Educational Technology Specialist, Alpha - $120,000/year USD

Alpha School; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 108,000 - 132,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Job summary

Alpha reimagines the school day with AI-adaptive literacy tools and focused 20-minute small-group workshops. You will lead daily motivational sessions and use real-time analytics to tailor instruction for K-2 students.

We require a structured-literacy certification or a Master’s in reading instruction, plus at least 2 years of K-2 experience. This is a full-time, on-site role at multiple California campuses with relocation support available.

Qualifications

• Structured-literacy certification (Orton-Gillingham, LETRS, Wilson Reading System, IMSE, CERI, Neuhaus, UFLI, or equivalent) OR a Master’s in reading instruction.
• Bachelor's degree in any discipline, plus a minimum of 2 years of full-time K‑2 structured reading instruction in a school or clinical environment.
• Proven capacity to develop original reading lessons and clearly explain your instructional approach and content without depending on a commercial program.
• Willingness to work full-time on-site at one Alpha campus: Beverly Hills, La Jolla, Lake Forest, Palo Alto, Piedmont, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, or South Bay (LA), CA; relocation assistance available.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States without requiring visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Creating small-group K-2 literacy workshops based on real-time adaptive-app analytics, applying structured-literacy principles.
• Leading daily motivational sessions to ensure 100% of students achieve their weekly app targets using Alpha's system.
• Analyzing AI-generated student performance metrics to modify instruction during the day, not only during planning periods.
• Conducting running records, fluency assessments, and decoding probes to generate progress visible in weekly campus data meetings.
• Serving as the engaging, high-energy adult role that students look forward to seeing each day.

Skills

K-2 literacy instruction

Original reading lesson design

On-site classroom presence

AI analytics for instruction

Education

Bachelor's degree in any discipline

Master's in reading instruction

Job description

• Salaried position at $120,000 annually, paid on a weekly basis, including health, dental, and vision coverage from your first day


• Full-time on-site placement at a single Alpha campus in Beverly Hills, La Jolla (San Diego), Lake Forest (Orange County), Palo Alto, Piedmont, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, or South Bay (LA), CA; Greenwich, CT; Boca Raton or Miami Beach, FL; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; or New York City, NY (relocation assistance available)


• 40 hours per week, 100% classroom-based with students in grades K-2

The structured-literacy certification you hold — Orton-Gillingham, LETRS, Wilson, IMSE, or a Master's in reading instruction — has opened every K-2 reading position you pursued. In the majority of those roles, it also marked the limit: you delivered a pre-packaged program and documented outcomes. At Alpha, that credential is where your work begins. If this difference resonates with you, continue reading.

Alpha has redesigned the instructional model. Academic content is completed independently by students using AI-adaptive applications. There are no lectures, no textbooks, and no district pacing calendars. Your expertise is reserved for the one area where human judgment cannot be replaced. You create focused 20-minute small-group workshops informed by live app analytics; brevity is intentional, as targeted instruction is more effective than duration. You also lead motivational sessions designed to ensure every student meets weekly app targets using Alpha's framework (campus currency, leaderboards, developmentally appropriate gamification). When you catch a decoding error during instruction, you identify the underlying phonemic issue and recalibrate the next day's workshop before leaving campus. This is the baseline expectation.

Families enrolling at these locations have selected Alpha for performance, not simply enrollment. Parents review weekly progress data on their child's literacy development and expect substantive communication. You will respond to specific inquiries about individual student advancement, and vague reassurances will not suffice. You must reference running records, specify phonemic deficits, and articulate your instructional response. This level of accountability should energize you, not exhaust you.

Your initial period focuses on establishing credibility in the classroom. Workshops must be engaging, appropriately leveled, and demonstrably effective; these qualities are measured directly through student satisfaction and \"love your Guide\" survey results (target 90% or higher). Once you demonstrate success, your influence expands beyond your classroom: instructional strategies that succeed with your students inform adoption across the Alpha network, and your assessment precision influences literacy instruction as Alpha scales. The impact of your work extends well beyond your immediate setting.

Prior to receiving an offer, you will submit a short video in which you tell a captivating story for young children, and you will complete a full day on campus working directly with K-2 students. Low energy with children, regardless of your qualifications, is disqualifying. This is intentional.

What You Will Be Doing

• Creating small-group K-2 literacy workshops based on real-time adaptive-app analytics, applying structured-literacy principles (Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, LETRS, IMSE, or equivalent)


• Leading daily motivational sessions to ensure 100% of students achieve their weekly app targets using Alpha's system (school currency, leaderboards, age-appropriate gamification)


• Analyzing AI-generated student performance metrics (fluency trajectories, decoding precision, comprehension indicators) to modify instruction during the day, not only during planning periods


• Conducting running records, fluency assessments, and decoding probes to generate progress visible in weekly campus data meetings


• Serving as the engaging, high-energy adult K-2 students are excited to see each day

What You Won’t Be Doing

• Implementing a commercial reading curriculum, scripted lesson plans, or district-mandated scope and sequence; you build lessons directly from student data


• Delivering whole-class lectures; all teaching occurs in targeted, small groups while students complete core academics through adaptive applications


• Serving as a reading consultant, instructional coach for other teachers, or district specialist; you are in the classroom with students daily


• Managing a traditional classroom schedule: subject-by-subject lessons, homework check-ins, test preparation. Your time is allocated to workshops, motivational sessions, and data-informed small groups


• Drafting IEPs, 504 plans, or formal diagnostic evaluations; student growth is tracked through app analytics and your running records, not special-education documentation

Educational Technology Specialist Key Responsibilities

Drive measurable K-2 literacy progress in phonics, fluency, and comprehension within a campus environment where performance is evaluated weekly.

Basic Requirements

• Structured-literacy certification (Orton-Gillingham, LETRS, Wilson Reading System, IMSE, CERI, Neuhaus, UFLI, or equivalent) OR a Master's degree in reading instruction


• Bachelor's degree in any discipline, plus a minimum of 2 years of full-time K-2 structured reading instruction in a school or clinical environment within the past 5 years, utilizing systematic phonics or structured literacy


• Proven capacity to develop original reading lessons and clearly explain your instructional approach and content without depending on a commercial program


• Willingness to work full-time on-site at one Alpha campus: Beverly Hills, La Jolla (San Diego), Lake Forest (Orange County), Palo Alto, Piedmont, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, or South Bay (LA), CA; Greenwich, CT; Boca Raton or Miami Beach, FL; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; or New York City, NY (relocation assistance available)


• Willingness to work with the full range of K-2 students (not exclusively struggling readers) and incorporate AI and adaptive-learning technology into daily practice as these tools continue to develop


• Legal authorization to work in the United States without requiring visa sponsorship

Nice-to-have Requirements

• Direct experience using AI-powered or adaptive literacy platforms (e.g., Amira, Lexia, i-Ready, Reading Plus) for instructional planning or student data interpretation


• Documented record of quantifiable reading improvements (fluency gains in WCPM, accuracy increases, decoding level progress) with specific metrics


• Familiarity with diagnostic literacy assessments (DRA, DIBELS, AIMSweb) used to create differentiated instructional groups


• Experience in high-expectation educational settings (independent schools, top-tier charter networks, premium tutoring programs serving families who closely monitor results)


• Background in performance, youth sports coaching, or other roles requiring you to engage and hold the attention of a K-2 audience beyond reading instruction

About Alpha

Join the team building school around student growth

Alpha reimagines the school day around faster learning, stronger mentorship, and more time for students to build real-world skills.

Roles with real student impact:

Alpha hires teachers (guides), operators, admissions experts, school & curriculum leaders, and remote team members.

Education work that pays like it matters:

Alpha offers six-figure roles for people ready to help build a radically better school experience.

A culture built for builders:

Alpha is fast-moving, ambitious, and student focused. It’s for people who want to improve the system, not maintain it.

Alpha is where you can do the most meaningful work of your career.

There is so much to cover for this exciting role, and space here is limited.

Working with us

This is a full-time, W2 employee position with immediate access to benefits (https://support.crossover.com/article/7581-w2-benefits-u-s-paychex-paid-only). All roles are year-long positions. The compensation level for this role is $120,000 USD/year. The payment period is weekly. Consult www.crossover.com/help-and-faqs for more details on this topic.