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

Required: Master's degree in reading instruction OR a 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, paid weekly. Full health, dental, and vision coverage starting day one. Nature-based educational model integrating rigorous academics with outdoor exploration Most literacy specialists work exclusively with students who have already fallen behind. You have long believed this approach is fundamentally flawed — that the Science of Reading should be applied universally, not reserved for children flagged for remediation. If this conviction shapes your instructional practice, this opportunity is worth your attention. Waypoint Academy is a nature-based institution where mornings focus on intensive academics and afternoons feature archery, wilderness skills, and exploration of the Texas Hill Country. Your responsibility centers on the morning component: delivering small-group structured literacy instruction that advances every K-2 student in phonics, decoding, fluency, and writing. You design the curriculum. You interpret the assessment data. You regroup and modify instruction continuously. The remainder of your day involves coaching students through adaptive learning platforms, cultivating the relationships that ensure every student reaches 100% of their app-based objectives. No prescribed curriculum. No traditional pull-out model. You assume ownership of literacy outcomes for the entire student cohort. You are joining 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 scales across additional cohorts and grade levels. If you seek a stable role with established procedures, this position is not suitable. If you want to demonstrate that every child can learn to read more effectively when instruction is individually designed, this is the opportunity. What You Will Be Doing Delivering small-group structured literacy instruction: systematic 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 restructure groups and modify instruction continuously Providing one-on-one and small-group coaching through adaptive learning software, establishing relationships that ensure goal attainment Creating your own lesson plans grounded in structured literacy principles, customized to each group's present proficiency and progression rate Integrating occasional outdoor or experiential activities to reinforce literacy skills when they authentically strengthen learning outcomes What You Won’t Be Doing Drafting IEPs or managing pull-out coordination with classroom instructors. You work with the entire student population. Passively monitoring students on adaptive learning platforms. You actively guide them toward goal completion, not simply observe their screen engagement. Operating within a conventional classroom environment all day. Students transition outdoors in the afternoon, so your literacy instruction is concentrated and high-intensity. Correcting large volumes of worksheets — adaptive technology manages practice volume and progress monitoring, allowing you to prioritize direct instruction. Early Literacy Specialist Key Responsibilities Drive reading and writing advancement for all K-2 students using structured literacy methods and adaptive learning technology. Basic Requirements Bachelor's degree in any discipline Master's degree in reading instruction OR a structured literacy certification such as Orton-Gillingham, Wilson Reading System, IMSE, CERI, LETRS, Neuhaus, or UFLI. One of these credentials is mandatory, not optional. 2+ years of full-time K-2 structured reading instruction employing systematic phonics in a school or clinical environment, completed within the past 5 years Demonstrated experience designing original reading lessons, and you can articulate your instructional content and methodology independently of any published program Available to work on-site at Waypoint Academy, Dripping Springs (Austin area), TX Prepared to instruct all K-2 students (not exclusively struggling readers) and utilize AI-powered adaptive learning platforms daily Legally authorized for U.S. employment without requiring visa sponsorship Nice-to-have Requirements Proficiency with multiple structured literacy frameworks (e.g., Orton-Gillingham and UFLI) accompanied by a clear rationale for selecting each approach Documented reading improvement across an entire cohort, not solely intervention groups. You can specify the assessment metrics and quantitative results. Working knowledge of adaptive reading platforms (Lexia, Amira, Reading Eggs, or comparable systems) and leveraging their analytics to inform instructional planning Background in non-traditional educational settings: micro-schools, outdoor learning programs, Montessori environments, or similar models About Waypoint Academy Nature-based school that blends rigorous academics with real-world challenges. There is so much to cover for this exciting role, and space here is limited. Working with us This is a full-time, W2 employee position with immediate access to benefits ( All roles are year-long positions. The compensation level for this role is $100,000 USD/year. The payment period is weekly. Consult for more details on this topic. #J-18808-Ljbffr Crossover