Reading Specialist- High School

Department: Special Education

FLSA Status (Exempt/Non-exempt): Unit A

Reports to: Special Education Department Head/Principal

In compliance with state and federal laws, Newton Public Schools is committed to equity, anti-racism and a nondiscrimination policy for students, employees and prospective applicants. All educational and employment determinations are based on an individual’s qualifications and achievements without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, ancestry, homelessness, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by state and/or federal statute.

SUMMARY: The Reading Specialist provides direct reading service to students with reading disabilities, including students with language-based learning disabilities, to develop strong reading & writing skills in accordance with IEP goal areas and benchmarks. This specialist also engages in the special education process including IEP meetings and service reccomendations.

Qualifications:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Valid Massachusetts Special Education/Moderate Special Needs teaching license required
• Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, and/ or LindaMood Bell Certification required
• Reading Specialist license preferred
• Masters Degree
• Experience teaching and assessing reading skills
• Ability to handle multitude of varying and complex literacy issues
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Computer experience

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

•  Familiarity and experience with various encoding and decoding literacy instructional methodologies
•  Familiarity with language-based instructional methodologies
• Familiarity and experience with the administration of reading assessments, analysis of data from assessments, and
• ability to write comprehensive educational evaluation reports from assessment data Familiarity with progress monitoring methods and utilization of data to drive intervention
• Familiarity and experience with individual and small group instruction & intervention in reading and writing
•  

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities (Not Limited To):

• Provide direct instruction and intervention to struggling readers for encoding/ decoding, reading comprehension and
• reading fluency
•  Work cooperatively and collaboratively with other professionals and service providers in planning instruction to meet
• the needs of diverse learners
• Comprehensive knowledge of reading and language-based disabilities and evidenced-based interventions for supporting
• students with varying reading and language-based disabilities
•  Knowledge of specialized instructional techniques for supporting the written expression work of struggling readers
• ? Provide and support formal and informal literacy assessment and data analysis for progress monitoring and reporting
• purposes
•  Ability to provide case management to students on caseload including running team meetings and developing
• individualized educational programs
• Consistent, reliable and punctual attendance is essential for supervision and instruction of the students
•  Responsible for implementing “other job related duties” as needed

Work Environment & Physical Requirements:

Work Environment:
Majority of work is performed in a school/classroom hyflex environment in which students participate both in-person and
virtually; the Special Education Teacher (for Reading Services) role is in-person. The noise level in the environment is usually
moderate. Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function. Rarely absent or late unless the situation is of an emergency
nature.

Physical Requirements:
While performing the duties of this job, the teacher is frequently required to kneel, stoop, bend, and crouch. The teacher is
periodically required to stand; while talking and listening. The teacher is occasionally required to sit; walk; lift; or carry.
Regularly required to lift and/or move objects weighing up to 25 pounds.