CERTIFIED SCHOOL COUNSELOR - BLIND DEPT - BLIND DEPT 48008291

Requisition No: 874067 

Agency: School for the Deaf & Blind

Working Title: CERTIFIED SCHOOL COUNSELOR - BLIND DEPT - BLIND DEPT 48008291

 Pay Plan: Contract FTE (BenEl)

Position Number: 48008291 

Salary:  $63,803.57 - $68,060.42 

Posting Closing Date: 04/29/2026 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

                                                                                                                     Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB)

                                                                                                           Certified School Counselor  - 7% Specialist– Board of Trustees

                                                                                                                                      Position Number 48008291

                                                                                                                                      Department: Blind Principal

                                                                                                                                 Position start date is July 1, 2026

Who are we?

FSDB is a state public school available at no cost to eligible pre-K and K-12 students who are deaf/hard of hearing, blind/visually impaired or deafblind, including boarding and transportation services. FSDB is nationally recognized for its comprehensive educational services, designed for the unique communication and accessibility needs of students. FSDB also provides educational outreach programs for children ages 0-5 and their families. The FSDB experience provides students with the edge to do more, be more, and achieve more.

How you will make an impact:

The incumbent of this position works as a Certified Guidance Counselor.

• Coordinates and facilitates the FSDB, State, and college entrance assessments of grades 9 through continuing education students to include inservices and support to teachers on testing procedures.
• Coordinates and provides direction to senior students, their parents, and acts as a liaison with community agencies for the planning of a smooth student transition from FSDB to post-secondary training, employment or school to include follow-up contacts with alumni for reporting and updating data as needed.
• Participates in the majority of TIEP's at the high school level, and, as requested, at the middle school level and completes transition sections of student IEPs.
• Completes necessary paperwork with regard to transition planning, makes telephone contacts, composes letters and reports to agencies, parents, and schools as needed; coordinates scholarships; communicates with other professionals across campus as needed; conducts meetings and in-services, as needed; and coordinates services with off-campus consultants as needed.
• Creates student and staff schedules for the Blind High School.
• Provides individual counseling services to students on personal issues, career planning, and life skills.
• Other duties as assigned.

The duties outlined reflect the primary responsibilities of the position; however, they are not all-inclusive. Related or similar duties may also be assigned as necessary.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of the principles and techniques of guidance counseling blind/visually impaired students;
• Knowledge of curriculum needs in basic areas of social skills, employability skills, career development, occupational opportunities and vocational assessment/training/placement for blind/visually impaired students;
• Skills in administering achievement tests;
• Ability to teach students in individual and group settings;
• Ability to utilize interactive conferencing skills with teachers, students, parents, adult service agencies, and school support services;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others;
• Ability to pass training and administer skills acquired during CPR and Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training (CPI);

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher in related field
• Current state of Florida educator certification in School Counseling PK-12 or ability to obtain within a reasonable period of time upon hire.

 If certificate noted is not from Florida, upon appointment, shall obtain state of Florida licensure within a reasonable period of time.

• 12 credit hours of college coursework in Visually Impaired, or equivalent, or take the Visually Impaired K-12 subject area exam twice a year until exam is passed & Visually Impaired subject is added to Florida educator certificate.

Preferred:

Professional teaching experience with students who are blind/visually impaired and/ or professional experience working as a school counselor. 

Sign Language Requirements:

Applicants who are selected for hire will be encouraged to learn sign language.

Please note: FSDB provides education to acquire sign language skills.

Hiring Salary Range: 11-month position $63,803.57 - $68,060.42. This range is inclusive of verified experience. Employees shall receive compensation for higher education beyond a Bachelor’s Degree as noted below.

Master’s Degree: additional $2,400

Master’s +30, or 2nd Master’s Degree, or Education Specialist, or Doctorate Degree: additional $2,400

Employees may earn any combination of degrees and receive that amount. Only one degree in each category will apply.

Hours: Monday – Friday; 8:00am to 4:00pm

Vision:

FSDB will prepare each student for a lifetime of success.

Mission:

The mission of FSDB is to utilize all available talent, energy, and resources to provide free appropriate public education for eligible sensory impaired students of Florida. As a school of academic excellence, the school shall strive to provide students an opportunity to access education services in caring, safe, unique learning environment to prepare them to be literate, employable, and independent lifelong learners. The school shall provide outreach services that include collaboration with district school boards and shall encourage input from students, staff, parents, and the community. As a diverse organization, the school shall foster respect and understanding for each individual. (Section 1002.36, Florida Statutes)

Values:

Integrity & Respect – The FSDB community is a cohesive group that serves with honor, care, kindness and responsibility.

Safety & Security – The FSDB community is committed to the protection and well-being of stakeholders.

Innovation – The FSDB community welcomes change and embraces a continuous improvement mindset to encourage new methods to solve problems and foster creativity and growth.

Trust – The FSDB community is committed to high quality services and accountability through honest, reliable and consistent actions.

Our benefits include:

• Automatic enrollment into the Florida Retirement System.
• Medical insurance coverage is $90 per pay period for family coverage; $25 per pay period for employee only.
• Life insurance $25,000 is provided by the state at no cost to you for all FTE positions.  Employees may purchase additional coverage.
• Low-cost supplemental benefit packages that include dental, vision, and much more.
• Professional development opportunities and ability to learn American Sign Language on campus at no cost.
• Tuition waiver program – earn up to 6 credit hours per semester at state universities.

How You Will Grow:

FSDB provides staff members with opportunities to grow professionally, enhancing their ability to support students' growth. School- and state-required training and skills development is offered both online and in-person for academic and non-academic staff members.

Condition of employment

Applicants under consideration for employment at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind will be required to complete background investigation.  Fingerprints will be taken and sent to the Florida Department of Law enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a background check of your criminal history record(s) at the state and national level via the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse Education and Awareness website https://info.flclearinghouse.com 

FSDB is a drug-free workplace.

TO APPLY: 

Applications accepted through People First only.

An attached resume is not a substitute for the information required on the application. It is the responsibility of all applicants to keep their application current.

All members of the Florida Retirement System are required to contribute 3% of their salary on a pre-tax basis.

To access additional information please log on to https://jobs.myflorida.com/joblist.html and in Keywords enter 48008291

Take this opportunity to make a difference in a student’s life and become part of a great School.  Apply today!

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.