Special Education Teacher- Reading Services

Reports to:

Special Education Department Head

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.

This position is 0.5 FTE at Oak Hill Middle School and 0.5 FTE at Brown Middle School.

Required Qualifications:

• K-12 Reading Specialist License and valid Massachusetts teaching license with SEI endorsement or additional license in ESL
• Masters 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
• Provision of pull out IEP services for small group and/or 1:1 reading intervention in the areas of decoding encoding and fluency

Desired Qualifications:

• 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.

• 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 Newtons 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

Work Environment:

Majority of work is performed in a school/classroom environment. The noise level in the environment is usually moderate. Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function. Rarely absent or late unless the situation is of an emergency nature.

Physical Requirements:

While performing the duties of this job the teacher is frequently required to kneel stoop bend and crouch. The teacher is periodically required to stand; while talking and listening. The teacher is occasionally required to sit; walk; lift; or carry.