Literacy Specialist-Middle School

Newton Public Schools•Newton, MA

16h•Onsite

About The Position

The literacy specialist is responsible for helping every child in the school develop strong reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. A Literacy Specialist provides and leads literacy instruction and assessment through coaching, providing student instruction and intervention, and coordinating assessment and tiered support services.

Requirements

K-12 Reading Specialist License and valid Massachusetts teaching license, with SEI endorsement or additional license in ESL
Master’s Degree in Education with a concentration in Literacy/Reading
Three or more years of recent experience teaching at the middle school level
Current knowledge of research and effective practices in the areas of literacy development, literacy instruction, assessment, and professional development
Excellent interpersonal skills and flexible, responsive work style

Nice To Haves

Familiarity and experience with Curriculum implementation and support
EL Education literacy program.
UFLI Foundations curriculum and Wilson Fundations curriculum
a variety of literacy assessments and interventions.
administering, analyzing, and forming groups using literacy diagnostic assessment
Coaching experience
Experience supporting teachers in shifting from a Balanced Literacy model to a Knowledge Building curriculum.
Experience collaborating and problem-solving with teachers.
Experience and coursework in anti-racist, anti-bias instruction.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership and support for the implementation of the district literacy curriculum.
Provide professional development to teachers and paraprofessionals related to literacy programs and instructional practices, through trainings, workshops, in-class modeling, and advising.
Support Newton’s curriculum and professional development by modeling best practices, coaching teachers, and encouraging reflective practice.
Participate in grade-level meetings (i.e. PLCs, GLDs) regularly to facilitate instructional conversations and activities, regularly reflecting on a wide range of qualitative and quantitative student data points.
Serve as a resource in the area of reading and writing for paraprofessionals, teachers, administrators, and the community.
Work cooperatively and collaboratively with other professionals in planning instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners.
Provide and support literacy assessment and data analysis.
Provide direct instruction and intervention to struggling readers.
Regularly attend professional learning communities and professional learning with other literacy specialists.
Coordinate Tier I and Tier II literacy support.
Support literacy instruction and intervention during WIN blocks and small group instructional times; demonstrate flexibility to address broader academic needs that may emerge occasionally through ongoing student assessment and team collaboration.
Consistent and on-time attendance to the job-related duties as required.