Qualifications:

• Illinois State Teachers license
• Bachelor’s Degree in Language Arts preferred
• Ability to function effectively as a member of the school staff

Responsible To:

• Building Administrator

Supervises:

• Writing Lab
• Information Media Assistant
• Students
• Student Helpers
• Volunteers

Job Goal:

The literacy specialist is responsible for empowering students to be critical thinkers, proficient writers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and ethical users of electronic and traditional information. They will instill a love of learning, writing and reading in all students and ensure equitable access to electronic and traditional information. The literacy specialist will collaborate with classroom teachers, the information media coordinators, other district coordinators, instructional coaches, and instructional technology coaches to design and implement lessons and units of instruction, to assess student learning and instructional effectiveness in literacy.

Performance Responsibilities:
(The following are essential fundamentals to include but not limited to the following job duties.)

• Supervise and maintain activities and materials, both traditional and electronic, in the Information Commons and provide an efficient organization for effective use by students and teachers.
• Participate in curriculum development and organizational activities with the building faculty, community groups, professional learning communities, and task forces.
• Inspire the use and enjoyment of the Information Commons by students, teachers, and staff.
• Coordinate efforts with instructional technology coaches, instructional coaches, and other district or building coordinators.
• Select, circulate, and promote print, non-print, and electronic resources.
• Work with the principal and the information media coordinators in planning expenditures, programming, setting goals for expected student behavior, and expansion of the facilities as needed.
• Provide opportunities for students, staff, and teachers to produce and use electronic and traditional materials to support literacy.
• Support faculty by assessing and diagnosing student needs as evidenced by their writing performance and provides feedback to the faculty on student progress.
• Keep the work area in the Information Commons presentable and organized.
• Assist students in becoming stronger, more independent writers.
• Promote writing and reading as a source of enjoyment for all students, staff, and teachers, as well as make available electronic and traditional materials and technology resources which encourage reading.
• Provide students with detailed, personalized critique of any written assignment, such as an essay, paragraph, report, or creative work.
• Instructs students in the writing lab on developing their major deficiencies in writing and organizing ideas.
• Assist students in applying higher order critical thinking skills in their writing.

• Use a variety of strategies to make teachers, staff, and students aware of the electronic and traditional materials and technology resources, which are available within the Information Commons.

Terms of Employment:

Wages, terms, and conditions of employment are pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement between the Decatur Education Association and the Decatur Public Schools #61 Board of Education.

Evaluation:

Each employee in contractual continuing service shall be evaluated in accordance with Illinois School Code. Each employee not in continuing contractual service shall be evaluated once every year.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

The demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. This position will daily be required to read, write, type, handle and manipulate fingers in performing the essential duties of the job. The position must have a valid driver’s license and may be required to drive to school sites on a daily basis.

Mental Demands:

The Literacy specialist must ensure that students are supervised at all times, and that students are involved in safe and appropriate activities. There may be a number of situations happening at once, and the Literacy Specialist must be prepared to handle accidents and emergencies at any time.

Work Environment:

The Literacy specialist will be working in a busy and occasionally noisy environment. There may be a number of activities and situations happening at once, and the Literacy specialist will have to supervise all students at all times. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills that may be required.

This position falls under the Decatur Education Association (DEA) Contract - 2022-2026.

The Salary Schedule is attached above. Benefit information can be found HERE.