Reading Specialist

Position Summary: The Reading Specialist work individually and/or in small groups with students to support them in the areas of: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. This teacher will help students develop in their reading skills and contribute to their academic growth. The reading 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

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

Experience

Required: Experience teaching reading

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:

• Prepare and provide multi-sensory individualized instruction for students in the area of reading, including: phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension
• Work as a part of a multidisciplinary team to further the emotional, behavioral, and educational development of children.
• 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
• Translate evaluation of student work into records that accurately convey the level of student achievement, by writing thorough IEP’s and quarterly reports.
• Maintain a classroom atmosphere that is conducive to learning and effectively manage the behavior of students in small and large groups.
• 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.
• Implement treatment protocol and appropriate therapeutic strategies established in children’s treatment plans, IEPs, and individual support plans.
• Meet children’s physical needs and provide a safe and therapeutic environment for children.
• Participate fully in the administrative functions of teaching and child care, 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.
• Actively participate in supervision and professional development opportunities offered at Walker.
• 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.
• Follow and implement all Walker policies and procedures.
• Provide coverage/support in a classroom as needed
• Other duties as assigned

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

Supervision to be exercised: None

Walker is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon an individual’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, national guard or reserve unit obligations, participation in discrimination complaint-related activities, or membership in any category protected by federal or state law.