Literacy Specialist-Middle

The literacy specialist is responsible for helping every child in the school develop strong reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. He or she provides and leads literacy instruction and assessment, through a combination of coaching, intervention, and coordination of assessment and Tier I and Tier II support services., * Provide professional development by training, coaching, and supporting teachers and paraprofessionals with literacy programs and instructional practices

• Support Newton’s curriculum and professional development by modeling best practices, coaching teachers and encouraging reflective practice
• 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 across content areas in planning instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners
• Provide and support literacy assessment and data analysis
• Provide direct instruction and targeted intervention to struggling readers (fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension focus)
• Meet regularly with team of middle school literacy specialists and middle school literacy coordinator
• Consistent, reliable and punctual attendance is essential for supervision and instruction of the students
• Responsible for implementing “other job related duties” as needed

Work Environment & Physical Requirements:

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.

• K-12 Reading Specialist License and valid Massachusetts teaching license
• Master’s Degree in Education with concentration or additional coursework in Literacy/Reading
• Three or more years of recent experience teaching at the upper elementary or 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, * Experience coaching and collaborating with teachers
• Familiarity and experience with “Units of Study in Opinion/Argument, Information, and Narrative Writing, 6-8 Series,” edited by Lucy Calkins
• Familiarity with the Scholastic Reading Inventory and Qualitative Reading Inventory
• Familiarity and experience with the iReady Diagnostic reading assessment and online instruction platform
• Familiarity and experience with a balanced literacy framework, including:reading and writing workshop guided reading, strategy groups and book clubs running records
• Experience writing and teaching curriculum using an Understanding by Design framework
• Experience collaborating and problem solving with teachers