School Summary

Oregon Connections Academy is a tuition-free, online school serving students in grades K–12 throughout Oregon. Connections Academy schools are supported by Connections Education LLC, which is accredited by Cognia, formerly Cognia, formerly AdvancED. Oregon Connections Academy is authorized by the Prairie City School District to serve students throughout Oregon.

Oregon Connections Academy strives to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the diversity of the people we serve. We foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to create a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

Position Summary and Responsibilities

Working primarily from your home in Oregon, the Advisory Teacher will virtually assist students and parents/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 Advisory Teacher will become an expert on course and credit requirements and will work with the School Counselor to establish counseling processes for middle and high school students.

The Advisory Teacher will be responsible for the successful completion of the following tasks:

• Advise students and families related to academics, career planning and graduation;
• Assist students and parents with the secondary 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;
• Review student transcripts and the entry of credits into the online transcript system;
• Follow procedures to ensure that Connections Academy transcripts are accurate and up-to-date;
• Work with the administrative assistants to obtain school records from the student’s previous school (where applicable) and forwarding student records when appropriate;
• Implement programs for students and families related to interpersonal adjustment issues;
• Work with school teams to identify and help families access school and community resources;
• 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);
• Coordinate a team of middle and high school teachers to 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 Connections 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;
• Help students to research and understand their post-secondary career and educational options;
• Assist with student preparation of applications for college and jobs;
• Educate students and parents about college admissions requirements and financial aid;
• Support professional development activities for teachers and school staff members;
• Assume teaching and grading duties as necessary including teaching elective courses; and,
• Other duties as assigned.

Term of Project (TOP): Based on potential student enrollment changes, this position will work until the end of each semester of the 2022-2023 school year. At that time, the school and department leadership will evaluate the status of this position and could extend it for the following enrollment period or school year if they deem it necessary. Full time positions are eligible for most employee benefits, including medical, dental and vision.

Requirements

• Oregon teacher certification in a secondary content area or grade level
• Strong technology skills
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Customer focused approach
• High degree of flexibility
• Demonstrated ability to work well in fast-paced environment
• Willingness to travel on occasion for meetings and state testing events (may require occasional overnight travel)
• Ability to work occasional evening hours, as needed to support some families