2026-2027 Reading Specialists

Job Title: K-5 Reading Specialist
Salary Range: $62,983-$96,348
Supervisor: Principal
Job Classification: Exempt
Contract Length: 11-months (220 days)

Job Summary
The Petersburg City Public Schools (PCPS) Reading Specialist provides school level leadership in reading by working collaboratively with classroom teachers,administrators, and central office instructional and support staff to plan and implement quality ELA instruction as well as tiered interventions for students in need of differentiated support. The Reading Specialist also provides professional development (PD) at the school site, evaluates students and student data to determine ELA strengths and weaknesses, and assists with planning and implementation of additional support services in ELA based on the data-driven needs at the school. The Instructional Specialist plans his/her own work under the guidance of the principal and Director of K-12 Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on the provision of exemplary ELA instruction (research-based and fully aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning for ELA) to all identified students. 

Essential Duties

Collaborates with individual teachers or teams of teachers through co-planning, demonstration teaching, co-teaching and coaching to improve student outcomes in ELA. 

Supports teachers' understanding and delivery of the Virginia Standards of Learning (and Curriculum Framework) in reading through collaborative long-range and short-range planning (including unpacking the standards, writing aligned learner objectives, and effectively using district aligned curriculum resources). 

Assist Teachersin creating aligned formative assessments; collecting, analyzing and interpreting formative and summative assessment data; and designing or selecting targeted, developmentally appropriate aligned interventions to meet the needs of students in each performance tier. 

Facilitates teachers' use of successful, research-based instructional strategies, including differentiated instruction for diverse learners that enables students to progress from concrete to representational to abstract thinking. 

Acts as a liaison among classroom teachers, intervention/resource teachers, and any other supplemental service providers working with ELA instruction. 

Analyzes and uses data to identify professional development needs of individual teachers or groups of teachers in ELA; plans and delivers (or collaborates on delivery of) staff development activities for teachers that are responsive to the data and supportive of the goals of the PCPS Strategic Plan, the PCPS Corrective Action Plan, and individual school improvement plan. 

Assists administration in identifying school strengths and weaknesses in ELA and supports responses that maximize student engagement and student achievement outcomes in the school. 

Incorporates and models appropriate selection and use of technology to support ELA instruction. 

Provides professional development to teachers in a variety of group formats using collaborative investigations, discussion groups, book/lesson study, modeling or other methods that engage adult learners while demonstrating effective research-based instructional strategies in K-5 ELA. 

Conducts non-evaluative observations of ELA teaching and learning in order to provide evidence-based feedback to teachers and improve instruction and maximize the impact on student outcomes. 

Collaborates with staff on instructional programs and initiatives to provide extended day/extended year learning opportunities in ELA (field trips, after-school activities, family events, and summer programs). 

Participates in professional development for personal growth and to increase knowledge of trends and best practices in classroom instruction; applies and shares new learning with colleagues as appropriate. 

Performs other related duties as assigned. 

Job Specifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities Required)

Knowledge of Title I regulations, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) standards, Virginia Standards of Learning (including Curriculum Framework and Standards of Learning assessments), the PCPS Strategic Plan and the School Improvement Plan. 

Advanced knowledge of content, concepts, principles, and methodologies of English/Reading education in a public-setting

Knowledge of current curriculum development theory and practice, program implementation in English/Reading, learning theory and current trends and research in education. 

Proven ability to effectively plan and deliver instruction using research-based practices in English/Reading teaching; to assess student learning in reading through observation and data analysis; to respond to data by selecting appropriate strategies to meet individual and/or group need; and to monitor students over time to ensure maintenance and use of reading processes and skills. 

Demonstrated ability to access and use a variety of media and technology to support effective reading instruction and job performance. 

Demonstrated leadership qualities and personal characteristics necessary for working effectively with students, teachers, and administrators in a variety of settings requiring organization, collaboration, and professional communication in oral, written, and presentation formats.

Minimum Qualifications 

Education: Master's degree in English or Reading

Experience: Completed at least three (3) years of successful full-time classroom teaching in a public school, preferably at more than one grade level in which the teaching of reading was an important responsibility. Professional development leadership experience and participation in professional development opportunities related to reading education are desirable. 

Certification and Licensure: Virginia Postgraduate Professional License or eligibility for Virginia licensure is mandatory. Virginia endorsement as a reading specialist (or eligibility for Virginia endorsement as a reading specialist). 

Working Conditions and Physical Demands 

Duties are performed in an office environment with no unusual physical demands. The physical requirements described herein are representative of those which 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, who are otherwise qualified, to perform the essential functions.