Lower School Literacy Specialist

Friends’ Central School Overview

Friends’ Central School is an independent, coeducational Quaker day school founded in 1845 and serving approximately 880 students in Nursery through grade 12. Located in the Philadelphia suburbs, the School has two campuses. The Middle & Upper Schools are located just outside of West Philadelphia in Wynnewood, and the Lower School is on our Old Gulph Road campus in the heart of Wynnewood. 

The exceptional faculty at Friends’ Central offers a curriculum that cultivates our students' intellectual, spiritual, and ethical growth. Our pedagogy is grounded in continuing revelation, reflection, integrity, and a willingness to accept responsibility. From Nursery to Grade 12, our students participate in a learning process that fosters creative, critical, and flexible thinking and compassion. They are intellectually curious and engaged thinkers who transform from playful children to skilled, self-possessed teenagers. Friends’ Central prepares graduates to succeed in college and life.  

Lower School Literacy Specialist 

Friends’ Central School seeks a full-time Lower School Literacy Specialist beginning in August 2025.  The Literacy Specialist oversees and leads literacy instruction in the Lower School by ensuring fidelity to the curriculum, supporting and developing faculty's literacy instruction, and working with individual or small groups of students for reading intervention. The ideal candidate will have significant experience working with and supporting students as young learners and emergent readers. This experience needs to extend to a level of expertise in best practices for literacy instruction, an understanding of a range of literacy curricula, and a firm understanding of the science of reading. They will be collaborative, nurturing, creative, and adaptable. 

This 10-month position reports to the Director of Student Support Services and the Lower School Principal. The Literacy Specialist meets regularly with the Lower School principals and is integral to our Lower School Student Support Team. This individual also works closely with Lower School colleagues, families, and students. They work with Lower School students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 and offer consultation for our students in Nursery and Pre-K, when applicable. 

Primary Responsibilities    

• Provide direct instruction and interventions in literacy skills for individual and small groups of students, and do so in ongoing collaboration and partnership with the classroom teacher.
• Be a consistent presence in classrooms to best understand the delivery of curriculum and student progress. 
• Identify a caseload of students who need targeted intervention and provide ongoing monitoring as they move from one grade to another, assessing progress, growth, and areas of needs over time. 
• Review psychological evaluations and prepare Educational Plans for students who benefit from specific strategies or recommendations. Ensuring that Educational Plans are consistently updated, shared with the appropriate teachers and experts, and properly implemented. 
• Oversee curriculum development, implementation, and pacing guides (when applicable) in the science of reading, Units of Study, Wilson’s Fundations, Handwriting Without Tears, and other relevant curriculums. 
• Support teachers in developing specific strategies to enable students to learn more effectively in the classroom in grades K-5.
• Manage and support the faculty in conducting the assessment tools used in the Lower School to assess and monitor progress in reading and writing, ensuring the assessments are done on time and with fidelity. 
• Use the data gathered from the assessment tools used in Lower School to identify trends and areas of need – both for individual students and across groups and grades. 
• Spearhead meetings with families and classroom teachers to better understand student needs and make recommendations for clear, thoughtful next steps. 
• Serve as a member of our Lower School Student Support Team and act as a liaison between that team and others involved in supporting the success of our students. 
• Continuously seek professional development to remain current with best literacy practices and to make recommendations to Lower School Administrators about curricular changes or modifications.
• Communicate and consult with outside support providers, including Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU) and psychologists regarding students experiencing academic needs and challenges.
• Present to faculty and parents on topics related to literacy and literacy interventions.
• Attend faculty meetings, required training, and after-school events, as appropriate.
• Support other aspects of school and community life - such as serving on a school life committee, supervising lunch duties, and other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in related fields (Education, Reading, Literacy, Special Education) 
• 2-4 years of experience working full-time with students in grades K-5
• Knowledge of current, evidence-based literacy curriculum and assessment 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills 
• Background in teacher consultation, classroom collaboration, and/or instructional coaching 

Preferred Qualifications  

• Reading Specialist certification 
• Familiarity with the Units of Study, Wilson’s Fundations, Handwriting Without Tears, and Fountas and Pinnell assessments 

Please apply here. The application requires a resume, cover letter, and three professional references. All applications should be completed by April 30, 2025

Friends’ Central School seeks candidates with a commitment to fostering an inclusive learning community who will address issues of diversity, as well as enhance the Philosophy of Inclusivity and Awareness articulated in our Diversity Statement.