WELCOME TO INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

At IPS, we believe in the transformative power of education. We work collectively every day to prepare our students for success in the classroom and in life by providing equitable, high-quality educational experiences across our family of schools. IPS is a place to make an impact, grow your career, and ensure every student has access to a high quality education, all while earning a good living in a district on the move. While the work is challenging, it is deeply meaningful and impactful. We seek innovators and trailblazers who bring varying experiences and expertise and share our belief that every child deserves access to an exceptional education. As part of TeamIPS, you'll create lasting connections, find a sense of belonging, and feel supported to make a meaningful difference in students' lives.

In return, no matter your role here, we expect a commitment to excellence and accountability. You'll be held to high standards. Resilience and passion are key-you must be adaptable, handling adversity with flexibility while putting students at the heart of everything you do. Ethical conduct, clear communication, and mutual respect are fundamental. Being a dependable, collaborative team player who builds meaningful relationships is essential.

Together, we are Proving What's Possible by building a community where everyone belongs and each student has the opportunity to fulfill their potential.

A TEACHING CAREER IN IPS OFFERS...

Purpose and Impact: Students First: Teaching for IPS is a rewarding opportunity to support bright, curious students as they shape their futures. We hold ourselves to the highest expectations of excellence, focusing on students' holistic needs during their educational journey with us. Community: Working in a school means it is your home away from home, and you have a school family who supports you and leads with empathy and vision. Professional and Personal Growth: Grow Your Career: We offer professional development and career advancement opportunities, including dedicated mentorship programs for early career teachers. Generous Compensation: We're proud to offer the highest teacher starting pay in Indianapolis and one of the most competitive in the state, with teachers earning $53,460 - $94,000 depending on experience, plus a generous benefits package. Our teacher salaries are continually on the rise, as IPS regularly advocates for stronger teacher compensation. Access to Financial Benefits: Working in IPS makes it possible to benefit from federal programs such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) or Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF), helping reduce the financial burden of student loans. Work-Life Balance and Well-being: Comprehensive Health Insurance: Access top-tier health plans covering medical, dental, and vision needs, plus IPS offers a private clinic for staff and their families through our partners at Ascension St. Vincent. Flexible Wellness Leave: Take the time you need to care for yourself and your family with our generous leave policies. Teachers receive 70 hours of sick leave in their first year (56 hours annually after) for illness, family, or mental health, plus three personal days, two floating holidays, and school breaks. Unlimited accumulated sick leave adds flexibility, supporting teachers' health and work-life balance. Incentivized Discounts through IPS Wellness Program: Opportunities to earn hundreds of dollars off your medical premium by participating in proactive and simple health screenings, plus discounted group fitness classes, health and fitness assessments, personal training, and more. WHAT WE EXPECT...

Commitment to Excellence: High Standards: Strive for the very best in all you do, maintaining high standards for yourself, your students, and your colleagues. Embrace lifelong learning and adapt to new teaching methods and challenges. Educational Equity: IPS is deeply committed to breaking down systemic inequities. We do this by "walking the walk" on new policies and practices, building diverse and inclusive classrooms and staff teams, and ensuring our environments are grounded in our values of respect, inclusivity, and educational equity. Resilience and Passion: Dedication to Students: Put students at the heart of your work. Be passionate about their success and well-being. Adaptability: Handle adversity with resilience and flexibility. Be prepared for a dynamic work environment. Professional Integrity: Ethical Conduct: Uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. Act responsibly and respectfully toward all individuals, communicate with candor and care. Team Player: Be dependable, punctual, and collaborative, contributing positively to our supportive work environment. JOIN US!

Indianapolis Public Schools is more than a workplace; it's a community where purpose, impact, and belonging come together to help Prove What's Possible - in your career and in your school. If you're ready to embrace challenges, strive for excellence, and make a meaningful impact, IPS is the place for you.

SUMMARY OF ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

The Director is responsible for work which involves leadership, coordination and oversight of initiatives and support programs in order to ensure that all students graduate on time and prepared for post-secondary success. Employee is responsible for supervision and support of staff to promote the maximum development of all students by prevention and or alleviation of problems that interfere with the tasks of learning and remaining on-track. Reports to the Executive Director of Postsecondary Readiness.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Master's degree in Education, Education Administration, or a related field; 5 to 7 years of experience as a teacher, counselor, social worker, school administrator, or school support position with program coordination and supervisory experience; valid Indiana Building Level Administration license or license from another state; or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

The following outlines what your core duties and responsibilities will be for this position and provides a sample overview of what your day-to-day may look like.

Core Duties and Responsibilities The Director of School Counseling and Student Success will lead the district's Graduation and On-Track Services, overseeing and implementing district dropout prevention, grade-level on-track support, and graduation support services and adjusting current systems to meet the state's new graduation seal requirements. The Director of School Counseling and Student Success will provide support services to students, families, and schools utilizing evidence-based strategies to increase student success, Indiana graduation seal attainment, district graduation rates and guidance and support for all IPS high schools in planning and executing graduation. The Director of School Counseling and Student Success will serve as the district's Graduation Pathways Subject Matter Expert (SME) and SME for graduation waivers. The Director of School Counseling and Student Success will collaborate with the PSR team to direct ensure smooth delivery of services through our high school and middle school Future Centers. The Director of School Counseling and Student Success will direct implementation of comprehensive school counseling programs, providing leadership and support and coordinating professional development for school counselors, tracking metrics and submitting all required fiscal/program reports. "Day In the Life" Overview

On a regular day, as the Director of School Counseling and Student Success, you might: Respond to concerns, inquiries and requests from schools, parents and the community regarding on-track and dropout prevention. Plan and/or provide staff development, conferences, and training to upgrade knowledge and skills of staff. Conduct personnel administration duties for staff including hiring, assigning special duties, monitoring attendance, travel reports, and granting leave. Read various publications and attend various workshops, seminars, etc., to continuously upgrade professional knowledge. Promote programs and services offered through presentations, workshops, literature, and the media to assist parents on programs. Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with school personnel, community and civic groups; provide consultation to schools. Monitor expenditures and ensure adherence to administrative procedures; plan and secure resources for programs. WHAT YOU'll BRING: SKILLS AND MINDSETS

As an ideal candidate for this role, you will be able to achieve the following: Growth Mindset - Continuously seeks to improve individual work, demonstrating candor and ability to identify weaknesses. Finds lessons in failures and successes of others. Proactively seeks and acts on feedback. Effective Influencer - Inspires others to work towards common goals to meet the needs of urban school students, despite obstacles. Advocates the importance of the district's role in serving schools and communicates with internal and external stakeholders. Strong Collaboration & Cross-Functional Skills - Builds rapport and cooperative relationships with others. Establishes and maintains strong relationships with relevant stakeholders. Places high priority on team and organizational goals. Confidentiality - Makes effective decisions regarding sensitive and confidential information. Respects the privacy of others and maintains the confidentiality of information to which exposed. Communication Skills - Possesses effective verbal and written communication skills and should be able to adapt communication style to suit different audiences. Strategic Thinking - Identifies challenges and guides team toward solutions. Creates space for productive debate and alternative perspectives. Encourages innovation and creativity from team. Identifies risks and ways to mitigate. Project Management - Manages projects from end to end, identifying and monitoring project milestones and holding team accountable for achieving results.

LANGUAGE SKILLS : Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one, small group, and large group situations.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY : Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and use hands to find, handle, or feel. The employee frequently is required to talk or hear. The employee is required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 20 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and humid conditions and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

DISCLAIMER:

The above job description is designed to denote the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications of employees assigned to this job.