Job Title: Lower Adolescent Social Worker

Level: Lower Adolescent (Grades 7-9)

Classification: .50 FTE (the 20 hours per week can be worked between 8:30 to 4:30 with some meetings extending past 4:30 when required)

Compensation: Commensurate with experience (Union pay scale 3)

Benefits Eligible: No

Licensure: MDE Social Worker Licensure

Reports to: Director of Student Services

School Year: 2026-2027, starts immediately

General Description: This position works collaboratively with the Student Services Department, which includes a team of three full time social workers. This position involves working with the Special Education teams, both through direct work with students and consultation with the team, working with Child Find Intervention processes and offering students social emotional interventions, convening groups, consulting with classroom guides and working collaboratively on wellness initiatives with the student services team.

Great River School is committed to Montessori and International Baccalaureate pedagogy and has an excellent reputation as a Public Montessori Charter School. The role of the School Social Worker is to further our mission to provide a quality Montessori education through inspiring learning environments and strong relationships based on respect for the gifts of each student.

Areas of responsibility and Concomitant Tasks:

- Provide Social Work services (including but not limited to: )
- Serving direct goals and minutes of student’s IEP plans
- Responding to crisis and providing risk assessment
- Develop safety plans in coordination with SpEd and Student Services teams
- File child protection reports
- Engage external resources for support like housing, food access, transportation

Special Education Direct Service

- Write, review and manage goals in SpEd forms
- Attend IEP meetings and consult with IEP team
- Serve direct and indirect minutes for students toward achieving their goals

Social Work Groups

- Collaborate with other social workers and classroom guides around organizing groups
- Communicate with families
- Facilitate weekly social work groups

Communication

- Maintain confidentiality
- Communicate with families with updates, progress and/or concerns
- Collaborate in communication - IEP teams, classroom teachers, admin, families as necessary
- Maintain records (ROI) and communication with students’ outside providers

Organization and Flexibility

- Maintain a weekly schedule that includes meetings, groups and SpEd minutes
- Work flexibly to serve these obligations,



while also responding to the needs of the moment on any school day as it pertains to students on your caseload.

Behavior Support

- Along with all faculty members, the Social Worker is responsible for upholding school and level norms with students
- For Tracked behavior, support guides by covering their rooms to allow follow up, or connect directly with students to support emotional regulation
- Behavior Tiers
- Behavior Definitions
- Responding to Behavior Flowchart
- For Tracked behavior, support guides by covering their rooms to allow follow up, or connect directly with students to support emotional regulation
- Work with Dean of Students to follow investigation protocol for Bottom Line behaviors

Mental Health Advocate

- Defining a boundary between service at school vs. need for additional support
- Serving as an advocate and lens in the Gen Ed setting to help contextualize student experience
- Maintain list of community resources and refer families to appropriate agencies
- Seek ROI’s and collaborate with community providers

Professional Development

- Provide trainings as needed for professional development

Meetings, Key Experiences and Commitments:

- Attending weekly Level Meetings
- During professional development and in-service days, coordinate with the Director of Student
- Services to determine whether to attend level or department meetings.
- Regular meetings (weekly or bi-monthly) with the Director of Student Services
- Support student in the level’s Key Experiences - The Fall Odyssey and the Spring Bike Trip
- Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director and the Director of Student Services
- Contribute to your fair share of the operational needs of the school
- Participate in an annual performance review with the Director of Student Services

Essential Qualities

- Ability to develop supportive relationships with students.
- Patience and flexibility in working with students that have a history of struggling in school.
- Ability to de-escalate conflict and work with students, families and guides to regulate, re-engage and repair as needed.
- Maintain a weekly schedule that includes meetings, groups and SpEd minutes
- Work flexibly to serve obligations, while also responding to the needs of the moment on any school day

Qualifications





Qualifications:
- Active LGSW or LICSW and MDE school social work license
- Civility, Honesty, and Integrity; as reflected in daily interaction with faculty, students and parent / guardians
- Judgment: as reflected in decision-making and problem-solving skills
- Depth: ability to draw from a broad base of knowledge or experiences
- Relationships: ability to develop appropriate relationships in support of teaching and learning
- Flexibility: willingness to shift daily schedule based on emergent student and community needs
- Excellent written and verbal skills.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills

Additional Preferred Qualifications

- Experience working in a Montessori program
- Experience teaching Social Emotional Skills curriculum(s)
- Experience with de-escalation techniques
- Knowledge of due process paperwork and timelines

Institution Description

Great River School is a public Montessori institution serving students ages 6 through 18. Our community is committed to an engaging environment which prepares students for their unique roles as responsible and engaged citizens of the world. Our vision is world peace through education. We specifically seek to deconstruct systems of bias and oppression that interrupt relationships and access to education. We welcome applications from all backgrounds - racial justice, gender inclusion, and accessibility of education is central to our core values as a school community.

We encourage applicants who are passionate about Montessori education - Great River School seeks and encourages applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds. People of the global majority are highly encouraged to apply. We seek to employ adults who reflect the heritage, backgrounds, and experiences of neighborhoods where our students live.

We hire employees who have a Montessori credential, and we also are excited to recruit adults who are committed to teaching at an innovative school and committing to Montessori training.

Application Instructions/Comments

Equal Prospect Statement:

Great River School provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Great River School will provide accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

📌 Lower Adolescent Social Worker (Saint Paul)
🏢 MN Association of Charter Schools
📍 Saint Paul