Early Literacy Specialist

Early Literacy Specialist

The Literacy Specialist is a district-level instructional support position that provides coaching and instructional support to elementary schools. The primary responsibility of this role is to collaborate with instructional coaches and school leaders to promote best practices in literacy instruction, support data-driven decision-making, analyze student performance data, and recommend strategies to address areas of need. This position involves observing classroom instruction and providing feedback to strengthen the implementation of a balanced literacy program, supporting schools in collaborative planning for effective literacy instruction, analyzing student achievement data to inform and adjust instructional practices, and planning and facilitating professional learning opportunities at both the district and school levels to promote the sharing and implementation of best practices.

Minimum qualifications include a bachelor's degree, valid Georgia Certification, experience working with adult learners, coaching teachers, and delivering professional development, a deep understanding of theories of literacy, an understanding of the Georgia Standards of Excellence for Literacy, at least five years of successful teaching experience in early grades, a strong record of helping students achieve academic success, significant experience with early literacy curriculum development and instructional planning, and experience in analyzing data and using results to modify curricula.

Skills and abilities

include the ability to use problem-solving skills to generate solutions, the ability to function as a positive collaborative member of a team, and the ability to perform routine physical activities that are required to fulfill job responsibilities.

Performance responsibilities include working closely with instructional coaches and school instructional leaders to strategically create and implement a plan to increase student achievement in literacy, playing an integral role in the efforts to horizontally and vertically align the district's balanced literacy curriculum and oversee literacy progress monitoring throughout the schools, working collaboratively with district and school leaders on developing instructional strategies for struggling readers, collaborating with the Early Literacy Coordinator to plan and deliver professional learning for new and returning staff members aligned to high-priority initiatives and outcomes in the area of literacy, partnering with school-based instructional coaches to support the development of high-quality/effective literacy instruction in all schools in order to improve instructional planning, teacher practice, and the use of data to drive instructional decisions, collaborating with district and school leaders to develop structures that facilitate the improvement of literacy instruction and the appropriate interventions and supports for students, continuously monitoring, tracking, and analyzing student achievement data in order to identify needed supports and strategies, and performing other duties as assigned by the appropriate administrator.

Reports to:

Early Literacy Coordinator

Salary range: 11 months. Competitive salary and excellent benefits package, in accordance with the DCSS Compensation Guide.

Final date to receive applications:
Applications will be reviewed upon submission. To ensure consideration, please submit all required application materials by June 24, 2026. Interested applicants should apply online. The Dougherty County School System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, or disability.