Lower School Literacy Specialist

Convent of the Sacred Heart•New York, NY

2d•$67,500 - $100,000

About The Position

Convent of the Sacred Heart is New York City's oldest independent school for girls. As an independent, Catholic school, educating students in Pre-K through 12, we are part of an international network of 160 schools. We are committed to a set of principles shared by all Sacred Heart Schools. Known as the "Goals and Criteria," these principles articulate the core components of a Sacred Heart education and charge our community with a unified educational mission. At the heart of our philosophy is the belief that each child possesses unique gifts. Our job is to unearth those gifts, nurture them, and empower each child of the Sacred Heart to share those gifts with the global community. Convent of the Sacred Heart is committed to building a community that is anti-racist, anti-bias, fair, inclusive, and welcoming to everyone and seeks candidates who connect to our Mission and Goals . Lower School Literacy Specialist Full-Time Beginning Late August, 2026 Position: Lower School Literacy Specialist Reports to: Head of Lower School FLSA: Exempt - full-time Salary Range: $67,500 – 100,000, annually Start Date: Late August 2026

Requirements

Master’s Degree in Literacy and/or Elementary Education
Experience teaching reading and writing for five or more years to elementary school students with various learning profiles
Solid understanding of child development, including cognitive, social, and emotional development
Passion for working with elementary school students
Knowledge of, appreciation for, and demonstrated commitment to anti-racist, anti-bias education, multicultural teaching, and culturally responsive pedagogy
Experience teaching guided reading, phonics, and word study
Extensive knowledge of reading programs such as Wilson Fundations, Fountas & Pinnell, Orton-Gillingham, PAF, and Whole Phonics
Experience in teaching with technology, especially Literably, Google Workspace, and interactive displays
Ability to conduct grade-level team meetings to discuss research, programs, supports for students, and best practices, as well as to share information at Lower School Faculty & Staff meetings as needed
Extremely detail-oriented
Effective oral and written communication skills
Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills
Ability and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances/be flexible

Responsibilities

Maintain congruence between the school and the mission as articulated in the Sacred Heart Goals and Criteria
Establish a warm, positive, and productive learning environment in which each student feels a sense of belonging
Provide educational literacy support for students in Grades K–4 by pushing into classrooms, teaching small reading groups, and through one-to-one instruction
Develop engaging reading and writing lessons that provide direct remediation
Support homeroom teachers in monitoring student progress, establishing individualized education plans for students, and conducting assessments to determine the effectiveness of interventions
Determine when students need individual support and, at those times, schedule time to see students before, during, or after school
Select, utilize, and implement lessons, texts, posters, resources, and language that represent a wide range of identities in daily lessons and integrate social justice, diversity, equity, and anti-racist, anti-bias education
Plan and lead monthly meetings with grade-level teams to provide training, support, and relevant research
Collaborate with grade-level teams to implement changes to our reading and writing programs
Meet weekly with the Support Services Team to provide ongoing support and strategies for students with learning differences based on in-house data as well as data from evaluations
Communicate regularly with parents/guardians, homeroom teachers, and outside support providers (tutors, therapists, etc.) through phone calls, emails, and meetings to provide ongoing support and to propose strategies based on the individual needs of each student
Conduct parent-teacher conferences and write progress reports twice each year, in partnership with homeroom teachers
Maintain accurate, detailed records of student progress, parent communication, and lessons
Attend and participate actively in division and whole-school faculty & staff meetings and events, as well as professional development opportunities in-house and outside of school
Use technology as needed for both lessons and communication, especially Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.)
Follow the professional code and policies of the school, including maintaining confidentiality and being attentive to detail
Perform with care all assigned, ongoing scheduled responsibilities (roof duty, lunch duty, etc.)