JOB DESCRIPTION
Position Title: Reading Specialist 2025-2026 school year, tenure track position
Qualifications:
1.. Demonstrated ability to organize individuals and groups for the purposes of providing
reading support in language arts programs.
2. NJ Certifications: Reading and Elementary School Teacher K-6.
3. Minimum of five (5) years successful teaching experience at the elementary level.
4. Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.
5. Demonstrated aptitude or competence for assigned responsibilities.
6. Required criminal background check & proof of U.S. citizenship or legal alien status.
7. Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the Board may find appropriate and
acceptable.
Job Goal:
The reading specialist acts as a teacher/coach to staff as well as a direct instructor of students with identified needs in order to accelerate, correct or remediate reading language arts skills,
Supervises: Does not supervise.
Performance Responsibilities:
1. Provide leadership and support for integrating quality reading/language arts skills in all content areas,
2. Provide instruction and motivation to students who are experiencing difficulties with reading and address specific reading/writing needs across the curriculum,
3. Provide reading enrichment to students reading above grade level as assigned,
4. Model and demonstrate lessons with classrooms that improve students' literacy performance.
5. Complete individual assessments for students as needed.
6. Interpret assessment information into implications for instruction and prepare a written report for the student's cumulative records.
7. Attend meetings and professional development sessions at the district or state level, and bring information and ideas for curriculum revision back to the district teams to share with teachers and assist them in understanding mandates.
8. Participate in parent conferences and respond to parent concerns in order to encourage support for their child's reading/language arts development.
9. Assist in focusing professional development activities on appropriate research-based practices.
10. Assist with school based staff development plans with in-service days and/or summer workshops. Sessions may include demonstrations of classroom strategies, small-group and individual mentoring/peer coaching sessions, assessment of student progress, and data interpretation.
11. Work with the building administrators to ensure that the literacy strategies learned in workshops are used effectively during classroom instruction and reflected when appropriate in student IEPs.
12. Support Teachers in using appropriate strategies.
13.. Collaborate with teachers of all subjects to develop effective instructional strategies to implement NJSLS (New Jersey Learning Standards) in literacy across all content areas.
14. Assist teachers in differentiated instruction by matching and modifying instructional activities and goals with student characteristics and needs.
15. Study, evaluate, and recommend new instructional materials, methods, and programs.
16. Engage in actively advocating, promoting and securing the rights of all persons, with particular reference to the educational enterprise of which he/she is a part.
17. Review and provide services which conform to state laws, district objectives and board policies.
18. Assume facilitation, data analysis and guidance responsibilities of assessment analysis software for student progress and staff driven instruction.
19.. Assume other related responsibilities and duties within the context of the above performance responsibilities.