ERASE Racism, Inc., a regional civil rights not-for-profit with an office on Long Island, NY, is seeking the services of a full time Education Equity Campaign Coordinator. Candidates seeking the Education Equity position must have intermediate or expert knowledge of education policy issues or public school education practices in New York State and/or Long Island, as well as intermediate or expert level skills in at least 2 of the following areas, described more fully in the Hiring Notice: civic engagement, public advocacy, action research or civil rights advocacy. In addition, this individual must have knowledge and understanding of current trends in public school education and a strong commitment to education equity for black and Latina/o students, plus a minimum of 2-3 years of work experience.
The successful candidate will thoroughly understand and embrace ERASE Racism's mission and work with ERASE Racism's Education Equity Working Group, comprised of superintendents and other administrators, educators, nonprofit advocates, parents and civic leaders to implement the initiative.
This position coordinates campaigns, which involve people, events, data and policies. The position requires creative thinking, problem solving, and excellent relationship-building skills. The ideal candidate has demonstrated excellence in previous employment in some of the areas that are critical to the successful implementation of this campaign. Specific examples include: project or campaign management; analyzing public policies and/or laws for congruence with civil rights mandates; advocating for changes to existing laws/policies or advocating for new policies/laws to meet civil rights objectives; creating and executing action plans that result in concrete changes to laws, policies, or institutional structures; organizing professional peers and building cohesion and commitment for joint action; and, organizing constituents for participation in a coordinated campaign.
S/He will report directly to the President and work collaboratively with other ERASE Racism staff. This experienced professional will possess excellent writing and public speaking skills. S/He is poised and persuasive and is equally comfortable in a leadership role and working as a team member. S/He is comfortable delivering presentations and speaking before racially/ethnically diverse audiences of parents and nonprofit leaders, civic leaders, and educational and legislative representatives.
Data analysis, literature review, and writing reports are all useful skills for this position. Candidates who bring previous experience working in and/or knowledge of Long Island will have an advantage in implementing this new initiative. Other advantages include: existing relationships with Long Island public school educators, previous experience with state-level campaigns involving the New York Legislature or New York State agencies. Similar professional experience in another locale in New York State or even outside of New York may also be helpful; however, the successful candidate must work from the Long Island office and be prepared to travel to various locales on Long Island with some trips to New York City, Albany and occasional out-of-state conferences.
The successful candidate need not be a credentialed educator but s/he should have familiarity with public school education issues and be able to converse intelligently with educators and non-educators alike on relevant topics. A superior candidate will have knowledge of current and established academic trends and be familiar with past and current school reform efforts. As the initiative progresses, the position may include partnering with public school districts to assist them in addressing issues of educational inequities within their schools.
The successful candidate will collaborate closely with other Campaign Coordinators and may have occasion to supervise interns or volunteers assisting with the work.
Education Equity Campaign Coordinator
Education: A bachelor's degree is required. Master's level education is highly preferred. This position could also be appropriate for a public interest attorney (New York State Bar not required) or other professional with organizing or project/campaign coordination experiences/interests and skills. Extensive work experience and expertise could substitute for some degree requirements. All candidates must possess a demonstrated interest in working to advance civil rights for racial minorities and low-income individuals and families.
General Requirements:
- Support for and understanding of the principles of ERASE Racism's work and appropriate and ethical representation of ERASE Racism to the public.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality.
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
- Good listening, planning and task-oriented skills, with an ability to follow through with assignments in a timely manner.
- Ability to work collegially with other staff and also to be self-directed and work independently.
- Excellent relationship-building skills and experience and comfort working with diverse people from different racial backgrounds, from various communities, with different levels of formal education, and with a variety of decision-making authority.
- Ability to utilize relationships to achieve strong public action at the local, state, and possibly national levels.
- Ability to represent ERASE Racism with confidence and poise.
- Ability to organize and facilitate meetings, public education events, presentations, and community forums and discussions.
- Interest and experience in working with a diverse array of groups and individuals.
- Ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines.
- Critical thinking and analysis skills, e.g., a capacity to analyze problems and design potential solutions to problems.
- Openness to evolving responsibilities
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Experience using social media, including Facebook and Twitter, as organizing and communication tools is a plus.
- Car in good working order, driver's license, and valid vehicle insurance required to meet work travel requirements. Travel expenses, including car mileage, are reimbursed by ERASE Racism. Travel to and from the office is not reimbursed.
- Reasonable capacity to accommodate work hours that will fall outside of Monday – Friday 9:00- 5:00 when the office is officially open.
About ERASE Racism: ERASE Racism is a regional, civil rights nonprofit organization based on Long Island. It works to eliminate barriers to racial equity by primarily addressing the interrelated issues of fair housing enforcement, access to affordable housing in high opportunity areas, and quality public school education for African American and Hispanic families in racially integrated schools and classrooms. Related issues include fostering equitable community development and community health.
Compensation: ERASE Racism offers a competitive salary commensurate with a candidate's education, experience and skills. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, holiday/vacation/sick leave, and travel reimbursement.
Location: The position will be based at ERASE Racism's offices in Syosset, New York.
How to Apply: ERASE Racism is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from people of color, women, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please review this job description and also the Hiring Notice to ensure that you fully understand the requirements for this position.
Interested applicants must forward a cover letter, which persuasively supports your candidacy. The letter must specifically addresses the responsibilities outlined in this job description. The letter must also specify which of the five skill areas contained in the Hiring Notice they possess at the intermediate or expert level. The cover letter and a resume should be emailed to jobs@eraseracismny.org. Include the phrase "Education Equity Campaign Coordinator" in the subject line. Applications will be accepted and interviews conducted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Our intention is for the successful candidate to begin work in September 2016; however, an earlier start is possible. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please do not call the office. If you have a question about applying for this position you may email jobs@eraseracismny.org and include "Education Equity Coordinator Question" in the subject line. Thank you.
