Instructional Coach, Alpha - $100,000/year USD

Crossover; Scottsdale (AZ); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance from day one

Dental coverage from day one

Vision coverage from day one

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Alpha reimagines traditional schooling and seeks a dedicated Instructional Coach to lead small-group K-2 reading workshops based on structured literacy. You will use live performance data to tailor lessons and run daily motivational sessions aimed at helping students reach adaptive-app targets.

As a Guide, you’ll track fluency and decoding progress, interpret AI-sourced data for instruction refinement, and participate in building Alpha's evolving literacy model for young learners.

Qualifications

• Certification in structured literacy OR Master’s in reading instruction.
• Bachelor’s degree plus 2+ years K‑2 structured reading instruction within the past 5 years.
• Proven capacity to design original reading lessons.
• Proven ability to assess reading progress and describe concrete improvements.
• On-site availability at one Alpha campus.
• Willingness to incorporate AI and adaptive tools into instruction.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States without visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Designing and facilitating small-group K-2 reading workshops rooted in structured-literacy principles, informed by live student data.
• Running daily motivational sessions to help students meet weekly adaptive-app targets.
• Conducting running records, fluency assessments, and decoding measures to monitor progress.
• Analyzing AI-generated student performance data to differentiate instruction dynamically.

Skills

Structured literacy expertise

Phonics instruction

Data-driven instruction

AI-adaptive platforms

Education

Certification in structured literacy OR Master’s in reading instruction

Bachelor’s degree + 2+ years K‑2 reading instruction

Tools

AI-powered platforms

Job description

• $100,000 annual salary, paid weekly, including health, dental, and vision coverage starting day one
• Full-time on-site position at one Alpha school: Phoenix, AZ; Oklahoma City or Tulsa, OK; Fort Worth (Keller), Dallas, Plano, or The Woodlands, TX; or Park City (Salt Lake City), UT (relocation assistance available)
• 40-hour work week, entirely classroom-based with K-2 learners

You have deep mastery of structured literacy—whether through Orton‑Gillingham, LETRS, Wilson, IMSE, or a Master's in reading instruction. You can listen to a child read, pinpoint the phonemic breakdown, and craft a targeted phonics intervention on the spot. That expertise is expected. It is not what sets you apart.

What sets you apart is this: six‑year‑olds genuinely enjoy being around you. At Alpha, you are a Guide before anything else—a dynamic, engaging presence students want to learn with. Your reading credentials open the door; your ability to captivate a small group of K‑2 learners for 20 minutes is what earns you the role.

Alpha has reimagined traditional schooling. Students work through academic content independently using AI‑adaptive platforms—no lectures, no textbooks, no pacing calendars. You build small‑group reading workshops using live performance data and lead motivational sessions that push students toward their weekly app targets through school currency, leaderboards, and developmentally appropriate game mechanics.

Your early months center on earning trust and enthusiasm in the room. Workshops need to be engaging, appropriately leveled, and demonstrably effective. Student satisfaction metrics and "love your Guide" feedback measure that directly. As you establish credibility, your responsibilities expand: interpreting AI‑sourced data to refine instruction, tracking fluency and decoding progress, and contributing to Alpha's evolving K-2 literacy model as the technology advances.

Before an offer is extended, you will submit a short video of yourself delivering an engaging story for young children and complete a full day on campus working directly with K‑2 students. Low energy with children—regardless of how strong your qualifications—will disqualify you.

What You Will Be Doing

• Designing and facilitating small‑group K-2 reading workshops rooted in structured‑literacy principles (Orton‑Gillingham, Wilson, LETRS, IMSE, or similar), informed by live student performance data
• Running daily motivational sessions that ensure 100% of your students meet their weekly adaptive‑app targets, using Alpha's motivational framework (school currency, leaderboards, age‑appropriate gamification)
• Conducting and evaluating running records, fluency assessments, and decoding measures to monitor progress and refine your next instructional moves
• Analyzing AI‑generated student performance data from Alpha's adaptive platforms to differentiate instruction dynamically, not only during lesson prep

What You Won’t Be Doing

• Implementing a pre‑packaged reading curriculum, scripted lesson plan, or district pacing guide; you create your own lessons driven by student data
• Delivering whole‑class lectures; all instruction occurs in small, targeted groups while students complete academic work via adaptive apps
• Serving as a reading consultant, instructional coach for other educators, or district‑level specialist; you are in the classroom with students daily
• Managing a traditional classroom schedule with subject‑by‑subject lectures, homework review, or test preparation; your time is spent on workshops, motivational sessions, and data‑informed small‑group work
• Grading homework or completing report cards; student progress is captured in app analytics and your running records

Instructional Coach Key Responsibilities: Provide structured‑literacy instruction that produces measurable gains in K-2 reading outcomes, including phonics, fluency, and decoding proficiency.

Basic Requirements

• Certification in structured literacy (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, combined with 2+ years of full‑time K‑2 structured reading instruction within the past 5 years in either a school or clinical environment, using systematic phonics or structured literacy
• Proven capacity to design original reading lessons and clearly articulate your instructional approach and content, independent of a published program
• Proven ability to assess reading progress and describe concrete student improvements in areas such as fluency, accuracy, phonics, or decoding
• Availability to work on‑site full‑time at one Alpha campus: Phoenix, AZ; Oklahoma City or Tulsa, OK; Fort Worth (Keller), Dallas, Plano, or The Woodlands, TX; or Park City (Salt Lake City), UT (relocation assistance available)
• Willingness to instruct all K‑2 students (not exclusively struggling readers) and to incorporate AI and adaptive‑learning tools into everyday instruction
• Legal authorization to work in the United States without requiring visa sponsorship

Nice‑to‑have Requirements

• Practical experience with AI‑powered or adaptive reading platforms (e.g., Amira, Lexia, i‑Ready, Reading Plus) for instructional planning or analyzing student data
• Experience in non‑traditional or innovative educational environments (charter, micro‑school, Montessori, hybrid models)
• Experience performing, coaching youth sports, or otherwise engaging a K‑2 audience in non‑academic settings

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. All roles are year‑long positions. The compensation level for this role is $100,000 USD/year. The payment period is weekly. Consult www.crossover.com/help-and-faqs for more details on this topic.