- $100,000 annual salary, paid weekly, including health, dental, and vision benefits effective from day one
- Full-time on-site position at a single Alpha campus location: 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)
- 40 hours per week, entirely in-classroom with kindergarten through second-grade students
You have dedicated years to becoming proficient in structured literacy. You hold credentials in Orton-Gillingham, LETRS, Wilson, IMSE, or possess a Master's degree in reading instruction. You can identify a student's reading error and pinpoint the exact phonemic skill to address. You are capable of creating phonics lessons independently, without reliance on scripted materials. That level of expertise is expected. It is not what sets you apart.
What distinguishes you is that young children are genuinely excited to see you. At Alpha, this position prioritizes being a Guide: a dynamic, captivating presence that students enjoy learning with. Your structured-literacy background opens the door; your capacity to engage a K-2 classroom fully during a 20-minute session is what secures the offer. If the phrase "dynamic, captivating presence" does not resonate with you, this role is not a fit.
Alpha has fundamentally redesigned traditional schooling. Students progress through academic content independently using AI-adaptive applications—no lectures, no textbooks, no district timelines. Your position represents the one area where human expertise remains essential. You create small-group reading sessions informed by live student performance metrics, and you facilitate motivation activities that ensure all students reach their weekly app targets using Alpha's motivational framework (school currency, leaderboards, age-appropriate gamification).
Your initial months focus on building rapport and trust. Sessions must be engaging, appropriately leveled, and demonstrably impactful. Student satisfaction metrics and "love your Guide" feedback surveys (goal of 90%+) provide direct measurement. Once you establish credibility, your responsibilities expand: analyzing AI-generated performance metrics to inform subsequent instruction, communicating fluency improvements and decoding progress to families, and contributing to the evolution of Alpha's K-2 reading methodology alongside adaptive technology. As Alpha opens additional campuses, the systems you develop will serve as the blueprint for reading instruction across the network.
Prior to an offer, you will submit a brief video in which you share an engaging story suitable for young children, and you will complete a full day on campus interacting directly with K-2 students. Low energy with children will disqualify you, regardless of credential strength. This is intentional. Apply today.
What you will be doing
- Creating and facilitating small-group K-2 reading sessions rooted in structured-literacy approaches (Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, LETRS, IMSE, or similar), informed by actual student performance data
- Conducting daily motivation activities that ensure all students meet their weekly adaptive-app targets, utilizing Alpha's motivational framework (school currency, leaderboards, age-appropriate gamification)
- Implementing and evaluating running records, fluency assessments, and decoding evaluations to monitor progress and inform upcoming instructional adjustments
- Analyzing AI-generated performance metrics from Alpha's adaptive learning platforms to differentiate instruction dynamically, not solely during preparation time
- Serving as the engaging, enthusiastic adult your K-2 students are excited to spend time with daily
What you will NOT be doing
- Implementing a commercial reading curriculum, scripted lesson plan, or district-mandated sequence; you develop lessons directly from student data
- Delivering whole-class lectures; all teaching occurs in small, targeted groups while students engage with adaptive apps for academic subjects
- Serving as a reading consultant, mentor to fellow educators, or district-level administrator; you work in the classroom with children daily
- Managing a traditional classroom schedule—subject-by-subject instruction, homework correction, test preparation; your time is allocated to workshops, motivation sessions, and data-informed small groups
- Assigning grades for homework or report cards; student advancement is tracked through app analytics and your assessment records
Key Responsibilities
Provide structured-literacy instruction that produces measurable improvement in K-2 reading performance across phonics, fluency, and decoding domains.
Candidate Requirements
- Structured-literacy certification (Orton-Gillingham, LETRS, Wilson Reading System, IMSE, CERI, Neuhaus, UFLI, or equivalent) OR a Master's degree in reading instruction
- Bachelor's degree in any discipline, plus 2+ years of full-time K-2 structured reading instruction in a school or clinical environment, using systematic phonics or structured literacy
- Proven capability to independently design reading lessons and clearly explain instructional content and methodology, without dependence on a published program
- Availability to work in person 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)
- Readiness to work with all K-2 students (not exclusively struggling readers) and to incorporate AI and adaptive-learning platforms into everyday instruction
- Legal authorization to work in the U.S. or Puerto Rico without visa sponsorship
- Bilingual English/Spanish proficiency required for the Dorado, Puerto Rico campus
Nice to have
- Direct experience with AI-powered or adaptive reading tools (e.g., Amira, Lexia, i-Ready, Reading Plus) for instructional planning or student performance analysis
- Documented record of measurable reading gains (fluency increases in WCPM, accuracy growth, decoding level progression) that you can cite with specific data
- Experience in non-traditional or innovative educational environments (charter, micro-school, Montessori, hybrid)
- Experience in performance, youth sports coaching, or other activities involving engagement with a K-2 audience beyond the reading classroom
This position is also known as:
- Literacy Specialist
- Reading Specialist
- Reading Coach
- Reading Interventionist
- Instructional Coach
- Reading Tutor
- Learning Specialist
- Educational Technology Specialist
- Instructional Coordinator
- Literacy Coordinator
- Literacy Program Coordinator
