Early Literacy Specialist, Waypoint Academy - $100,000/year USD

Required: Master’s in reading instruction or structured literacy certification (Orton‑Gillingham, Wilson, IMSE, CERI, LETRS, Neuhaus, UFLI, or equivalent). On‑site position at Waypoint Academy, Dripping Springs (Austin area), TX. Relocation assistance provided. $100,000 annual salary, distributed weekly. Full health, dental, and vision coverage begins day one. Nature‑based educational model integrating rigorous academics with outdoor exploration. Reading specialists typically encounter students only after they've fallen behind. You have long believed this approach is fundamentally flawed — that Science of Reading principles should be applied universally, not reserved for children already flagged for remediation. If this conviction shapes your instructional practice, continue reading. Waypoint Academy structures each day in two parts: focused academic instruction in the morning, followed by afternoons devoted to archery, wilderness skills, and exploration throughout the Texas Hill Country. Your responsibility centers on the first half: delivering targeted structured literacy instruction in small groups, advancing every K‑2 student in phonics, decoding, fluency, and written expression. You determine instructional content. You interpret performance data. You adjust groupings and methods as conditions require. The remainder of your day involves guiding students through adaptive learning platforms, cultivating the relationships that ensure 100% goal attainment. There is no prescribed curriculum. There is no pull‑out intervention model. Literacy outcomes for the entire cohort rest with you. You are entering a small, emerging school. This means you will construct the literacy program from the ground up, not step into an existing framework. As student enrollment expands, you will determine how structured literacy instruction scales across additional cohorts and grade bands. If you seek a fixed role with predictable routines, this opportunity is not suited to that preference. If you aim to demonstrate that all children can achieve reading proficiency more rapidly when instruction is designed specifically for them, this is the position. What You Will Be Doing Delivering small‑group structured literacy instruction: explicit phonics, decoding, fluency, and early writing for all K‑2 students, not limited to those identified for intervention. Interpreting student performance data from adaptive platforms and running records to reconfigure groups and modify instruction between instructional cycles. Guiding students individually and in small groups through adaptive learning software, establishing relationships that ensure goal attainment. Creating lessons grounded in structured literacy methodology, calibrated to each group’s present instructional level and learning velocity. Integrating outdoor or experiential activities into literacy instruction when such methods authentically strengthen learning outcomes. What You Won’t Be Doing Drafting IEPs or managing pull‑out intervention schedules with general education teachers. All students fall within your instructional scope. Providing passive supervision during app‑based learning. You actively guide students toward goal completion, not merely monitor screen activity. Remaining in a conventional classroom throughout the day. Students engage in outdoor programming each afternoon, so literacy instruction occurs in concentrated, high‑intensity blocks. Correcting large volumes of worksheets — adaptive software manages practice repetition and progress monitoring, allowing you to concentrate on direct teaching. Drive measurable acceleration in reading and writing proficiency across the full K‑2 population through structured literacy methods and adaptive learning technologies. Basic Requirements Bachelor's degree in any discipline. Master's degree in reading instruction or structured literacy certification including Orton‑Gillingham, Wilson Reading System, IMSE, CERI, LETRS, Neuhaus, or UFLI. This credential is mandatory, not preferred. 2+ years of full‑time K‑2 structured reading instruction employing systematic phonics methods in a school or clinical environment, completed within the past 5 years. Demonstrated ability to design original reading lessons independently, with capacity to articulate instructional content and methodology without relying on commercial programs. Availability to work on‑site at Waypoint Academy, Dripping Springs (Austin area), TX. Willingness to instruct the full K‑2 student population (not exclusively struggling readers) and incorporate AI‑powered adaptive learning platforms into daily instruction. Legal authorization to work in the United States without requiring visa sponsorship. Nice‑to‑Have Requirements Working knowledge of multiple structured literacy models (e.g., Orton‑Gillingham and UFLI) with articulated reasoning for selecting each framework based on instructional context. Documented reading gains across entire cohorts, not solely intervention subgroups. You can cite specific assessment instruments and quantitative results. Operational experience with adaptive reading platforms (Lexia, Amira, Reading Eggs, or comparable tools) and utilizing their analytics to inform instructional planning. Background in alternative educational models: micro‑schools, outdoor education initiatives, Montessori environments, or comparable settings. About Waypoint Academy Nature‑based school that blends rigorous academics with real‑world challenges. 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 $50 USD/hour, which equates to $100,000 USD/year assuming 40 hours per week and 50 weeks per year. The payment period is weekly. Consult for more details on this topic. Crossover Job Code: LJ‑5780‑US‑Houston‑EarlyLiteracyS #J-18808-Ljbffr Crossover