Learning Specialist, Alpha - $120,000/year USD

• Annual salary of $120,000, distributed weekly, with health, dental, and vision coverage starting on day one
• Full-time placement at a single Alpha campus location: Beverly Hills, La Jolla (San Diego), Lake Forest (Orange County), Palo Alto, Piedmont, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, or South Bay (LA), CA; Greenwich, CT; Boca Raton or Miami Beach, FL; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; or New York City, NY (relocation assistance available)
• 40-hour workweek, entirely classroom-based with K-2 learners
  
  

The structured-literacy certification you hold — Orton-Gillingham, LETRS, Wilson, IMSE, or a Master's in reading instruction — has opened every K-2 reading position you've pursued. In most roles, though, it also marked the limit: you executed a predetermined program and documented results. At Alpha, that credential is where your work begins. If that shift is meaningful to you, continue reading.

Alpha has dismantled conventional teaching models. Students advance through academic content autonomously via AI-adaptive applications. There are no lectures, textbooks, or prescribed pacing calendars. Your function is the singular space where human expertise cannot be substituted. You construct 20-minute small-group instruction blocks using live app-generated data; sessions are brief intentionally, because targeted precision outweighs duration. You also facilitate motivation blocks that propel 100% of students toward their weekly app benchmarks through Alpha's motivational framework (campus currency, performance leaderboards, developmentally appropriate game mechanics). You catch a phonemic error during instruction, identify the underlying gap, and recalibrate the next day's workshop before you leave. That level of responsiveness is expected.

Families enrolling at these locations have selected Alpha for measurable results, not merely enrollment. Parents review weekly analytics on their child's reading progress, and they engage actively. You will field specific inquiries about individual student advancement, and generic reassurances will not suffice. You must reference the running record, identify the phonemic deficit, and articulate your instructional response. That level of accountability should energize you, not create resistance.

Your initial period centers on establishing credibility. Workshops must be engaging, appropriately leveled, and demonstrably effective; student satisfaction scores and "love your Guide" survey results (target 90% ) provide direct feedback. Once you demonstrate consistent success, your influence extends beyond your own classroom: strategies that succeed with your students become templates adopted across other Alpha campuses, and your diagnostic precision informs how reading instruction evolves as Alpha expands. Your contributions reach beyond your immediate environment.

Prior to an offer, you will submit a brief video presenting an engaging narrative for young children, and you will complete a full on-campus day working directly with K-2 students. Low energy with children will disqualify candidacy, regardless of credential strength. This is intentional. Apply today.

What You Will Be Doing

• Constructing small-group K-2 reading instruction sessions from real-time adaptive-app analytics, rooted in structured-literacy approaches (Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, LETRS, IMSE, or comparable methods)
• Leading daily motivation blocks that drive 100% of students to weekly app targets using Alpha's motivational system (campus currency, performance leaderboards, developmentally appropriate game mechanics)
• Analyzing AI-generated performance metrics (fluency trajectories, decoding precision, comprehension indicators) to modify instruction throughout the day, not solely during planning periods
• Conducting running records, fluency assessments, and decoding evaluations to generate progress visible in weekly campus data sessions
• Serving as the engaging, high-energy adult your K-2 students anticipate interacting with daily
  
  

What You Won’t Be Doing

• Implementing a published reading curriculum, scripted instructional program, or district pacing calendar; you construct lessons directly from student performance data
• Delivering whole-class lectures; all teaching occurs in small, targeted groups while students engage with academic content through adaptive applications
• Functioning as a reading consultant, instructional coach for other educators, or district-level specialist; you work directly with children in the classroom daily
• Managing a conventional classroom schedule: subject-by-subject lectures, homework checks, test preparation. Your time blocks are workshops, motivation sessions, and data-informed small groups
• Drafting IEPs, 504 plans, or formal diagnostic documentation; student advancement is tracked through app analytics and your running records, not special-education compliance paperwork
  
  

Learning Specialist Key Responsibilities

Generate quantifiable K-2 reading advancement across phonics, fluency, and comprehension within a campus environment where performance is evaluated weekly.

Basic Requirements

• Structured-literacy credential (Orton-Gillingham, LETRS, Wilson Reading System, IMSE, CERI, Neuhaus, UFLI, or equivalent) OR a Master's degree in reading instruction
• Bachelor's degree in any discipline, plus 2 years of full-time K-2 structured reading instruction in a school or clinical environment within the past 5 years, utilizing systematic phonics or structured literacy
• Proven capacity to create original reading lessons and clearly explain your instructional content and methods, independent of a published curriculum
• Commitment to full-time, in-person work at one Alpha campus: Beverly Hills, La Jolla (San Diego), Lake Forest (Orange County), Palo Alto, Piedmont, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, or South Bay (LA), CA; Greenwich, CT; Boca Raton or Miami Beach, FL; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; or New York City, NY (relocation assistance available)
• Willingness to instruct all K-2 students (not exclusively struggling readers) and incorporate AI and adaptive-learning technologies into daily teaching as these tools develop
• Legal authorization to work in the U.S. without requiring visa sponsorship
  
  

Nice-to-have Requirements

• Direct experience with AI-enabled or adaptive reading systems (e.g., Amira, Lexia, i-Ready, Reading Plus) for instructional planning or student data interpretation
• Documented history of quantifiable reading outcomes (fluency gains in WCPM, accuracy increases, decoding level progression) with specific figures
• Familiarity with diagnostic reading instruments (DRA, DIBELS, AIMSweb) for creating differentiated instructional groups
• Experience in high-accountability educational settings (independent schools, elite charter networks, premium tutoring with outcome-focused families)
• Background in performance, youth sports coaching, or engaging K-2 audiences outside traditional reading instruction
  
  

About Alpha

Want to join a learning rebellion that’s transforming the traditional classroom?

Alpha School is on a mission to reshape education with a bold approach that harnesses AI to accelerate learning and unleash student potential.

They don’t play by the old rules.

Alpha is creating a new paradigm where students master core academics in just two hours a day, freeing up time for hands-on, passion-driven learning that truly prepares them for the real world.

Alpha School is rewriting the rules of education.

Sounds too good to be true? It’s not.

There is so much to cover for this exciting role, and space here is limited. Hit the Apply button if you found this interesting and want to learn more. We look forward to meeting you!

Working with us

This is a full-time (40 hours per week), long-term position. The position is immediately available and requires entering into an independent contractor agreement with Crossover as a Contractor of Record. The compensation level for this role is $60 USD/hour, which equates to $120,000 USD/year assuming 40 hours per week and 50 weeks per year. The payment period is weekly. Consult www.crossover.com/help-and-faqs for more details on this topic.

Crossover Job Code: LJ-5632-US-Stamford-LearningSpecia