About Ignite Reading

Today, 67% of students and 82% of low-income students cannot read at grade level by the end of third grade. This is America's number one education crisis, and Ignite Reading knows how to fix it.

Ignite Reading delivers one-to-one virtual tutoring that teaches every student the foundational skills they need to become a confident, fluent reader. We pair students who need extra support with expert reading tutors who provide daily, 15-minute, Science of Reading-based instruction that rapidly closes decoding gaps. We focus on foundational reading skills—phonics, phonemic awareness, and sight words—kids need to master to decode a sentence. Students in Ignite Reading’s program achieve over 2 weeks of reading skills growth per week of instruction, with all students achieving outstanding results, including those with IEPs, multilingual learners, students of color, and those receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Ignite Reading is a mission-driven public benefit corporation. We believe in doing well for our team members and shareholders while solving one of the nation’s biggest challenges. We are a virtual organization with headquarters in the California Bay Area.

Program Description

Ignite Reading is hiring Tutor Educators to join our certification program and tutor students throughout the academic year. In this hiring cycle, we are looking for individuals who can start onboarding in January 2027.

Our Tutor Educators conduct daily, one-on-one virtual tutoring sessions lasting 15 minutes with the same students, five days a week, focusing on foundational reading skills.

Through our PAID training course in the Science of Reading Instruction, our Tutor Educators master instructional skills and teaching best practices grounded in research.

Key Requirements & Commitments

Ignite Tutor Educators MUST:

• Complete a 7-week Tutor Training Program.
• Commit to a minimum of 3+ hours of consistent daily availability to provide high-quality, high-dosage tutoring to students.

Eligibility & Location Restrictions

• Candidates must be eligible to work within the United States.
• Candidates must NOT reside in California, Illinois, Iowa, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Seattle, or the District of Columbia.
• Candidates who spend 51% or more of their time living and working outside of the United States are ineligible.
• Successfully pass a background check.
• Complete fingerprinting when required by Ignite Reading partners.
• Pass a sexual misconduct and former employment verification check.

Required Skills & Abilities

Successful applicants must be able to:

• Navigate virtual platforms and personal computer hardware and software (including toggling between multiple screens and tabs).
• Positively receive and then implement feedback.
• Cultivate trusting, meaningful relationships with students and peers.
• Focus on outcomes and student learning with high attention to detail.
• Complete and meet deadlines for all ongoing coursework.
• Approach each day of tutoring excited to work with students and hold our promises to them sacred.
• Practice empathy and understanding, hold high expectations for their students, and never give up on them.
• Arrive on time for all tutoring sessions and maintain strong attendance.
• Fulfill all duties associated with your role while representing the Ignite Reading program with the highest degree of professionalism.
• Deliver Ignite Reading’s curriculum with fidelity and record student data.
• Meet performance standards for attendance, punctuality, instruction, and student growth and learning.

Compensation

• During Training Program: $17.50 per hour.
• After Graduating from Training: $20.00 per hour.

Training Process

We require that hired tutors complete a 7-week Tutor Training Program that includes 3 weeks of concurrent tutoring (practicum) with approximately 1-4 students.

Tutor Training Program Details

• Training runs Monday - Friday, 5 days a week, for the entirety of the 7-week program.
• Tutors join learning groups based on their availability, with options being first-come, first-serve:
  • 11 AM - 1 PM ET
  • 1 PM - 3 PM ET
  • 3 PM - 5 PM ET
• Tutors commit to 2-hour classes daily, plus a minimum of 1 hour of tutoring daily in what we call “practicum” for the remaining 3 weeks of the training program.
• The program consists of alternating synchronous, live sessions led by an Ignite Reading staff member, and asynchronous learning experiences (online virtual courses completed independently).
• For example, tutors will be in live, synchronous classes up to 3 days a week and complete asynchronous learning 2 days a week.
• Attendance at live courses requires that tutors be on camera, in a stable location, and with strong internet in order to fully participate.
• Meeting deadlines for asynchronous courses is mandatory for the entirety of the 7-week program.

Practicum Details

• To successfully complete your practicum, you must provide a minimum of 3 hours a day of availability between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET.
• This availability can coincide with your training during the program but must continue after you graduate from training.
• This provides adequate options for scheduling your students five days a week at the same times each day. You may choose the tutoring times you are available.

Diversity & Inclusion

We believe we will be more successful with a diverse team and are seeking candidates who have lived experience related to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We strongly encourage bilingual individuals who speak Spanish or other languages to apply for the position of Tutor Educator.

We believe in building and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer where all applicants are considered for employment without attention to color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. Research shows that candidates from underrepresented backgrounds often don't apply for roles if they don't meet all the criteria – unlike majority candidates meeting significantly fewer requirements. We strongly encourage you to apply if you’re interested!