Reading 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 role at Waypoint Academy, Dripping Springs (Austin area), TX. Relocation assistance provided.
- $100,000 annual salary, disbursed weekly. Health, dental, and vision coverage begins on day one.
- Nature-based school integrating rigorous academics with outdoor experiential learning
Most reading specialists work exclusively with students who have already fallen behind. You've long believed that approach misses the point — that Science of Reading principles should benefit every student, not only those identified after failure. If that conviction shapes your teaching practice, continue reading.
Waypoint Academy operates as a nature-based school: mornings are dedicated to intensive academics, afternoons to archery, wilderness skills, and exploration of the Texas Hill Country. Your responsibility is the academic portion: 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 modify instruction as needed. The remainder of your day involves guiding students through adaptive learning platforms, cultivating the relationships that ensure every student reaches 100% of their digital learning targets. No scripted programs. No traditional pull-out model. You are accountable for literacy outcomes across the entire cohort.
You're entering a small, emerging school. This means you will construct the literacy framework, not inherit an established one. As student enrollment increases, you'll determine how structured literacy expands across additional cohorts and grade levels. If you prefer a stable position with fixed procedures, this role is not suitable. If you want to demonstrate that all children can achieve reading proficiency faster when instruction is individually tailored, this is your opportunity.
What you will be doing
- Delivering small-group structured literacy instruction: explicit phonics, decoding, fluency, and foundational writing for all K-2 students, not limited to those identified for remediation
- Interpreting student performance data from adaptive platforms and running records to reconfigure groups and modify instruction continuously
- Providing individualized and small-group coaching through adaptive learning software, establishing relationships that motivate goal attainment
- Creating original lessons grounded in structured literacy methodology, customized to each group's present skill level and learning velocity
- Integrating occasional outdoor or experiential activities to support literacy development when they authentically strengthen learning outcomes
What you will NOT be doing
- Developing IEPs or managing pull-out intervention schedules with classroom teachers. All students are under your direct instruction.
- Functioning as a passive monitor while students use learning apps. You actively guide them toward goal completion, not simply observe screen interactions.
- Remaining in a conventional classroom environment throughout the day. Students participate in outdoor activities each afternoon, so your literacy instruction is concentrated and high-intensity.
- Correcting piles of paper worksheets — adaptive platforms manage practice volume and progress monitoring, allowing you to prioritize direct teaching.
Key responsibilities
Drive measurable reading and writing advancement across all K-2 students using structured literacy methods and adaptive learning technologies.
Candidate requirements
- Bachelor's degree in any discipline
- Master's degree in reading instruction OR structured literacy certification including 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
- Demonstrated experience creating original reading lessons, and you can articulate what you teach and your instructional approach independent of any published curriculum
- Available to work on-site at Waypoint Academy, Dripping Springs (Austin area), TX
- Prepared to instruct all K-2 students (not exclusively struggling readers) and integrate AI-driven adaptive learning platforms into daily instruction
- Authorized to work in the United States without requiring visa sponsorship
Nice to have
- Training across multiple structured literacy methodologies (e.g., Orton-Gillingham and UFLI) with articulated reasoning for selecting each approach in different contexts
- Documented reading gains across entire student cohorts, not limited to intervention groups. You can specify the assessment tools and the results.
- Working knowledge of adaptive reading software (Lexia, Amira, Reading Eggs, or comparable platforms) and leveraging their analytics to inform instruction
- Background in alternative educational models: micro-schools, outdoor learning programs, Montessori, or comparable settings
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