Academic Counselor for MiaPrep Online High School (MOHS)

Location: 100% remote within the U.S. (any U.S. time zone)

Classification: Full-time, non-exempt employee

Salary: $24.95 - $35.07 per hour

Welcome to Miaplaza!

Our vision is to elevate online learning by applying the most successful approaches in virtual education to create an accessible and inclusive homeschool curriculum platform where all students can be successful! MiaPrep Online High School (MOHS) is our online high school for students in grades 7-12. Formed in 2022 and accredited in 2023, we’ve grown from 80 students in our first year to over 530 in 2025! Miaplaza’s leadership aims to continue this high-growth trajectory, with a goal of serving 10,000+ students in the next 5-10 years! 🚀

Role Summary

The Academic Counselor partners with students and families in grades 7-12 to support academic success, graduation completion, and postsecondary readiness. The Academic Counselor acts as a case manager providing proactive academic planning, targeted intervention, and relationship-based support to ensure students remain engaged, on track, and progressing toward their goals.

Academic Counselors focus on high-impact, student-facing work, academic decision-making, graduation oversight, postsecondary planning, and whole-child academic support - while collaborating closely with Advisors, Student Support Specialists, Teachers, and the Registrar.

Academic Counselors are expected to spend approximately 45–50% of their work week (18–20 hours per week) in direct and indirect student-facing activities, including student and family meetings, academic planning conversations, proactive outreach, and intervention.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Academic Planning & Graduation Oversight

• Develop and maintain individualized academic plans aligned to graduation requirements and student goals

• Monitor academic progress toward graduation and intervene when students fall off track

• Lead student-specific graduation pathway planning and course sequencing decisions

• Ensure students meet graduation eligibility requirements

• Read and interpret incoming transcripts, including from nontraditional, out-of-state, or international systems, and translate them accurately into MOHS courses, credit, and SAP

Student Intervention & Case Management

• Serve as the primary Tier 2 intervention point for students escalated by Advisors

• Conduct targeted counseling conversations to identify barriers to academic progress

• Develop and implement short-term academic intervention plans

• Coordinate support across Advisors, Student Support Specialists, Teachers, and administrative teams

• Monitor intervention outcomes and adjust plans as needed

• Hold firm boundaries around academic policy and eligibility requirements when needed, while keeping the conversation supportive and counselor-forward

Student & Family Engagement

• Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with students and families

• Facilitate proactive and responsive parent–student–counselor meetings

• Serve as a consistent point of contact for complex academic planning conversations

• Communicate clearly and collaboratively to support student persistence

Postsecondary Planning & Curriculum Alignment

• Guide students and families in postsecondary planning, including college, career, and alternative pathways

• Ensure academic coursework, pacing, and graduation plans align with postsecondary goals

• Provide accurate guidance on graduation requirements and future readiness

Onboarding & Enrollment

• Lead new family academic onboarding conversations

• Partner with the Registrar to ensure accurate records review, course placement and scheduling execution

• Support students through key transitions, including entry, re-entry, and graduation

Whole-Child Academic Perspective

• Apply a whole-child lens to academic planning, recognizing external factors that impact learning and engagement

• Integrate wellness considerations into academic decision-making without providing clinical mental health treatment

• Support students in developing self-advocacy, goal-setting, and executive functioning skills

• Serve as the primary point of contact for mental health-related concerns escalated by staff: assess academic impact, develop a support plan, and refer to internal or external resources as needed — while holding a firm boundary against providing therapy, ongoing counseling, or diagnosis

Student Safety & Compliance

• Provide consultation and academic follow-up after safety protocols are enacted

• Maintain appropriate documentation and professional boundaries

• All MOHS staff are considered mandated reporters and are required to respond to student safety and mental health concerns in accordance with the MOHS Crisis Response SOP. This includes participating in required training and, when appropriate, administering the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) and following all documentation and escalation procedures.

Collaboration & Systems Work

• Collaborate closely with Advisors to clarify escalation pathways and intervention roles

• Partner with Student Support Specialists on Tier 3 referrals and transitions

• Work with the Registrar to ensure accurate records and smooth operational handoffs

• Contribute to the development, documentation, and refinement of counseling SOPs

• Support consistent implementation of counseling processes while maintaining flexibility for student needs

Comprehensive Counseling Program & Pathway Development

• Contribute to the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of a comprehensive academic counseling program

• Develop and refine graduation pathways, including traditional, accelerated, credit recovery, dual enrollment, and alternative educational opportunities

• Support college, career, and postsecondary planning frameworks at the program level

• Identify gaps in student access to educational opportunities and recommend programmatic solutions

• Use student data and outcomes to inform counseling program improvements and priorities

Schedule

• MOHS Academic Counselors are expected to have an average of 40 hours of availability each week on a year-round basis.

• Availability during school hours, Monday through Friday between 8 am and 4 pm in a U.S. timezone (ET, CT, MT, or PT) is required.

THIS POSITION IS FOR A CURRENT VACANCY, AND THE EMPLOYER INTENDS TO FILL THIS POSITION BY OCTOBER 1ST, 2026.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in School Counseling, Counseling, or a related field

• 2 years of experience in a school-based counseling or academic counseling role at the high school level

• Strong background in academic planning, graduation requirements, and course sequencing

• Experience supporting students through MTSS intervention, case management, and academic escalation

• Proven ability to engage students and families in meaningful, solution-focused conversations

• Experience guiding postsecondary planning, including college, career, and alternative pathways

• Ability to apply a whole-child academic lens while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries

• Experience using student data to inform academic decisions and improve counseling practices

• Comfortable collaborating across teams in a fast-paced, evolving environment

• Experience in virtual, hybrid, or nontraditional school settings strongly preferred

• Ability to read and interpret academic transcripts from a wide range of school systems and apply them accurately to MOHS courses and SAP, including in unusual or ambiguous cases

• Demonstrated ability to manage a full caseload with consistent reliability, meeting deadlines and maintaining accurate, up-to-date records for each student

• Ability to execute defined processes precisely and completely, including detailed or repetitive administrative tasks (SAP audits, transcript review, etc.)

The ideal candidate brings:

• Experience with classroom and/or online teaching

• State certification or licensure as a school counselor (or eligibility)

• Experience or certification in mental health counseling for schools

• Experience in other areas of education, such as content creation, assessment design, or assessment administration

• Experience with caseloads of 200 or more students

Compensation & Benefits

• The expected starting pay range is $24.95 - $35.07 per hour. Student Advisors at MiaPrep Online High School work an average of 40 hours per week. When working year-round, this can equate to an annual pay range of $51,896 - $72,945.

• Miaplaza’s compensation philosophy ensures equity and competitiveness while considering the regional differences in living and labor costs. Specific rates will be provided during the hiring process and are aligned with market data and internal equity.

• Compensation is evaluated twice per year, based on performance.

• Full-time employees are eligible for health, dental, and vision insurance, inclusive of specialty care options like fertility benefits, mental health services, and chiropractic care, FSA, HSA, and more.

• All employees are eligible for a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match.

• PTO is all-purpose time off, and combines traditional vacation and paid sick leave plans into one flexible, inclusive policy. Eligible employees can use PTO for all kinds of absences including: vacation, holidays, illness, injury, family leave, and other personal business. Full-time employees receive 16 hours of floating holiday PTO per quarter and accumulate additional PTO at the rate of 1 hour per every 17 hours worked. Annually, this amounts to approximately 122 hours per year or 15 eight-hour days on average.

• Parental leave, and other perks and benefits are also available.

• We invite your family and friends to join our journey! All employees receive free site memberships and discounted MOHS tuition for the children in their household, plus two additional memberships for other children in their lives.

➡️ You can hear our CEO, Johannes Ziegler, discuss our company’s values and future here!

➡️ Learn more by visiting our careers page!

Ready to apply?

Join our team at Miaplaza! Start by submitting your application and resume. Our hiring process involves an assessment, followed by two or more interviews and a role-specific assignment.

We're building an inclusive workplace where everyone belongs. As an equal-opportunity employer and E-Verify participant, we welcome candidates from all backgrounds and experiences. We consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, or arrest/conviction records in accordance with applicable laws.

Need accommodations during the application process? Simply let us know before your assessment. We'll work with you to provide any necessary adjustments, including alternate versions of the assessment or assignment based on your needs.

Links:

• Miacademy: https://parents.miacademy.co/

• Always Icecream: https://parents.always-icecream.com/

• Clever Dragons: https://parents.clever-dragons.com/

• MiaPrep: https://parents.miaprep.com/

• MiaPrep Online High School: https://miaprep.com/online-school/

• MiaPrep Online Academy of Ohio: https://miapreponlineacademy.com/ohio/

• Hear our CEO, Johannes Ziegler, discuss our company: https://tinyurl.com/miaplaza-CEO-video/

• Careers page: https://careers.miaplaza.com/

Individuals only, no recruitment agencies.