Student Advisor - Lighthouse Connections Academy na Connections Academy

School Summary

Lighthouse Connections Academy (LCA) is a tuition-free K–12 online public school that students attend from home. Authorized by Oxford Community Schools, Lighthouse Connections Academy is state certified and open to students located throughout Michigan including Troy, Royal Oak, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester, Farmington, and beyond.

Position Summary and Responsibilities

Working from our office in Michigan, or your home office, the Student Advisor will virtually assist students and guardians/Learning Coaches with course selection, scheduling and will be the initial point of contact for student concerns that span multiple subject areas as well as non-academic issues. The Student Advisor will become an expert on course and credit requirements and will work with the School Counselor to establish counseling processes for middle school and high school students.  The Student Advisor will be responsible for the successful completion of the following tasks:

• Make Welcome Calls to new students and keep grade level teachers informed when new students are enrolled into their courses;
• Monitor grade level escalation, including contacts and participation.
• Monitor attendance, including communicating with caretaker regarding attendance expectations, and making attendance adjustments as necessary;
• Advise students and families related to academics, career planning and graduation;
• Assist students and parents with school course selection process according to specific state credit and graduation requirements and student needs and interests. An integral part of this process is assisting students and parents to develop a Four-Year Plan for meeting graduation requirements;
• Advise students with issues related to dropping courses and changing schedules, seeking support as needed, while ensuring that the school’s course selection and drop policies are adhered to;
• Work with the administrative assistants to obtain school records from the student’s previous school (where applicable) and forwarding student records when appropriate;
• Work with school teams to identify and help families access school and community resources;
• Monitor truancy for assigned grade level;
• Assist with Academic Plans;
• Implement programs for students and families related to interpersonal adjustment issues;
• Participate in the development of crisis prevention and management plans for the school and serve as a key member of the Student Support Team (SST);
• Help identify students who are “at risk” or “in crisis”; Act as the main point of contact for these students and families, communicating regularly with them;
• Oversee and maintain the Personal Learning Plan (PLP) for each student;
• Implement efforts to secure complete and accurate records for Academy students;
• Support families through the school withdrawal process, assisting with data collection regarding withdrawal;
• Report and refer critical incidents that jeopardize student well-being as obligated by law, administrative regulations, or ethical standards. Stay abreast of all state regulations relating to incident reporting and documentation;
• Assist teachers when students enroll mid-semester, making sure that teachers receive guidance on integrating the students into their coursework, and ensuring that previous grades, credits, and evaluations are handled appropriately;
• Advise students and families related to academics, career planning and graduation;
• Support professional development activities for teachers and school staff members;
• Assist with proctoring for required state tests.  Monitor state testing participation for assigned grade level. Assist with student contacts/confirmation regarding state testing;
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Michigan teacher certification preferred, but not required by MDE
• Michigan Residency preferred
• Strong technology skills (especially with Microsoft Office products and Google Suite)
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Highly organized and punctual
• Student and family focused approach
• High degree of flexibility
• Demonstrated ability to work well in fast paced environment
• Team player track record
• Strong interpersonal skills which include the ability to work effectively with students, parents, staff, and community members from diverse backgrounds.
• Travel to and attendance at in-person events, including State Testing is required throughout the school year, as determined by the school. This may require overnight travel.
• Ability to work some occasional evening hours, as needed to support some families
• Ability to work remotely, if necessary
• Must be able to use a personal electronic device and an email address for two-step authentication.