10-10. School Counseling Specialist (“SCS”) Classification
10-10.1. 1 Job Duties/Responsibilities.
School Counseling Specialists shall only perform duties in accordance with applicable statutes, established guidelines and their job description.
10-10.2. Exempt Status.
SCSs are exempt, professional employees.
10-10.3. Licensure.
All SCSs are required to possess a valid Professional Educator License (PEL) in School Counseling from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). A PEL in Educational or Administrative Leadership is also strongly preferred but not a required credential for the position.
10-10.4. Status after Recognition.
No incumbent SCS shall suffer a loss in salary or benefits due to the agreement to bring them into the bargaining unit.
10-10.5. Regular Work Day and Work Year.
10-10.5(a). Regular Work Day.
SCSs shall work an eight-hour workday, inclusive of a forty-five minute duty free lunch period. All travel time is part of an eight-hour workday, except travel to and from their first and last work location each day.
The practice of one attendance swipe per day shall be maintained. The work day for SCSs shall normally begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.; however, the start and end times may vary according to the school start and end times as well as any meetings prior to or after the regular work day (e.g., if an SCS is assigned to a school that starts at 8:00 a.m. and has mandatory administrative meetings at 7:30 a.m., the SCS’s day would start at 7:30 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m.). It is understood that SCSs may be required to work outside their regular workday or workweek schedule. On non-student attendance days, if Central Office employees are provided the option to work remotely, SCSs will also be afforded the same opportunity, except in cases where operational needs necessitate their on-site presence.
10-10.5(b). Work Year.
SCSs are continuously employed on a 12 month, 52-week schedule.
10-10.6. Promotion and Professional Opportunity for SCSs.
10-10.6(a).
The BOARD shall post all vacant SCS positions for at least ten days prior to the deadline for applications. The positions shall be posted on the Chicago Public Schools job application portal.
10-10.6(b).
The posting shall include a description of the duties of the position; the qualifications required of persons applying for the position; the location of the position, if known; and the salary range of the position.
10-10.7. Return to Classroom.
An SCS who decides to return to a school counselor or PSRP position shall be placed in the appropriate lane and step, as applicable. The SCS shall get credit on the step placement for time worked for CPS in a Network position and/or outside of the bargaining unit.
10-10.8. Supply Money.
Each Fiscal Year, the BOARD shall appropriate sufficient funds to reimburse SCSs up to $300 per employee for instructional supplies and materials, class library books and curriculum materials purchased by them for student instruction and support. Administrators shall approve the reimbursements in accordance with the procedures developed by BOARD, and such reimbursements shall be paid by the end of the semester in which the receipts were submitted.
10-10.9. SCS Layoff.
10-10.9(a). Application of Appendix H and I.
Neither Appendix H nor Appendix I will apply in the event of an SCS layoff.
10-10.9(b). Notice of Position Closing.
When a determination is made that an SCS’s services are no longer required at a network, the SCS will be so notified (hereinafter “notice of layoff”) at least 21 days in advance of the effective date of layoff.
10-10.9(c). Order of SCS Layoff.
In the event that the BOARD closes SCS positions, the BOARD shall determine which SCS classification shall be retained and which shall be closed. Among SCSs within the network (or other business unit or department) and within the same classification, the order of layoff shall be as follows:
- SCSs without a teaching certificate or licensure shall be laid off first;
- Additional SCSs shall be laid off by inverse order of seniority, starting with the least senior.
10-10.9(d). SCS Benefits Upon Layoff.
In the event a SCS is laid off, eligible SCSs shall be placed in the Reassigned Teacher Pool, provided their most recent summative rating was not Unsatisfactory. This provision applies to any SCS who has previously achieved tenured teacher status or who has served in an SCS role for at least three (3) consecutive years with a summative rating of Proficient or higher. Eligible SCSs laid off during the school year shall be placed in the Reassigned Teacher Pool effective on the date of the layoff and may remain there for up to ten (10) school months. During this period, such SCSs may be temporarily assigned to a full-time teacher vacancy for which they are qualified and shall be compensated in accordance with the salary schedule and work year applicable to teacher positions.
10-10.9(e). Assistance in Permanent Placement after Layoff.
The BOARD shall assist SCSs who are laid-off in an effort to find them permanent placements in vacancies in appropriate areas of licensure (certification).
10-10.10. Evaluation.
10-10.10(a). Evaluation Tool and Process.
SCSs shall be evaluated under the RISE framework in conformity with the provisions agreed to below:
The Parties agree the evaluation system shall include the following components:
- Annual evaluation. The SCSs shall be evaluated annually.
- Flexible Timelines. The evaluation timelines shall incorporate flexibility to allow the evaluation process to be thorough and fair to both managers and employees.
- Competency-Based Rubric. The evaluation tool will include a competency-based rubric, documentation of feedback, and an unscored self-assessment component.
- Goal-Setting and Rubric. The evaluation tool will incorporate annual goal setting done collaboratively at a meeting of the SCS and the evaluator, including weighting goals to their relative priority. In cases of misalignment, final goals and weighting shall be at the discretion of the evaluator and shall be reasonably related to job content and responsibilities.
- Mid-year check-in. The evaluation system will include a mid-year check-in for each evaluator and SCS to provide an opportunity to discuss progress towards goals, feedback and additional support for the SCS.
- At the request of Evaluator or SCS, a meeting will be scheduled to adjust the goals to reflect any changes in job duties and responsibilities.
- Summative Rating. The summative evaluation will incorporate a 5-rating system, “exemplary,” “proficient,” “progressing,” “acquiring,” or “unsatisfactory” based on a numerical scoring system. The summative rating score will include the score from both the competency-based rubric and a rubric for assessing goals. Each shall be weighted 50% for the overall summative evaluation rating.
- Remediation. Any SCS rated “progressing,” “acquiring,” shall be placed on a Professional Development Plan, the parameters and timelines of which shall be set by the evaluator in consultation with the Talent Office. Any SCS rated “unsatisfactory” or rated “progressing” or “acquiring” for two consecutive evaluations will be placed on a Remediation Plan. The evaluation system shall set forth specific timelines and parameters for a Remediation Plan, including what constitutes successful completion, and which requires termination if an SCS does not successfully complete a Remediation Plan.
10-10.11. SCS Termination.
10-10.11(a). Appeal.
Review of dismissals under terms corresponding to CBA Article 29 and Article 9. SCS discharge procedures will be governed under the same terms as delineated for PSRPs.
10-10.12. Salary.
10-10.12(a). Salary Scale.
Effective July 1, 2024, 52-week SCS roles will be placed on a salary schedule that is 10% higher than their 208-day teacher salary as specified in Appendix A in accordance with District Policy.
10-10.12(b). Step placement.
New hires and transfers will be placed on Step 1 or any appropriate advanced step in accordance with CPS policies.
10-10.12(c).
Incumbent employees who received non-union increases after June 1, 2022, will keep the higher of the non-union increases or the CTU COLA for each year prior to July 1, 2024. Incumbents are not eligible to keep both the non-union increases and receive the CTU COLA.
10-10.12(d). Incumbent Employee Step Placement.
Effective July 1, 2024, the Board will place incumbent SCSs on the step set forth in the Incumbent Step Placement. Step placement shall be in accordance with the following principles:
- An SCS who has not been employed for 12 months or more as of July 1, 2024, will be placed on step 2 provided that the step has a salary equal to or greater than the SCSs current salary plus the July 1, 2024 COLA.
- All other SCSs will be placed on the appropriate step as defined in the CPS Compensation and Pay Plan Policy provided that the step has a salary equal to or greater than the SCSs current salary plus the July 1, 2024, COLA.
- Effective July 1, 2024, incumbent SCS employee’s step anniversary date will be July 1st of each year thereafter.
10-10.13. Vacation Accrual and Scheduling.
10-10.13(a). Vacation Accrual.
As 52-week employees, SCSs will accrue vacation in accordance with the Board’s Paid Time Off Policy.
10-10.14. Paid Designated Leave (Effective Winter Break SY25-26).
10-10.14(a).
All SCSs whose regular work schedules extend through the time periods will receive additional paid designated leave each year when CPS schools are closed during the week of Thanksgiving, and during the two-week winter recess, provided they work their scheduled shift on both the workday immediately preceding and the workday immediately following each period. This paid designated leave does not accumulate, and will not be paid out upon resignation, retirement, or separation from CPS.
10-10.15. Reimbursement.
SCSs will be reimbursed for mileage in accordance with the Board’s Employee Travel and Work Related Expense Reimbursement Policy.
10-10.16. Leaves.
SCS’s shall have the same parental leave rights as Teachers except for access to a childrearing leave.
10-10.17. Saturday/Sunday Work.
SCSs who are required to work on Saturday or Sunday will be paid a non-pensionable stipend of $125 per day for work performed on those days. This amount will be increased each year by the COLA.