ESL/Reading Specialist

Summary of position: The ESL/Reading Specialist works individually and/or in small groups with students to support them in the areas of reading (including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension) and English language development (including reading, writing, listening, and speaking). This specialist will help students develop their reading and English language skills and contribute to their academic growth. The specialist will conduct evaluations and write IEP goals/objectives as needed in collaboration with the special education teacher and classroom supervisor.  Commit to child centered, family focused, culturally competent care and strength-based treatment. 

Education and Licensure 

Required: Bachelor’s degree in related field; Work towards licensure in Special Education, Moderate Disabilities, K-8; valid Massachusetts Teaching license in ESL with SEI Endorsement 

Preferred: Master’s degree in Special Education, Moderate Disabilities; licensure in Special Education, Moderate Disabilities; Valid reading specialist license  

Experience 

Required: Experience teaching reading and providing ESL services  

Preferred: Experience working with children with complex social, emotional, and behavioral challenges 

Abilities 

Required mental abilities: Ability to be flexible and work collaboratively.  Ability to respond to emergency situations quickly and safely. Ability to work in a stressful and fast paced environment. Must understand child development and the impact of emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities. Must understand issues of confidentiality. Must be receptive to supervision and professional development.   

Required physical abilities: Ability to work and stand for extended period of time. Job may require bending, stooping, stretching, and lifting. Job requires the ability to perform therapeutic physical intervention as needed. 

Essential functions: 

1. Work as a part of a multidisciplinary team to further the emotional, behavioral, and educational development of children. 
2. Apply Walker’s model of childcare, including Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), which requires physical restraint when necessary, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, cooperative group games, and behavioral support. 
3. Implement treatment protocol and appropriate therapeutic strategies established in children’s treatment plans, IEPs, and individual support plans. 
4. Meet children’s physical needs and provide a safe and therapeutic environment for children.   
5. Participate fully in the administrative functions of teaching and childcare, including attending and participating in required meetings, completing assigned report writing tasks in a timely manner, and actively communicating with families and members of the students’ multidisciplinary team.  
6. Actively participate in supervision and professional development opportunities offered at Walker.   
7. Prepare and provide multi-sensory individualized instruction for students in the area of reading, including phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. 
8. Create multi-sensory, multi-modal, varied opportunities for learning that are built on student’s prior knowledge and experience to build academic and social skills. 
9. Translate evaluation of student work into records that accurately convey the level of student achievement, by writing thorough IEP’s and quarterly reports. 
10. Plan and implement a program of study that meets the individual needs, interests, and abilities of students in acquiring English as a Second Language, across the domains of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. 
11. Provide direct instruction in English language development to students identified as English language learners, both in the classroom and in pull-out settings; provide ESL support to teachers as needed for lesson planning or other classroom supports needed for ESL students. 
12. Administer appropriate English language proficiency assessments and support staff in the analysis of results. 
13. Maintain a classroom atmosphere that is conducive to learning and effectively manage the behavior of students in small and large groups. 
14. Use a variety of formal and informal assessments to accurately measure student progress toward and achievement of the learning objectives and to plan or modify further instruction. 
15. Provide coverage/support in a classroom as needed. 
16. Follow and implement all Walker policies and procedures. 
17. All other duties as assigned. 

Supervision to be received: Directly responsible to and supervised by the Assistant Principal 

Supervision to be exercised: None 

Salary : $58,000 - $75,000