Literacy Specialist - YES Prep Brays Oaks Secondary (Immediate Opening)

About the role

YES Prep creates pathways to extraordinary opportunity through best-in-class development, competitive compensation and benefits, and recognition for your impact. Grow as an authentic leader and be part of a high-performing, team-oriented culture.

Responsibilities

• Setting clear expectations and standards for excellent literacy instruction in all content areas, along with the Principal and/or Director of Academics;
• Ensuring that students receive outstanding instruction in reading intervention classes by observing and coaching a cohort of reading intervention teachers;
• Ensuring that Emergent Bilingual students, (EBs), non-fluent, and dyslexic students are receiving appropriate accommodations in all classrooms by observing and coaching content teachers and collaborating with instructional leadership;
• Tracking progress monitoring of reading intervention teachers and grades of EBs and dyslexic students and use this data to drive coaching;
• Working with district Instructional Coaches to provide targeted support to first- and second-year teachers;
• Working with Home Office leadership on system-wide instructional initiatives;
• Directing campus’ EB and dyslexia programs to ensure the academic success of these students and maintain compliance with state and federal law;
• Coordinating and directing testing for special populations, including MAP and R-CBM benchmarks, Language Assessment System (LAS) and TELPAS, and dyslexia screenings throughout the year;
• Overseeing the EB compliance work completed by a campus clerk, registrar, or office coordinator;
• Ensuring that EB and dyslexic students receive all appropriate accommodations on high-stakes testing, including STAAR and Common Assessments, and assist in applying for accommodations for dyslexic students taking College Board exams;
• Providing one-on-one or small group literacy instruction to dyslexic students needing Level-2 services (this service is in addition to a regularly scheduled reading intervention class);
• Providing one-on-one or small group interventions in spoken English (beginning EBs), writing or handwriting, or additional time in intervention;
• Assisting in the planning and delivery of professional learning opportunities to campus teachers and staff during beginning of year, as well as selecting professional development days throughout the school year;
• Providing leadership in identifying and acquiring appropriate teaching materials, textbooks, and equipment;
• Teaching a recommended number of two periods of reading intervention per day or serve as a Dean of Instruction for a recommended number of four Reading Intervention teachers;
• Additional duties as assigned

Requirements

• MUST HAVES:
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year educational institution
• A Valid Texas Teaching Certificate, with ESL or Bilingual certification
• 3 years of literacy teaching in the classroom
• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core value of YES Prep Public Schools
• Openness to giving and receiving frequent feedback
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress
• Ability to work urgently in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and initiatives at once
• Demonstrated ability to work on a team
• A dedication to learn, grow, and develop as a professional

Nice to haves

• Teaching experience in the classroom related to Literacy (English, ELA, Reading Intervention, Dyslexia teacher, ESL teacher, etc)
• Master’s Degree in Dyslexia, Education, Reading, Special Education, or a related field
• 2 years of teaching direct instruction
• Familiarity with assessments central to this role – TELPAS, Language Assessment System (Las Links), and MAP

Must have beliefs

• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core values of YES Prep Public Schools
• Desire to disrupt systemic status quos in education
• Willingness to go above and beyond to disrupt said status quos
• Passion to develop resiliency through a relentless pursuit of jaw-dropping results
• Conviction that high expectations + high accountability = high performance and high growth