About Joyful Readers
Joyful Readers is committed to helping Philadelphia students gain the literacy skills they need to become successful, confident, and yes…joyful readers! We are launching a racially, culturally, and generationally diverse cohort of AmeriCorps tutors who will provide high-quality, research-based reading tutoring daily to K-3 students in Philadelphia schools. The service of our tutors ensures that students in systemically under-resourced schools gain the skills they need to succeed in school, at work, and in their daily lives. Our tutors receive a month of full-time training in September, including taking the AIM Institute for Learning & Research Pathways to Proficient Reading course, a graduate-level course that helps educators learn about the science of reading. In October, tutors are placed in a Philadelphia elementary school until the end of May where they tutor students 2-on-1, 30 minutes a day, Monday through Friday, supporting a caseload of up to 22 students.
Position Overview
The Literacy Director is responsible for overseeing a cohort of 30-50 AmeriCorps tutors through a fulltime, 9-month school-based service year. In this role, the Literacy Director (LD) directly oversees a team of 3 Literacy Coaches (LCs) who are responsible for managing and providing instructional coaching to teams of AmeriCorps tutors. To ensure the success of the program, the LD manages partnerships with school and district leaders, builds and oversees an effective training program, provides support to AmeriCorps tutors and LCs, and oversees data collection, analysis, and review protocols. The LD will work closely with a Program Operations Director and report to the organization’s Executive Director. Anticipated start date: early-mid August 2022 Expected salary range: $75,000 – $80,000 per year, plus benefits Most work for this position is completed in-person and cannot be performed virtually, although some flexibility to work remotely will exist.
Position Details
The Literacy Director (LD) is broadly responsible for the success of the Joyful Readers AmeriCorps tutoring program, including positive reading outcomes for students, a positive service experience that helps retain AmeriCorps tutors throughout a year of service, and strong partnerships with schools where AmeriCorps tutors serve.
Literacy Coach Management
Manage and coach a team of 3 LCs through weekly check-ins, site visits to schools, team meetings, and collaboration on leadership of the AmeriCorps tutor cohort
Ensure LCs execute to results and lead and coach AmeriCorps tutors effectively
Review progress monitoring data with each LC and consult on student caseload adjustments
Support LCs in their partnership management responsibilities with school-appointed liaisons
Works with LCs to collaboratively lead the overall AmeriCorps tutor experience
Work with LCs to identify day-to-day support for AmeriCorps tutors and provide direct coaching to AmeriCorps tutors as needed
Partnerships
Serve as the primary contact for school district partners and school principals
Conduct start-, middle-, and end-of-year meetings with school principals, collaborating with each LC to formally monitor program success with partners
Engage directly with district leaders to provide program updates
Collaborate with the Executive Director to renew existing school partnerships and build partnerships with new schools
Learning & Development
Develop a month-long start-of-year training calendar, in partnership with LCs, the Program Operations and Executive Directors, and our training partner, AIM
Contract with paid/volunteer facilitators and space vendors
Build and facilitate training and teambuilding content, and support LCs in doing so
Identify and react to training needs that arise throughout the school year
Program Evaluation, Progress Monitoring, and Grant Reporting
Lead an RFP process to identify a 3rd party evaluation of the AmeriCorps tutoring program
Actively monitor enrollment, dosage, implementation, and reading assessment data to ensure goals are met and tutors and LCs course correct throughout the school year Oversee occasional tutor and school partner survey implementation; review survey data to improve program outcomes
Instill a data-driven culture across the organization Collaborate with the Program Operations, Development, and Executive Directors on grant reporting
Organizational Support and Leadership
Meet weekly as a member of the organizational leadership team
Support AmeriCorps tutors in their understanding of and compliance with AmeriCorps policies
Support recruitment and AmeriCorps tutor interviewing
Collaborate on school visits from foundations, corporations, and community members interested in Joyful Readers
Benefits This is a full-time position; all Joyful Readers full-time employees receive generous paid time off allowances (vacation, sick and organization holidays). Full-time employees may participate in our benefit programs including health and dental insurance, life insurance, retirement benefits, and disability coverage. Employment at Joyful Readers is at-will. Joyful Readers does not sponsor work authorization visas.
Position Qualifications
A passion for ensuring students can read on grade level
At least 8 years of experience in a reading instruction role, such as classroom teacher, reading specialist, instructional coach, school administrator, etc.
o Experience with structured literacy (or what is often referred to as the science of reading)
o Completion of formal training such as Wilson, Orton-Gillingham, AIM Pathways, or LETRS
o Experience with Wilson Fundations preferred
Experience leading or managing diverse groups of people required; non-profit leadership preferred
Experience working in communities and/or schools with majority Black and/or Latinx populations
An entrepreneurial spirit to help launch a new program and build the systems to ensure program success in the short- and long-term
AmeriCorps experience a plus
Spanish-language fluency and/or familiarity with African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) a plus
As an equal opportunity employer, Joyful Readers is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. We encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds to apply, particularly people of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people from low-income backgrounds. How to Apply E-mail us at serve@joyfulreaders.org Please include your resume or CV and a short cover letter (one page or less) highlighting your relevant experiences. Please submit your application as a Word or PDF file.