District Overview

The Holyoke Public Schools are committed to ensuring a high-quality education for all, we have invested in recruiting and retaining diverse top-quality educators who inspire bold thinking, recognize student potential, and encourage all students to work towards their goals. In Holyoke, we are committed to becoming an anti-racist district by focusing on:

• Anti-Racism Training for All Staff Members

• Policy Review and Revision

• Facilitating School Visits Through an Equity Lens

• Establishing the Holyoke Race and Equity Team

• Establishing Equity Indicators for Accountability of HPS Employees, Students, and Partners  

We know that students do their best when they pursue their passions, so we have designed multiple pathways where all students graduate prepared to excel in college, career, and community leadership.  Holyoke Public Schools (HPS) serves 5,400 students (of which over 80% are Latinx)  in 12 schools and employs nearly 1,500 people.  The District was placed into receivership by the State of Massachusetts in Spring 2015, because of struggling performance, and has since implemented a Turnaround Plan that has led to expanded choice programs (such as dual language, STEM, and early college) and new opportunities for students to explore the arts, sports, sciences, and local and world cultures.  Since 2015, the District has experienced numerous accomplishments for instance: 

• doubling access to PreK programming 
• 10-point graduation rate increase
• 85 percent increase in access to early college programming
• 9-point increase (to 22%) in hiring teachers of color

Literacy Interventionist Overview

The Literacy Interventionist assists students who have been identified as at-risk with literacy intervention to provide a continuum of support and help them get on grade level. The interventionist utilizes district approved interventions to deliver lesson plans, evaluate and assess student performance. The interventionist meets with teachers, interprets student progress, and informs parents/guardians about student strengths, weaknesses, and progress. Lastly, the interventionist collaborates with identified teachers who share the at-risk students served and develops a transition plan between the intervention classroom and the regular classroom.

The Literacy Interventionist is responsible for supporting student achievement in the area of Literacy/foundational reading skills, with special attention to Tier II and III instruction. The Interventionist provides individual, small group or whole group instruction to students who are struggling academically (identified as needing Tier II and/or III instruction). The interventionist will be responsible for administering appropriate assessments and developing/delivering instructional plans designed to meet students’ developmental needs in literacy.  This position is also responsible for monitoring, reporting, and communicating student progress and performance.

Responsibilities

Under the direction of District directors and the school principal:

1. Provides high quality literacy instruction to individual students and small groups 
2. Uses data to provide instruction to students and to bring their skills to grade-level 
3. Collaborates with teachers, administration, and families to help identify best practices for individual and small groups of students 
4. Uses identified research-based interventions focused specifically on individual student needs
5. Maintains data-based documentation of continuous monitoring of student performance and progress 
6. Provides data to school teams and participates in decisions about student progress 
7. Communicates with teachers, administration, and families regarding student progress 
8. Assists with identifying students for placement in intervention groups
9. Participates in meetings with teachers, administration, and families to discuss student placement and progress 
10. Provides diagnostic assessments for students as needed 
11. Collaborate with the Instructional Coach/Expert Teachers, school and district leaders to lead and participate in ongoing and job-embedded professional development 
12. Collaborate with teachers, principals, and academic directors in determining appropriate Tier II/III resources and materials for future purchases. 
13. Serve as a resource in identifying appropriate research-based interventions to improve student learning and achievement
14. Work teacher work year plus 5 additional days (paid per diem) for training and planning with the Academic Department. 

Eligibility and Qualifications

• Possess or able to obtain a Professional Massachusetts teaching license in the content area assigned ELA/Reading, elementary, World Language (spanish) 1-6 licensure acceptable
• Willingness to obtain Bilingual Education Endorsement as required by MA state law
• Demonstrate that you are culturally competent in your teaching, teamwork, and leadership practices
• Commitment to support the implementation of culturally responsive and anti-racist teaching practices to promote equity for all students
• Completed at least three years of successful teaching experience (urban experience a plus)
• Experience as an interventionist preferred
• Deep understanding of Science of Reading and all components of a strong structured literacy program
• Ability to build strong, supportive relationships with students, teachers, and families
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) preferred
• A Master’s degree from an accredited college or university preferred

Additional Qualifications

• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• High expectations for self and others
• Ability to organize workload independently and set priorities

Compensation

The annual salary based on teacher contract rate