Elementary Reading Specialist, Waypoint Academy - $100,000​/year USD

Required:

Master's in reading instruction OR 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, distributed weekly. Health, dental, and vision coverage begins day one.
• Nature-based school integrating structured academics with outdoor adventure programming

Most reading specialists work exclusively with students already flagged for remediation. You've long believed this approach is inverted - that Science of Reading principles belong in the instruction of every child, not reserved for those already falling behind. If this philosophy shapes your teaching practice, continue reading.

Waypoint Academy operates as a nature-based school where mornings center on rigorous academics and afternoons transition to archery, survival training, and exploration of the Texas Hill Country. Your role encompasses the morning component: delivering small-group structured literacy instruction that advances every K-2 student in phonics, decoding, fluency, and writing. You design the lessons. You interpret the data. You regroup and modify instruction as needed.

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 pull-out intervention model. You are accountable for literacy outcomes across the entire cohort.

You're entering a small, developing school. This means you will construct the literacy program rather than inherit an established one. As enrollment expands, you'll determine how structured literacy scales to additional cohorts and grade levels. If you seek a stable position with fixed routines, this role will not suit you. If you aim to demonstrate that all children learn to read more effectively when instruction is designed specifically for them, this is the opportunity.

• Delivering small-group structured literacy workshops: systematic phonics, decoding, fluency, and early writing instruction for all K-2 students, not limited to those identified for intervention
• Examining student performance data from adaptive platforms and running records to reconfigure groups and modify instruction between sessions
• Providing one-on-one and small-group coaching through adaptive learning software, establishing relationships that promote goal attainment
• Creating original lessons grounded in structured literacy principles, customized to each group's present level and learning pace
• Integrating occasional outdoor or experiential activities to support literacy concepts when they authentically strengthen learning

• Developing IEPs or managing pull-out intervention schedules with classroom teachers. All students are within your instructional scope.
• Providing passive supervision during app-based learning. You actively guide students toward goal completion, not merely monitor screen activity.
• Remaining in a conventional classroom throughout the day. Students transition outdoors in the afternoon, so your literacy instruction is concentrated and high-intensity.
• Correcting large volumes of worksheets - adaptive software manages practice quantity and tracks progress, allowing you to concentrate on direct teaching.

Drive reading and writing advancement for all K-2 students using structured literacy instruction and adaptive learning platforms.

• Bachelor's degree in any field
• Master's degree in reading instruction OR structured literacy certification including Orton-Gillingham, Wilson Reading System, IMSE, CERI, LETRS, Neuhaus, or UFLI. This is a mandatory requirement, not optional.
• Minimum 2 years of full-time K-2 structured reading instruction utilizing systematic phonics in a school or clinical environment, completed within the past 5 years
• Demonstrated ability to design independent reading lessons, with capacity to articulate your instructional content and methods without relying on a commercial…