Reading Specialist

Posted Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM

Show your passion by empowering youth and families when joining the Wayside team!

Wayside is one of Massachusetts' most respected youth and family-serving agencies, supporting more than 6,000 youth and families annually across Central, Eastern, and Northeastern regions.

We invest in our employees' wellness with comprehensive benefits, including tuition and training reimbursement, a PTO package with 3 wellness days, 9 paid holidays, and up to 3 weeks of vacation in the first year. Enjoy a learning environment with free training, CEUs, and more, along with exceptional medical benefits, financial health supports, and career development opportunities.

Apply today and earn a $2,000 sign-on bonus!

Wayside Academy - Framingham

Salary: $56,000.00 to $58,000.00/year + sign-on bonus (half paid after 6 months of employment and half paid after 1 year of employment/pro-rated for part-time).

Wayside Youth and Family Support Network is hiring a Reading Specialist to work 40 hours/week as part of our Academy. We are looking for someone who can provide leadership, coordination, collaboration, and innovation in reading curriculum and instruction, so that each student may drive maximum benefit from the K-12 reading curriculum in a 220 day setting. By using various methods and materials to suit topic, IEP, and/or learning style, the Reading Specialist will provide support and instruction to allow students to develop their reading skills.

They will contribute, through a team approach to providing a learning environment which is physically safe and intellectually open and in keeping with special education best practices.

What You Will Do:

• Observes struggling readers in the classroom, upon teacher’s request.
• Assists classroom teachers in establishing the need for intervention in regards to reading support and collaborates in planning the instructional strategies.
• Assists in the selection of appropriate materials utilized by the classroom teacher for corrective measures.
• Provides demonstrations of new methods and materials (i.e. team teaching).
• Interprets and disseminates results of both internal and external assessment data to teachers.
• Develops and implements a remediation plan for struggling readers.
• Is responsible for maintaining the literature collection in conjunction with the ELA teacher.
• Plans and conducts periodic evaluations to assess the need for changes in the reading program.
• Plans and develops special reading projects in conjunction with teaching staff.
• Serves as a resource to Academy management in areas of reading instruction and curriculum.
• Provides leadership in the development and implementation of the reading program.
• Assesses the reading capabilities of newly enrolled students.
• Provides for remedial instructional needs of students through collaboration with Wayside Academy staff, occasional small group instruction and staff development in content area reading strategies.
• Attend program functions and parent engagement opportunities as scheduled.
• Participate in scheduled engagement activities with students.

Competencies/Traits of our Superstars:

• Demonstrates ability to work independently (i.e. can self-direct on projects, can propose project solutions in regards to their curriculum area and lesson planning).
• Demonstrates flexibility and creative thinking (i.e. ability to adapt and adjust to changing work situations, recognize and respond quickly when lesson/activity does not go as planned).
• Demonstrates the ability to teach, mentor, and coach others (i.e. able to provide constructive feedback to Teachers and aides in regards to reading instruction, provide thoughtful instruction).
• Demonstrates dependability and persistence (i.e. excellent follow through on assigned tasks).
• Demonstrates good judgement in regards to behavior intervention and student support strategies.
• Demonstrates ongoing commitment to craft and ability to seek out professional development opportunities and new approaches based on evolving best practices (materials, curriculum, etc).
• Bachelor's degree with major in assigned area.
• At least 1 year of experience within an academic setting.
• Posses or working towards a license in Academic Specialist License (Reading).

We will train you in:
Motivational Interviewing;
Courageous Conversations;
Attachment, Regulation and Competency Model (ARC);
Trauma Informed Practice, MAP, TCI, CPR, First Aid training upon hire.

Wayside welcomes equity-minded applicants whose values align with our goal of being a child welfare and behavioral health agency committed to anti-racism, social justice, and advocacy. Successful candidates are asked to be engaged in Wayside’s dedication to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Bilingual/bicultural and LGBTQ+ applicants are encouraged to apply!