Literacy Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Reports To : Program Manager, Elementary Education

Department : Resident Services

Background : AHC is a non-profit, affordable housing developer and service provider with offices in Baltimore, Maryland and Arlington, Virginia. Our growing portfolio of 54 multifamily rental communities provides over 8,300 homes in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

Misson : The residents of Affordable Homes & Communities are at the heart of all we do. AHC builds opportunity by creating quality homes with holistic resident services. We drive change through innovation, genuine partnerships, and responsible investment.

Resident Services Goal : Transformational Engagement - Build and sustain healthy, beautiful, and equitable communities with our residents to open doors through which they can create homes, neighborhoods, and the lives they want to live.

The four cornerstones of Resident Services programming are : Education, Economic Mobility, Health & Wellness, and Community Engagement.

Responsibilities : Reporting to the Program Manager, Elementary Education, the Literacy Specialist (RES) is responsible for planning, development, implementation, and assessment of the literacy programs for students in kindergarten through grade 5 with an emphasis on K-3. The position is also responsible for identifying or developing impactful, culturally inclusive, and resident-informed curriculum to meet the goals of AHC’s Education programming and for coaching, supporting, and guiding education team members in best practices for literacy instruction and out-of-school time programming. Specifically outlined in this job description are the duties of the Resident Engagement Specialist, Education assigned to implement AHC’s Out of School Time, and Community Engagement Programming.

Duties :

1. Educational Program Development & Delivery

• Delivers approved literacy-focused curriculum for elementary students in grades K-5
• Collaborates with other key leaders to plan and deliver programs for early literacy and elementary reading.
• Provides support to team members in the areas of deeper learning, culturally responsive instruction, and strategies for teaching sensitive topics.
• Provides direct instruction in the areas of reading and writing for identified groups and individual students, with an emphasis on emergent, beginning, and transitional readers.
• Identifies literature for use in all content areas in support of the curriculum.
• Provides curriculum support and training for all site teams.
• Models and coaches instructional methods in a variety of settings (whole group and small group) and provides follow-up support.
• Collaborates with and coaches Resident Engagement Specialists on the use of assessment data to plan instruction; analyzes school literacy data and plans for future literacy needs.
• Provides ongoing training and follow-up in the use of assessment tools.
• Selects instructional materials to meet student needs.
• Participates in collaborative instructional planning.
• Assesses students using a variety of measures to determine appropriate placement and specific instructional needs.
• Uses evaluation tools to assess progress at mid-year, year-end, and following summer camp.
• Conducts classroom visitations and provides feedback to site teams and administrators on the center's literacy program.
• Serve as a liaison between AHC and schools by attending meetings and disseminating information.
• Maintains an organized system and accessible location for the storage and circulation of reading and writing materials.
• Maintains a comprehensive inventory of instructional materials and resources.
• Assists with the planning and delivery of parent workshops and informational sessions involving the AHC’s education program.
• Participates in parent conferences and provides instructional suggestions.
• Remains grounded in content standards and objectives in order to facilitate integrated and concept-based instruction.
• Deploys sustainable classroom management strategies based on trauma-informed care and best practices.
• Assists children with homework, academic interventions.
• Maintains and fosters a growth mindset toward student learning while encouraging students to grow and foster their own.
• Participates in a six-week elementary school summer camp program for students and delivers literacy-focused instruction.

2. Collaboration

3. Volunteers

4. Managing Data and Meeting Requirements of Grants

Collects, documents, and manages data using the appropriate platform, ensuring accuracy and consistency with established data collection standards.

Uses systems to collect statistics on how the center is being used and by whom and performance outcome measures.

Compiles and enters relevant data into monthly reports to highlight and share impact of programming.

5. Other Duties as Assigned

Qualifications

1. Commitment to the Mission, Vision, and Values of AHC.

Bachelor’s degree in Education.

Holds or is eligible for a Virginia College Professional License; Postgraduate Professional License and endorsement as a Reading Specialist preferred

2. Three years of work experience in a school or afterschool setting.

3. Cross-cultural competency and commitment to racial justice a must.

4. Knowledgeable in child development and current behavior management strategies.

Good listener, collaborator, problem solver, good sense of humor, and team spirit. Nimble and flexible.

Experienced in piloting new programs and responding to changing opportunities and challenges.

Strong organizational skills in communications, program planning, time management, and data collection and reporting.

Ability to adapt to changing priorities.

Experience developing curriculum and lesson planning.

Commitment to the mission of AHC and the ability to work independently required.

Proficient in Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Database experience preferred.

Spanish, Amharic or other relevant second language fluency strongly preferred.