is preferable but not required
  • Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively within and across multiple constituencies
  • Commitment to and confidentiality when sharing clinical knowledge and perspective with faculty, administrators, families and students
  • Ability to lead with energy, kindness, and a sense of humor
  • Sense of joy in working with children and as part of school life

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change, i.e., emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs, or technological developments.  

 

If you are interested in applying, please visit our website Employment page here: https://www.brooklynwaldorf.org/about-us/employment

 ABOUT THE BROOKLYN WALDORF SCHOOL (BWS) 

The Brooklyn Waldorf School is a vibrant and dynamic school nestled in the heart of Bedford-Stuyvesant. The Brooklyn Waldorf School provides an education that meets the needs of each student in a developmentally appropriate manner, integrating critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and a deep connection to the arts through the curriculum founded by Rudolf Steiner. Through leading a balanced and well-rounded school life, students are expected to understand themselves as agents of change in an ever-evolving world.   

Our faculty hails from all over the world and includes both seasoned Waldorf teachers and those new to Waldorf education. Serving over 160 students from pre-K to grade 8, teachers typically remain with a class through multiple grades, forming deep relationships over time. BWS teachers care for their students as whole individuals and provide not only for their academic development, but also for their emotional intelligence, artistic capacities, and physical knowledge of their surrounding environment. Teachers develop their own classroom content through active engagement with curricular resources prepared by our Faculty Council and reflect our local urban environment and community values.  

The Brooklyn Waldorf School was founded in 2005 by a body of parents and Waldorf graduates who sought a nurturing space within the city where their children could discover and explore their inner potential. As the school community grew, classes expanded to include Parent-Child, Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle School. 

Brooklyn Waldorf School is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for its students, visitors, faculty, and staff, and to ensuring that educational and employment decisions are based on an individual’s abilities and qualifications. BWS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender (which includes a person’s actual or perceived sex, as well as gender identity and expression), age, marital status, disability, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, familial status, predisposing genetic characteristics, actual or perceived domestic violence victim status, unemployment status, caregiver status or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local law, in carrying on its educational activities or in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, financial aid programs, and athletic and other school administered programs. 

BWS is an equal opportunity employer. Individuals from historically underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.