Literacy Specialist

You have spent years developing expertise in structured literacy. Whether through Orton-Gillingham, LETRS, Wilson, IMSE, or a Master's in reading instruction, you can identify a student's miscue and pinpoint the exact phonemic weakness to address. You can build a phonics lesson from scratch without relying on scripted materials. These skills are expected. They are not your differentiator.

What sets you apart is your ability to captivate six-year-olds. At Alpha, this position is first and foremost a Guide: a dynamic, engaging presence that children are eager to work with. Structured-literacy credentials open the door; your capacity to hold a K-2 classroom's attention during a 20-minute workshop is what secures the role. If "dynamic, engaging presence" does not reflect who you are, this position is not the right fit.

Alpha has reimagined traditional education. Students progress through academic content independently using AI-adaptive applications—no lectures, no textbooks, no district pacing calendars. Your role represents the irreplaceable human element. You create small-group reading workshops using live student performance data, and you facilitate motivation sessions designed to ensure 100% of students achieve their weekly app targets through Alpha's motivational framework (school currency, leaderboards, developmentally appropriate gamification).

The initial months focus on building rapport and credibility. Workshops must be engaging, appropriately leveled, and demonstrably effective. Student satisfaction metrics and "love your Guide" survey results (target 90%+) provide direct feedback. Once you establish yourself, your responsibilities expand: analyzing AI-generated performance reports to refine upcoming instruction, communicating fluency improvements and decoding progress to parents, and contributing to how Alpha's K-2 literacy model evolves alongside adaptive technology. As Alpha grows to additional campuses, the systems you develop become the blueprint for reading instruction across the network.

Prior to hiring, you will submit a short video of yourself telling an engaging story for young children, and you will complete a full day on campus working directly with K-2 students. Low energy with children will disqualify candidacy regardless of credential strength. This is intentional. Apply today.

What You Will Be Doing

• Creating and facilitating small-group K-2 reading workshops rooted in structured-literacy approaches (Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, LETRS, IMSE, or equivalent), informed by live student data
• Facilitating daily motivation sessions designed to drive 100% of students toward their weekly adaptive-app targets, leveraging Alpha's motivational framework (school currency, leaderboards, developmentally appropriate gamification)
• Conducting and evaluating running records, fluency assessments, and decoding diagnostics to monitor progress and refine subsequent instruction
• Analyzing AI-generated performance outputs from Alpha's adaptive learning platforms to differentiate instruction in real time, beyond advance planning
• Serving as the approachable, high-energy adult your K-2 students are excited to see every day

What You Won’t Be Doing

• Implementing a published reading curriculum, scripted sequence, or district pacing calendar; you build your own lessons using student data
• Delivering full-class lectures; all instruction occurs in small, targeted groups while students complete academic subjects through adaptive apps
• Serving as a reading consultant, instructional coach, or district-level specialist; you work directly with kids in the classroom daily
• Managing a traditional classroom schedule—subject-by-subject lectures, homework checks, test preparation; your time is allocated to workshops, motivation sessions, and data-informed small groups
• Grading homework or issuing report cards; student progress is tracked through app analytics and your running records

Literacy Specialist Key Responsibilities

Provide structured-literacy instruction that produces measurable acceleration in K-2 reading performance across phonics, fluency, and decoding domains.

Basic Requirements

• Structured-literacy certification (Orton-Gillingham, LETRS, Wilson Reading System, IMSE, CERI, Neuhaus, UFLI, or equivalent) OR Master's degree in reading instruction
• Bachelor's degree in any discipline, plus a minimum of 2 years of full-time K-2 structured reading instruction in a school or clinical environment, utilizing systematic phonics or structured literacy
• Proven ability to independently design reading lessons and clearly explain instructional content and methods without dependence on a published program
• Willingness to work on-site full-time at one Alpha campus: Phoenix, AZ; Oklahoma City or Tulsa, OK; Nashville, TN; Austin, Fort Worth, Houston (South Houston or The Woodlands), or Plano, TX; Park City (Salt Lake City), UT; or Dorado, Puerto Rico (relocation assistance available)
• Willingness to work with all K-2 learners (not exclusively struggling readers) and to incorporate AI and adaptive-learning technologies into daily practice
• Legal authorization to work in the United States or Puerto Rico without requiring visa sponsorship
• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish required for the Dorado, Puerto Rico campus

Nice-to-have Requirements

• Direct experience with AI-powered or adaptive reading platforms (e.g., Amira, Lexia, i-Ready, Reading Plus) for instructional planning or student data interpretation
• Documented reading outcomes (fluency gains measured in WCPM, accuracy improvements, decoding level advances) that you can quantify
• Experience in non-traditional or innovative educational environments (charter, micro-school, Montessori, hybrid models)
• Experience in performance, youth sports coaching, or other activities involving engaging K-2 audiences outside traditional reading instruction

About Alpha

Want to join a learning rebellion that’s transforming the traditional classroom?

Alpha School is on a mission to reshape education with a bold approach that harnesses AI to accelerate learning and unleash student potential.

They don’t play by the old rules.

Alpha is creating a new paradigm where students master core academics in just two hours a day, freeing up time for hands-on, passion-driven learning that truly prepares them for the real world.

Alpha School is rewriting the rules of education.

Sounds too good to be true? It’s not.

There is so much to cover for this exciting role, and space here is limited. Hit the Apply button if you found this interesting and want to learn more. We look forward to meeting you!

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-4849-US-SandySpr-LiteracySpecia.001