2024-25 School Social Worker (Grades 3-8)

Paul Robeson Charter School (PRCS) is a free, lottery-based, open-enrollment charter school currently serving students from across Trenton in grades 3-8. The 2024-2025 school year is an exciting year for PRCS because we will start serving students in kindergarten and 1st grade and become a full K-8 school in 2025-2026!

The mission of Paul Robeson CS is to provide a personalized education that challenges, inspires and prepares students to passionately pursue their dreams & lead a life of active civic engagement. PRCS inspires and equips every student to lead a life of achievement, service and success. Our structured and nurturing community, comprehensive programming and rigorous academic curriculum are designed to build self-motivated citizens, eager learners and strong leaders - regardless of circumstance.

Opportunity

PRCS is seeking a passionate Middle School Social Worker to join the PRCS family for the 2024-2025 school year! The Middle School Social Worker promotes and enhances our school's overall academic mission by providing services that strengthen home/school/community partnerships and alleviate barriers to learning. The Middle School Social Worker significantly contributes to the development of a healthy, safe, and caring environment by advancing the understanding of the emotional and social development of children and the influences of family, community, and cultural differences on student successes and by implementing effective intervention strategies. This role is managed by our Assistant Principal of Middle School and regularly collaborates with the Middle School Dean and Director of Student Supports.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the PRCS Character Education program for Middle School (grades 6-8);
• Handle all Tier 1 & Tier 2 counseling cases at the Middle School level;
• Restorative practices;
• Use a variety of techniques or methods to gather information to determine students’ need of services and evaluate program needs;
• Assesses and evaluates behavior problems resulting in school violations and helps in different assessments regarding causal relationships;
• Participate in weekly student support meetings with school staff;
• Provide support services for 30-40 students (individual and group) that meet their academic, social and emotional needs, including:
• Setting goals for each student
• Monitoring progress of goals every quarter and writing progress updates
• Meeting regularly with students
• Liaising with students, school staff, family and community agencies.
• Identifies and connects with community partners, organizations, and agencies;
• Conduct regular family home visits;
• Participates in the I&RS Team and own a caseload of students;
• Collaborates with Panther Pantry and Student Assistance Fund Initiatives.

Qualifications and Skills

• An understanding of the community’s health and mental health resources;
• The ability to motivate students and cultivate a culture of achievement and joy;
• A belief that ALL students should be held to high academic standards and can achieve;
• Resilience and perseverance in the face of challenges;
• Professionalism (interactions, communication, duties, and attire);
• Commitment to school transformation and continuous improvement;
• Open to feedback and coaching;
• Strong sense of personal accountability for student achievement;
• Collaborative approach to problem solving.

Educational Background and Work Experience

• A master’s degree in counseling and appropriate licenses;
• At least 2 years’ experience as a School/Guidance Counselor, preferably in an urban middle school setting.

The Rewards

• Competitive salary and benefits package;
• Robust daily planning periods;
• Unique school calendar, hours, and schedule;
• Professional collaboration with grade and content teams;
• Weekly coaching and ongoing professional development;
• 1:1 Chromebooks in every classroom;
• Google Education platform for online assignment management;
• The opportunity to maximize your impact in schools where we are raising the bar for student achievement.