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 provided.
- $100,000 annual salary, paid weekly. Health, dental, and vision coverage from day one.
- Nature-based school integrating rigorous academics with outdoor exploration
Most reading specialists work only with students already falling behind. You've long believed that approach is fundamentally flawed — that Science of Reading principles belong in front of every child, not reserved for those flagged after failure. If that conviction shapes your teaching philosophy, continue reading.
Waypoint Academy is a nature-based school where mornings focus on structured academics and afternoons feature archery, wilderness skills, and exploration of the Texas Hill Country. Your role centers on the morning block: 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 students and adjust in real time. The remainder of your day involves coaching students through adaptive learning platforms, cultivating the relationships that drive every student toward 100% goal attainment. No prescribed curriculum. No pull-out intervention model. You own literacy outcomes for the entire cohort.
You're joining a young, growing school. That means you're constructing the literacy program from the ground up, not inheriting an established system. As student enrollment expands, you'll determine how structured literacy scales across new cohorts and additional grade levels. If you prefer a stable role with fixed routines, this position isn't suitable. If you want to demonstrate that every child learns to read more effectively when instruction is designed specifically for them, this is the opportunity.
What you will be doing
- Delivering small-group structured literacy instruction: systematic phonics, decoding, fluency, and early writing for all K-2 students, not limited to those identified for intervention
- Evaluating student performance data from adaptive platforms and running records to reconfigure groups and modify instruction between sessions
- Providing one-on-one and small-group coaching through adaptive learning software, establishing relationships that ensure goal completion
- Creating custom lessons grounded in structured literacy principles, calibrated to each group's present level and learning pace
- Integrating occasional outdoor or experiential activities to strengthen literacy concepts when they authentically support learning
What you will NOT be doing
- Developing IEPs or managing pull-out intervention schedules with classroom teachers. Every student is your responsibility.
- Passively monitoring students on learning apps. You actively guide them toward goal completion, not observe them navigate screens.
- Remaining in a traditional classroom environment all day. Students move outdoors in the afternoon, so your literacy instruction is concentrated and high-intensity.
- Correcting stacks of worksheets — adaptive software manages practice volume and tracks progress, allowing you to concentrate on direct instruction.
Key responsibilities
Drive reading and writing advancement across all K-2 students through structured literacy instruction and adaptive learning platforms.
Candidate requirements
- Bachelor's degree in any field
- 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 credentials is mandatory, not optional.
- 2+ years of full-time K-2 structured reading instruction utilizing systematic phonics in a school or clinical environment, completed within the last 5 years
- Experience creating your own reading lessons, and you can articulate what you teach and how without citing a published program
- Willing to work on-site at Waypoint Academy, Dripping Springs (Austin area), TX
- Willing to instruct all K-2 students (not exclusively struggling readers) and utilize AI-powered adaptive learning tools daily
- Legally authorized to work in the U.S. without requiring visa sponsorship
Nice to have
- Familiarity with multiple structured literacy frameworks (e.g., Orton-Gillingham and UFLI) with a clear rationale for selecting each approach
- Documented reading gains across an entire cohort, not limited to intervention caseloads. You can specify the metrics and the results.
- Experience with adaptive reading platforms (Lexia, Amira, Reading Eggs, or comparable) and leveraging their data to inform instructional choices
- Background in non-traditional educational settings: micro-schools, outdoor education programs, Montessori, or similar models
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