Early Literacy Specialist $100,000 USD/year Pay is set based on global value, not the local market.
Most roles = hourly rate x 40 hrs x 50 weeks
Description
Required: Master's degree in reading instruction OR structured literacy certification (Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, IMSE, CERI, LETRS, Neuhaus, UFLI, or equivalent)
- On-site at Waypoint Academy, Dripping Springs (Austin area), TX. Relocation assistance available.
- $100,000 annual salary, paid weekly. Full health, dental, and vision coverage from day one.
- Nature-based school integrating structured academics with outdoor adventure programming
Most reading specialists work only with students who have already fallen behind. You've built your career believing that approach is backward — that the Science of Reading should be accessible to every child, not reserved for those flagged for intervention. If that conviction shapes your teaching practice, this role may be for you.
Waypoint Academy operates as a nature-based school where mornings focus on rigorous academics and afternoons center on archery, survival skills, and exploration of the Texas Hill Country. Your responsibility is the morning component: delivering small-group structured literacy instruction that advances every K-2 student in phonics, decoding, fluency, and writing. You design the lessons. You analyze the data. You regroup and adjust in real time. The remainder of your day involves coaching students through adaptive learning platforms, cultivating the relationships that ensure every student reaches 100% of their app-based targets. No scripted curriculum. No pull-out intervention model. You own literacy outcomes for the entire cohort.
You're joining a small, emerging school. This means you'll be building the literacy program from the ground up, not stepping into an established one. As the school grows, you'll define how structured literacy expands across additional cohorts and grade levels. If you're seeking a static role with predictable routines, this position isn't that. If you want to demonstrate that every child can learn to read faster when instruction is designed specifically around them, this is your opportunity.
What you will be doing
- Delivering small-group structured literacy workshops: systematic phonics, decoding, fluency, and early writing for all K-2 students, not limited to those identified for intervention
- Reviewing student data from adaptive platforms and running records to regroup learners and modify instruction between sessions
- Coaching students individually and in small groups through adaptive learning software, establishing relationships that support goal achievement
- Creating your own lesson plans grounded in structured literacy principles, customized to each group's current performance level and learning pace
- Integrating occasional outdoor or experiential elements to reinforce literacy concepts when they authentically enhance instruction
What you will NOT be doing
- Developing IEPs or managing pull-out intervention schedules with classroom teachers. All students fall under your instructional responsibility.
- Passively monitoring students on learning platforms. You actively coach them toward goal completion, not simply observe their screen activity.
- Teaching in a traditional classroom setting all day. Students participate in outdoor programming during afternoons, so literacy instruction is concentrated and high-intensity.
- Grading large volumes of worksheets — adaptive software manages practice volume and tracks progress, allowing you to concentrate on direct teaching.
Key responsibilities
Drive reading and writing acceleration across all K-2 students using structured literacy instruction and adaptive learning tools.
Candidate requirements
- Bachelor's degree in any subject
- Master's degree in reading instruction OR structured literacy certification such as Orton-Gillingham, Wilson Reading System, IMSE, CERI, LETRS, Neuhaus, or UFLI. One of these is required, not optional.
- 2+ years of full-time K-2 structured reading instruction using systematic phonics in a school or clinical setting, within the last 5 years
- Experience designing your own reading lessons, and you can describe what you teach and how without referencing a published program
- Willing to work in-person at Waypoint Academy, Dripping Springs (Austin area), TX
- Willing to work with all K-2 students (not just struggling readers) and use AI-powered adaptive learning tools daily
- Legally authorized to work in the U.S. without visa sponsorship
Nice to have
- Proficiency with multiple structured literacy frameworks (e.g., Orton-Gillingham and UFLI) with a clear understanding of when each framework is appropriate
- Documented reading gains across an entire cohort, not only intervention caseloads. You can identify the metrics and provide the results.
- Working knowledge of adaptive reading platforms (Lexia, Amira, Reading Eggs, or similar) and leveraging their data for instructional planning
- Background in non-traditional educational settings: micro-schools, outdoor education programs, Montessori, or comparable environments
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