Navigating the Hiring Season: Defining Roles for Literacy Success
While interviewing for reading specialist or literacy coach positions over the years, it became clear to me that the two roles are often misunderstood. Today, as both a consultant who helps schools and an adjunct professor who helps potential candidates (educators in a masters program studying to be reading specialists) - I see the confusion remains.
As we enter the “hiring season,” I want to offer some guidance to clarify the two roles. May this information help both the candidates and the schools find their best match.
Roles defined:
Reading specialists work directly with students, addressing the principle that students with the most need should receive support from the most trained educator. This typically involves the reading specialist delivering Tier 2 and 3 interventions to small groups and individual students, often in a pull-out setting.
A literacy coach works directly with educators, including school leaders, as a change agent and thought partner to expand literacy into all instructional settings within a school. This typically involves designing and delivering tailored professional learning and providing guidance and ongoing coaching support to:
deliver and analyze literacy assessments to identify students needs and form instructional goals
select and implement evidence-based curriculum and instructional practices with the intention of alignment across content areas and grade levels
The role of a literacy coach is demanding, requiring both a comprehensive understanding of long-term goals (often spanning up to a decade) and a grasp of the daily, incremental steps needed to achieve them. A coach must seamlessly transition between strategic planning with school leaders, envisioning 3-5 year horizons, and providing practical, in-classroom support to teachers without compromising trust. Ultimately, the role hinges on the ability to build and maintain strong relationships.
Two values to prioritize when hiring a literacy coach
An Enduring Quest for Growth and Knowledge - Jim Collins’s Good to Great presents insightful research on high-performing organizations, and reveals a common thread - their unwavering dedication to continuous learning, reflection, adaptation, and growth. If you want a high performing team, one of the main people who leads them - your coach - has to walk the walk. During an interview, ask your candidates, “How do you continue to learn and grow?” and "What recent book have you read to expand your knowledge? What was its focus? What prompted your selection?"
An ability to build trusting relationships - As John C. Maxwell famously said, “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” It’s not helpful to hire the most knowledgeable person in your candidate pool if they have no idea how to build trust and relationships with your team. So, - ask them - “How do you build relationships and trust with adult learners.”
While experience holds importance, its impact is limited without a genuine commitment to learning and collaboration. Prioritize candidates who demonstrate these values; they will work tirelessly to continue growing in order to help others, and will actively seek your feedback as they gain experience and mature in the role.
(As a fun side-note: About two years after I was hired as the literacy coach at The Compass School, I learned I was not their first choice. Their initial hiring strategy emphasized experience, resulting in an offer to someone with slightly more experience in delivering district-level professional learning. I was offered the position after the first candidate declined the offer. Since then, the school's leadership has embraced a values-based hiring approach, consistent with Jim Collins's finding that high performing organizations hire and lead by their values. Today, the more knowledgeable and experienced candidate may fall short in our hiring process to someone with less experience, who demonstrates that they live the school’s values. The Compass School’s “School Core Values Alignment Survey” can be found on our Free Tools page, under the “coaches & admin” heading - may it serve as a launchpad for you when creating your own.)
What to prioritize when hiring a reading specialist
While a reading specialist should ideally possess both a strong alignment with your school’s values and the necessary expertise to support high-needs students, finding this combination can be challenging. Therefore, consider prioritizing candidates whose values closely match your school's, and creating a clear training plan that allows them to gain the knowledge and experience needed for the role.
Why we should not mesh the two roles
Although it can be tempting to utilize a coach to serve students, it is vital that a school keeps the roles of literacy coach and reading specialist separate. If coaches spend their time directly serving students, they won't have enough time to collaborate with teachers. This restricts the development of literacy skills throughout the school. Therefore, to effectively support students' literacy needs, we need to expand our team focused on direct student support. That is the job of a coach.
Should we hire a literacy coach or reading specialist?
If a school is unable to afford both a literacy coach and a reading specialist, the administration should consider the following to determine which role to fill:
First, assess your school's literacy landscape: Is evidence-based implementation consistent across all grades and subjects? Are MTSS systems effectively identifying and providing support to struggling learners? Are 80% of students proficient in reading and writing from Tier 1 and 2 instruction? If the answer to any of these is no, a literacy coach is essential for leading that change.
However, if these foundational elements are strong, and your priority is getting an expert to deliver Tier 3, evidence-based instruction for high-needs students (5% - 10% of the student population), a reading specialist is the ideal choice.
References
Brown, Erin & L’Allier Susan K. No More Random Acts of Literacy Coaching. Heinemann, 2020.
Collins, Jim. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't. HarperBusiness, 2011.
What’s next?
We recognize that administrators are yearning for more training, Root Literacy Design and Level 5 Leaders have co-created the Administrator Mentorship Network. This year-long, virtual small group provides tailored content and frameworks addressing the strategic goals and challenges of school administrators. The network is limited to 12 school administrators from across the country who are engaged in evidence-based literacy work. What’s more, the Administrator Mentorship Network is facilitated by a current school leader who has the tools and experience to guide school leaders to success in their own schools, and who understands the unique pressures of school leadership.
We invite you to join RLD for a Zoom session on April 30th at 4:30 PM to learn how they can help you implement the Science of Reading. Can’t make it? No problem! Register anyway and they’ll share the recording with you.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/5d6d8keu
Related articles:
The HOW: The School Leader’s Role in Bringing the Science of Reading to Life
Building a Science of Reading Foundation: It Takes More Than Just Training
Related article: All Hands on Deck: A Zone Defense Approach to Literacy
