Reading Specialist

The Organization

Lighthouse Community Public Schools

At Lighthouse Community Public Schools we are engaged in an educational movement that goes beyond our classrooms working to disrupt inequities by providing our students and families exceptional educational opportunities every day. Grounded in our core values of community, integrity, agency, love, and social justice rooted in the EL Education Model, LCPS is a leader in fostering innovative schools achieving exceptional student outcomes where each child is at the center of their own learning. Our mission is to prepare diverse students for college, a career of their choice, and to be lifelong changemakers. Founded in 2002, LCPS operates two high-achieving K-12 public charter schools--Lighthouse and Lodestar--serving nearly 1,600 students in East Oakland. Lighthouse is a beacon for public education and our graduates fulfill the promise of a better, brighter Oakland.

Learn more at www.lighthousecharter.org.

The Opportunity

K-5 Reading Specialist Teacher — Competencies and Qualifications

Lighthouse Community Charter School, a Lighthouse Community Charter Public School, is looking for a talented K-5 Elementary Reading Specialist to join our team for the coming school year who is relentlessly committed to ensuring that traditionally underserved students of color achieve our mission of completing college and securing a career of choice and to be lifelong changemakers. Lighthouse educators believe that this important mission is not only attainable; it is essential to transforming our Oakland community.

If you are inspired by our mission and vision and want to be a changemaker in students’ lives here in Oakland, then please apply and join us!

You will embody the following Core Competencies to be an effective change agent:

• Be an anti-racist educator committed to educational justice as evidenced by respectful and supportive relationships, well-planned instruction, rigorous daily assessment, and daily opportunities for students to revise and refine their work.

• Facilitate cognitively engaging student-centered learning.

• Demonstrate a keen belief in and ability to create, collect and analyze achievement data to drive student learning and outcomes for all students

• Be a strong community builder and team collaborator

• Model and foster a growth mindset with agency, persistence, and flexibility

• Be a collaborative and responsible professional educator

Your responsibilities will include:
TEACH READING INTERVENTION:

• Teach multiple sections of Reading Intervention courses that utilize research-based interventions and instructional strategies aligned with the Science of Reading and Response to Intervention (RtI) model for students who have been identified as below grade level in reading.

• Design and implement data-based reading intervention instruction and progress monitoring tools that result in improved student reading achievement.

• Facilitate implementation of adopted literacy curricula, including providing training to teachers

DIFFERENTIATION & INTERVENTION:

• Support individual student needs through differentiation and intervention including some push-in support for individual or small groups of students, moving through multiple tiers of intervention to “layer on” supports for students who need them:

  • Tier 1 – Support teachers in developing small group instruction and individual student modifications; may participate in COST for students at risk of not meeting grade-level academic standards; support teachers in monitoring the success of differentiation.

  • Tier 2 – Monitor and report on growth; for students who are not progressing in literacy provide tailored support on a push-in or pull-out basis as appropriate.

  • Tier 3 – Monitor and report on growth; for students who are not progressing continue Tier 1 and 2 interventions and confer with Resource Specialists to complete a recommendation for Special Education assessment; collaborate with Resource Specialists to tailor support plans for individual students.

LITERACY LEADERSHIP:
Professional Development Facilitation & Instructional Coaching:

• Plan, research, and implement professional development in Structured Literacy (aligned to the Science of Reading), supporting Literacy in the content areas, and reading intervention program as directed.

• May provide instructional coaching to elementary teachers in areas of reading

• Participate in Science of Reading courses/Professional Learning and teach teachers (Train the trainer)

ASSESSMENT & REPORTING:
Formative & Summative Assessments:

• Employ authentic, frequent, and norm-referenced assessment strategies to monitor progress and guide instructional planning and decision-making.

Strong organization, timely collection, and data-based action planning:

• Collect and analyze multiple forms of assessment data to track student growth in reading and writing

• Share data about the progress of students identified for intervention across grades

• Engage in regular data talk cycles and share with Literacy Committee/MTSS team

Progress Reports and Report Cards:

• Keep a record of intervention students’ work to inform ongoing assessment of student progress toward standards; complete regular progress reports on student reading levels and progress toward grade-level reading.

• Regularly communicate with families, school administration, and other faculty-student progress toward goals.

• Whole Child/Family Communication

• Consistently communicate student’s academic and character progress with families, both growth and needs on an informal and formal basis.

• Provide workshops for families in supporting literacy in the home environment Professional Learning Community & Collaboration

• Participate/co-facilitate Foundational Literacy committee

LITERACY COACHING:

• Conduct Classroom Observations

• Provide coaching/model lessons/real-time coaching

• Provide feedback to Admin Team on Literacy Program

• Coach teachers on literacy instruction and data collection and analysis to inform the instruction cycle

• Provide ongoing training and support for the Literacy Assessment tools

• Professional Learning Community & Collaboration

• Work effectively as a member of multi-disciplinary teams to implement academic services for students in need of intervention.

• Use common planning time and professional development time as scheduled to collaborate with classroom teachers to differentiate/facilitate grade level/content team meetings to support students with specific learning needs; collaborate with K-5 teachers to further refine intervention programs; collaborate with K-12 staff to bring vertical cohesion and shared practices to the K-12 program.

• Complies with all school and band obligations, policies, and expectations, including abiding by all state and federal mandates in reporting sexual or physical abuse and neglect.

• Exhibits the highest level of professionalism and urgency driven by an understanding of our student and community needs.

Additional Duties, as assigned by Supervisor
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• RLLS or Reading Specialist Credential/Masters Degree preferred

• Required: Appropriate California Credential + B.A/B.S

• Required: Minimum of 3 years experience where teaching reading was the primary responsibility

• Preferred: Experience providing reading intervention for elementary students

• Preferred: Deep knowledge of California Common Core State Standards, NGSS, inquiry-based learning, curriculum planning, and data analysis

• Preferred: 3+ years teaching experience serving urban youth

• Preferred: Familiarity navigating educational and assessment platforms

• Preferred: Experience teaching in a progressive and personalized school model

• Preferred: Bilingual in Spanish

TIME COMMITMENT:

This position is 1.0 FTE (full-time exempt) and follows a 10-month work year (190 days) with significant student-free days for professional learning and collaboration with colleagues and interaction with families. All new instructional staff will report on July 25, 2022.

Common Building Hours: All teachers are expected to maintain hours of 8:00 - 4:00 pm M, Tu, Th, Fri and 8:00-5:00 on Wednesdays for Professional Development.

SUPERVISION

This position reports to the Lodestar/Lighthouse K-5 Principal.
OUR COMPENSATION PACKAGE:

At Lighthouse Community Public Schools we take good care of our employees. We provide a competitive compensation and benefits package, including a competitive salary and generous health and retirement benefits (100% employee health coverage/50% for dependents; 8% employer-matching for retirement program; medical and dependent FSA).

TO APPLY:

People of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should submit:

• Resume

• Cover Letter--Describing why you are an optimal fit for this position and your philosophy of teaching that describes how your instruction and leadership would support students in achieving the Lighthouse mission

• 3 references with Name, Email, Phone Number and Title/nature of the working relationship

Application submission screening and initial phone interviews will be completed on a rolling basis. In-person interviews and performance tasks will take place on-site or via Zoom.

Lighthouse Community Charter School is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity at all levels.

Last updated on Oct 7, 2024