Metro Atlanta Leading Men Fellowship Coaching Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY: The Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship Coaching Specialists are early childhood and early literacy experts who serve as key members of the Fellows’ support and development team. The Coaching Specialist will provide instructional support and professional development to the Leading Men Fellows in their work to drive literacy in early childhood classrooms. This support takes the form of real-time coaching in and modeling of an evidence-based, relationship-driven early childhood intervention model (SEEDS of Learning), delivering training, facilitating practice sessions, providing guidance and expertise, providing regular observation of interventions, reviewing and analyzing student data, and problem-solving around program implementation challenges. Support, training, and coaching for the Leading Men Fellowship Coaching Specialist are provided by a Sr. Coaching Specialist. 

ABOUT THE LITERACY LAB: The Literacy Lab is a fast-paced, national non-profit organization whose mission is to provide children in low-income communities with individualized reading instruction to improve their literacy skills, leading to greater success in school and increased opportunities in life. We partner with school districts to add capacity in high-need schools to close the literacy achievement gap for children before third grade. The Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship provides young men of color who are between the ages of 18 and 24 with a rigorous opportunity to launch their careers and be at the center of change by serving as early literacy tutors for a school year through a residency-style program. 

THE LITERACY LAB’S COMMUNITY IMPACT: The education system in the United States continues to be deeply impacted by a long history of unjust policies that socio-economically disinvest in communities of color. The Literacy Lab’s mission is to address inequities by providing students of color with individualized reading instruction to improve their literacy skills. We believe that when young people of all races and from different economic brackets have equitable access to robust educational and professional development opportunities, they will be more successful as adults and their communities will be more resilient and prosperous. Since 2009, The Literacy Lab has provided evidence-based literacy interventions to more than 30,000 children from marginalized communities to master early literacy skills. By embedding rigorously trained tutors in pre-K classrooms and elementary schools to tutor students of color from pre-K through third grade, The Literacy Lab strives to create a full six-year continuum of support for young readers.

RESPONSIBILITIES: This is a full-time salaried position with hours to be scheduled during the school and workday and in response to schools’ individual needs:  

Facilitation and Training (10%)

• Participate in and support the facilitation of all training for the cohort, including Ascend (summer training), assessment training (PELI), and all other ongoing training. 
• Complete the necessary preparation work to support training, conduct assigned training, and participate in coaching and feedback sessions with Sr. Coaching Specialists.
• Support the classroom Lead Teacher in their progression through their required training(s), where applicable. 
• Promote ongoing Fellow learning and professional development by planning and facilitating supplemental training and workshops.

Fellow Coaching and Support (35%)

• Communicate with school staff, program staff, and Fellows about preparations for fall, winter, and spring benchmark assessments. 
• Perform assessment fidelity checks as Fellows administer benchmark assessments to ensure reliability and to verify that data is being recorded completely and entered in a timely manner for each student.  
• Observe Fellows on caseload at least twice monthly; provide in-person coaching in their classrooms and re-training as necessary to ensure Fellows’ success; ensure that observations checklists are completed and all fidelity data is tracked appropriately.  
• Ensure that Fellows implement the SEEDS of Early Literacy Tier 1, 2, and 3 interventions with fidelity. 
• Supervise and monitor the collection of benchmark data and progress monitoring assessment data; ensure that progress monitoring data is recorded regularly in an online database. 
• Facilitate ongoing communication with lead teachers about the alignment of Literacy Lab tutoring with the core literacy curriculum and individual student reading needs. 
• Support Fellows’ in the development and practice of soft and hard work/life skills in partnership with Leading Men program staff.
• Collaborate with program staff to connect Fellows to social services and wrap-around support, as needed.

School and Program Support (35%)

• Meet with the administration and/or lead teachers at school sites to ensure that school teams understand and support the Leading Men Fellowship’s model and purpose. 
• Support teaching teams regarding model-related issues or questions (i.e., intervention implementation, student engagement, etc.). 
• Participate in tri-annual Response to Intervention (RtI) data decision-making team meetings at school sites to review data and plan for interventions to best meet the literacy needs of individual children and groups of children in the classroom.
• Provide ongoing consultation support as needed regarding the identification and prioritization of students to receive targeted supplemental interventions. 
• Provide program updates to The Literacy Lab program staff on a regular basis; work closely with program staff to develop strong, collaborative relationships with all assigned school-partner sites.  
• Meet with the program staff weekly to review Fellows’ progress and to plan for the upcoming month. Participate in other Literacy Lab meetings and events as needed (Coaches’ retreat, site visits, etc.).
• Monitor the completeness and accuracy of student data in the online data management system, including but not limited to: student demographic data, benchmark data, progress monitoring data, family engagement data, and intervention data.  
• Support the implementation of The Literacy Lab’s family and community engagement strategy.
• Consult with program staff and the Sr. Coaching Specialist on program planning and implementation.
• With the guidance of the Sr. Coaching Specialist, consult with program staff and the Data & Evaluation team on program evaluation. Participate in partnership meetings with school and district stakeholders.
• Participate in site visits with external stakeholders, funders, and The Literacy Lab's internal stakeholders including, but not limited to, the Stewardship Team, Leadership Team, and Board of Directors as needed.

Continuing Education and Professional Development  (10%)

• Participate in periodic observation and coaching sessions with Sr. Coaching Specialists to ensure coaching fidelity and build coaching best practices. 
• Participate in monthly calls facilitated by the National Lead Coaching Specialist to collaborate with other Coaching Specialists. 
• Remain up-to-date on current literacy, education, and/or adult learning research and practices

Admin and Staff Initiatives (10%)

• Attend monthly staff meetings with all Literacy Lab staff.  
• Participate, as available and/or required, in ongoing staff development such as training and DEI initiatives. 
• Collaborate on regional projects and regularly attend regional standing meetings. 
• Other duties as assigned.  

QUALIFICATIONS: We are seeking candidates who possess the following qualities:

• A proven commitment to closing the equity gap.
• Evidence of passion for learning and incorporating an antiracist approach in all aspects of work and through equitable approaches.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and multiple projects simultaneously.
• Solutions-oriented mindset and the skills to be an effective ambassador for The Literacy Lab. 
• Ability to work well and problem-solve independently.
• Experience as a trainer or facilitator. 
• Growth mindset and dedication to continuous development and improvement. 
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with individuals, teams, and administrators and a demonstrated people-first approach to relationships.
• Strong attention to detail and time management skills. 
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in K-12 Education, Early Literacy and Reading Development, Learning and Development, Adult Learning, or Bachelor’s Degree in one of these or a related field.

PLUSSES:

• An established connection to the community where we serve.
• Experience working with young men of color between the ages of 18 and 24.
• Fluency with Trauma-Informed Care and/or Healing Centered Practices.
• Bi-lingual in Spanish.

POSITION DETAILS 

Position Type: Full-time

Salary and Benefits: The salary range for this role is $62,000- $70,000. Benefits include a flexible work environment, employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance, employer-paid short and long-term disability, employer-paid life insurance, a 403b retirement plan, paid vacation and mental health/sick time off. 

Work Location: Approximately 50% of the Coaching Specialist’s work may be conducted remotely, but there may still be meetings/events for which the Coach is expected to report to school or to the office in person. Schools may require monthly visits that are 1 or more hours away. Coaching Specialists will spend school-site work hours building relationships with school partners, observing tutoring interventions, coaching tutors, and holding data meetings.

Travel: This position requires regular travel within the region and may require out-of-town travel (1+ hours away) of approximately 5-10 days/nights per year with notice.

HOW TO APPLY: Please submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references to jobs@theliteracylab.org (with the subject ATTN: Atlanta LMF Coaching Specialist).

The Literacy Lab is an equal opportunity employer that values equity and recruits a diverse, inclusive workforce. We strongly encourage women, people of color, those who live with disabilities, and folks who identify as LGBTQQ+ to apply. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.