Senior Policy Associate, Advance Illinois - Hybrid (Chicago OR Springfield, IL)

 Title: Senior Policy Associate

Type: Full-time, hybrid

Location: Chicago, IL OR Springfield, IL

Pay: $58-71k/year

Advance Illinois seeks an outstanding Senior Policy Associate to work on issues related to state education policy. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical, research, writing and communication skills, and the demonstrated ability to go above and beyond to support multiple projects. The Senior Policy Associate will report to the Director of Policy and will support the policy needs of the organization. We are looking for a self-starter who is comfortable working in a small team environment and partnering not only with staff members, but with diverse outside partners. 

Apply here with resume, and be prepared to fill out survey.

Research Analyst - Democracy Forward

Democracy Forward seeks a highly collaborative early career analyst to join its team of litigators and policy professionals to help track and assess emerging K-12 education policy and legal trends at the state and local levels.  The Education Research Analyst will help drive Democracy Forward’s research and data collection of state and local attacks on educational equity (including censorship, book bans, anti-diversity curriculum measures, and legal challenges to pro-equity policies, privatization, and community responses).  The role will identify and track these trends, help maintain and develop Democracy Forward’s data systems, work across the organization to develop timely and insightful analysis, and support Democracy Forward’s collaboration with key stakeholders and partners outside the organization to turn data into action. 

The ideal candidate will have a passion for Democracy Forward’s mission and experience in policy, research, data, and analysis, and a specific interest in education law and policy.  The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience researching state and local laws and policies, tracking media, and working in or adjacent to courts and/or federal agencies
• Interest or background in education policy
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Experience working with colleagues in other organizations
• A demonstrated ability to translate research and data into written and visual forms that effectively communicate to a range of audiences
• A commitment to Democracy Forward’s values of excellence, inclusion, accountability, collaboration, and impact. 

Full description and application available here.

Manager of Program Initiatives - Chicago, After School Matters

Who: After School Matters

What: Reporting to the Senior Director of Program Supports, the Manager of Program Initiatives – CHA Learn and Earn will be responsible for managing the new CHA Learn and Earn initiative. This project is a timely addition to the ASM program portfolio and aims to prevent summer learning loss by coupling academic learning with After School Matters career exploration programs, guiding participants to make meaningful connections between academic content and their career areas of interest. The management of this project falls into four primary work streams:

Responsibilities:

·         Creating a project plan to implement the programmatic and operational aspects of this project;

·         Meeting with external and internal stakeholders to understand their needs, perspectives and how they will contribute to project;

·         Planning events

·         Arranging teen transportation to and from programs

·         Identifying and onboarding any potential instructors to implement the program;

·         Identifying community locations such as schools, City Colleges, ASM locations, etc. to house programs and showcases

·         Arranging any instructor and program staff training for special curriculum and logistics that will be implemented in the program

·         Coordinating and collaborating on all aspects of any final showcases or events associated with the program in partnership with Advancement/Events, Communications and the Program Supports teams

·         Performing site visits to monitor quality and implementation of programs

·         Directing supervision of seasonal Program Specialists and instructional staff to implement programs

·         Hosting and coordinating tours of funders, elected officials, or other guests to visit the program or showcase

·         Partner with key internal departments (Operations, Finance, Cityspan, Legal, Research and Evaluation, Communications, etc.) to successfully plan and implement the project

·         Maintain relationships and be the direct liaison to CHA for connecting its community to ASM opportunities

·         Complete outreach and interface with funders, elected officials, and other guests to meet the desired outcomes for CHA Learn and Earn initiative

·         Conduct site visits and observations to monitor program implementation and quality to coach programs to continuously improve teen engagement and progress towards defined program outcomes

·         Partner with the Senior Manager of Learning Communities and Professional Development to determine the best ways to support the instructional practices and quality in programs

·         Design and provide oversight of special events in coordination with CHA to creatively showcase teen participants and their projects

·         Schedule and lead tours for funders, elected officials, and other guests

·         Other duties required.

Qualifications:

·         Excellent organizational, conceptual, and analytical skills; strong process orientation, problem solving and trouble-shooting skills; a firm commitment to quality

·         Strong grasp of instructional best practices

·         Skilled in developing and facilitating collaborative relationships and interacting with a range of stakeholders

·         Comfortable with delivering training, giving constructive feedback, and providing coaching to staff and teachers

·         Demonstrated experience in managing multiple projects at one time, able to respond to requests quickly, flexible, and able to thrive in a fast paced, high energy environment

·         Strong orientation to customer service (i.e., ASM staff and teens, community and government leaders, corporate executives, etc.)

·         Detail oriented and capable of meeting deadlines

·         Ability to exercise discretion and sound judgment

·         Proficiency in MS Office applications required

·         Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree strongly preferred

·         5+ years of experience in education and/or non-profit administration

·         Classroom teaching experience preferred

·         Commitment to the youth of Chicago

·         Valid Driver’s License, insured transportation, and driving record that satisfies our Motor Vehicle Policy required [1]

·         Evenings and weekends may be required

Apply here.

Program Coordinator - Harold Washington College

Who: Harold Washington College

What: The Program Coordinator (PC) is the heart of OMD’s Scholar Support Model, responsible for effectively managing a caseload of around 60 community college Scholars and ensuring their successful persistence and completion in college and the OMD Program, as well as a successful transition to a bachelor’s program or career.

Responsibilities: 

Implement OMD’s high-touch Scholar support model with fidelity to ensure Scholar academic, personal, and professional goals are being met and that Scholars are on-track to graduate within three years

Build rapport with Scholars and continuously engage and hold them accountable to OMD program expectations and requirements

• Serve as a thought partner to assist Scholars in exploring solutions to problems and ensuring persistence in the face of obstacles that could derail progress toward goals

Promote scholar registration and attendance at relevant OMD and partner college programming.

Build relationships with campus stakeholders by attending campus programming and regularly meeting with student services staff, in order to leverage and strengthen Scholars’ networks of support

Maintain awareness of the type and availability of college and community resources and efficiently connect Scholars to the appropriate services

Coordinate with other OMD stakeholders, such as coach volunteers and tutors, ensuring that Scholars follow-up with these resources

Maintain awareness and understanding of OMD’s partner collaborations (e.g. Chicago Housing Authority Partners in Education PLUS)

• Use Salesforce database to maintain accurate and timely data on Scholar interactions, grades and program participation to identify patterns in the scholar population and program performance
• Gather and track Scholar deliverables such as student service usage, FAFSA and resume completion, 4-year college or job applications, and setting SMART goals
• PCs are held to metrics including attempted and successful interactions with Scholars and other required deliverables
  
• Plan and execute monthly Scholar development sessions, Scholar orientation, and other scholar development events in collaboration with OMD staff and campus partners.
• Implement high quality, engaging programming aimed at building Scholar community and reinforcing growth mindset and non-cognitive skills
• Represent OMD at schools, community organizations, and scholarship fairs

Facilitate information sessions for prospective Scholars as well as provisional admission meetings and workshops

Collaborate with the Manager of Scholar Recruitment to support recruitment targets and application processing

Qualifications:

2+ years (or equivalent) work experience, preferably in education or human services

Experience having direct accountability for the achievements/outcomes of a group of individuals (caseload management experience is a plus)

Service fellowship experience such as AmeriCorps is a plus

Project Management – Proven success in a project leader role with multiple stakeholders

Communication – Strong verbal and written communication skills; proven ability to effectively communicate with diverse audiences, especially adults and older youth

Data – Ability to make data-driven decisions

Commitment – Able to commit 2 years to the PC position

Builder/entrepreneur – Enjoys building new things in a fast-paced environment; evidence of success in the face of ambiguity

Independent operator – Proven results delivery without direct supervision. Able to make day-to-day decisions that affect others and solve problems on-the-fly

Empathy – Evidence of trust-based relationships with individuals of differing backgrounds.

Apply here.

Community Schools Initiative (CSI) External Partnerships Coach - Chicago Public Schools

Who: Chicago Public Schools

What: The Community Schools Initiative (CSI) External Partnerships Coach in the Office of College and Career Success (OCCS) assists with the administration of CPS Community Schools funded through 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grants held by external organizations. This individual will report to the Manager of the Community Schools Initiative (CSI) in the Office of Student Support and Engagement within OCCS.

Responsibilities:

• Serves as Chicago Public Schools centralized liaison to community-based organizations awarded 21st CCLC funding to implement the Community Schools model. Proactively manages relationships between CPS schools, CPS Central Office Departments, and partner organizations to support the needs of schools to maximize positive impact on students, families, and the community.
• Leads professional development activities and technical assistance to participating CPS schools and 21st CCLC grantees to implement national best practices for Community Schooling which includes the use of the CSI Needs Assessment Toolkit and the CSI Self-Assessment Rubrics.
• Supports CPS schools and partner organizations in the development of CSI Service and Sustainability Plans, documents that articulate the goals and priorities for each Community School and ensures fiscal responsibility and strong program implementation.
• Reviews, approves, and monitors CSI Service Plans and school-level data entry of all CSI activities and generates regular budget spend and program outcome reports leveraging centralized CPS data systems (i. e., Cityspan and IMPACT).
• Collects, analyzes, and distributes all data required for annual reports to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for every CPS school receiving CSI grant funding held by external organizations.
• Performs regular school visits to Community Schools and leverages CSI observation tools during program hours to assess program offerings and delivery to assess program implementation and delivery of services.
• Performs related duties as required.

Qualifications:

• B. A. required
• Masters preferred

• Minimum of three (3) to five (5 ) years of relevant work experience
• Familiarity with non-profit organizations and school-community partnerships required
• Experience in grants and program management is highly preferred
• Strong analytical skills with demonstrated research, data analysis, and evaluation experience
• Experience with CPS Cityspan and Student Information Systems, as well as IMPACT, Dashboard, and other CPS data systems highly preferred

• Proven project management capabilities including the ability to establish long-term vision and goals, and the ability to align and implement activities toward execution of identified goals.
• Self-starter with the ability to manage multiple projects concurrently, both independently, and as a member of a collaborative team.
• Proven ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative data to inform strategy and program quality and improvement.
• Strong service and support orientation towards schools and school communities.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences. Exceptional verbal and written skills.
• Willingness to learn and adapt in the midst of new and shifting programs and priorities with a "can-do," solutions-oriented approach to learning and problem-solving.
• Excellent organization and time management skills with impeccable attention to detail.
• Budget management experience and knowledge of basic budget functions.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, specifically Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision outside of a formalized, central office setting.

Apply here.

Director of the Workforce and Education Research Collaborative - Discovery Partners Institute

Who: Discovery Partners Institute

What: The University System Office seeks a Director of the Workforce and Education Research Collaborative.

The Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) invites nominations and applications for the inaugural Director of the Illinois Workforce and Education Collaborative (IWERC). IWERC is an exciting new initiative with the potential to dramatically improve education and career outcomes in Illinois and make the state a leader in evidence-based policies and practices. The new collaborative will produce timely, relevant research and insights about education and workforce development in the State of Illinois to meet the needs of various stakeholders and improve long-term outcomes. IWERC is launching with more than $4 million in committed funds; it also has a diverse and experienced Advisory Committee chaired by Dr. John Q. Easton, former Director of the Institute of Education Sciences and former Executive Director of the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research.

Analyst - Office of Senate Counsel, Research and Fiscal Analysis, State of Minnesota

Who: Office of Senate Counsel, Research and Fiscal Analysis, State of Minnesota

What: The Office of Senate Counsel, Research and Fiscal Analysis is accepting applications for an Analyst position assigned to the E-12 Education committee. This position is full-time and eligible for insurance, vacation, sick and holiday pay, in addition to other Senate benefits. The anticipated start date for this position is in December 2019.

Senate Counsel, Research and Fiscal Analysis is a nonpartisan office that serves all members of the Senate. The credibility and reputation of this office depend on maintaining its nonpartisan status.

Engagement Manager - Public Consulting Group (Chicago, IL

Who: Public Consulting Group, Inc. (PCG) provides management consulting and technology services to help public sector education, health, human services, and other government clients achieve their performance goals and better serve populations in need. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, PCG has more than 2,200 professionals in 55 offices around the U.S. and in Montreal, the UK and Poland. The firm draws on more than three decades of consulting to public sector clients in all 50 states and Canada to deliver best-practice solutions and measurable results to state and local public agencies, state-operated facilities, and private providers that do business with government agencies. PCG is committed to a diverse workforce which is a reflection of our clients and the people they serve. Our organizational culture attracts and rewards people who are results-oriented and interested in making an immediate impact on their community as well as their own career.

What: PCG’s Education Consulting Service Line works with states, districts, and schools to address a wide spectrum of needs such as curriculum development, design and facilitation of professional development and professional learning communities, school improvement, and program reviews. Recent project engagements have included: the development of the EngageNY grades 6–12 English Language Arts Common-Core aligned curriculum for the New York State Education Department; design and delivery of a system of professional learning for the Connecticut State Department of Education; development of a technical resource center for the implementation of state standards for students with disabilities for the Indiana Department of Education; delivery of a system of comprehensive K–3 literacy professional development and support for teachers for the New Mexico Public Education Department; and the creation of training and resources to support transition to the new standards for the Florida Department of Education.

Responsibilities and expectations of the Engagement Manager include the following:

Assistant Director for Academic Affairs – IL Board of Higher Education

Who: The Illinois Board of Higher Education

What: Assistant Director for Academic Affairs (two positions available). Positions provide direct support to the Deputy Director and Senior Associate Director for Academic Affairs in the areas of institution approval and program approval for independent and public colleges and universities granting degrees in Illinois, as well as initiatives to advance statewide goals. Principle responsibilities include:

Policy Advocate, Higher Education – Public Advocates Inc. (Sacramento)

Who: Public Advocates Inc., a bold and highly regarded civil rights law firm and policy advocacy non-profit.

What: Energetic and collaborative Policy Advocate or Senior Policy Advocate with relevant issue experience. The successful candidate will join Public Advocates’ Education Equity Team with a specific focus on advancing the effort to advocate for equity for low-income communities and young people of color in California’s higher education system.

Policy & Communications Specialist - Alexandria, VA

Policy & Communications Specialist
TESOL International Association

Alexandria, VA

TESOL International Association is seeking a highly motivated and organized individual to provide programmatic support to the Public Policy and Communications Department. The position requires excellent writing skills and the ability to manage multiple demands while working collaboratively with staff. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong skills in workload organization, the ability to be flexible and work creatively as part of a team or individually, and attention to detail.

Responsibilities include:

• Analyzing legislation and conducting research on policy issues impacting English language teaching at both in the US and internationally
• Developing written materials, including policy briefs, issue briefs, policy memos, articles, and advocacy tools and resources?
• Coordinating policy-related activities, including outreach efforts, programming, and TESOL’s annual Advocacy & Policy Summit
• Preparing and disseminating press releases and news-related content on TESOL’s website, news wire service, and social media outlets
• Managing and implementing various aspects of TESOL’s communications strategy, including coordination with other departments, and outreach to news media and other audiences

TESOL International Association offers a prime Alexandria, VA location conveniently located near the King Street metro station, competitive salaries and benefits including medical, dental, and life insurance, 403(b) retirement, and the opportunity to work with a high-performing, dynamic group of colleagues in a friendly environment.

TESOL International Association is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion. We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, and other characteristics that make our employees unique. TESOL is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Education, skills, and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in political science, international communications, or related field
• Three-five years of work experience and demonstrated success in government relations, public policy, communications, or related area that involved policy research
• Work experience in an association or other non-profit organization preferred.
• Exceptional communications skills, including professional writing, editing and verbal skills for a variety of external audiences.
• Excellent research, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Working knowledge of public policy and the issues impacting education
• Knowledge of international education and policy desired
• Strong technical experience, including working with a website content management system, email distribution system, and social media
• Media relations experience, including writing press releases and statements, building media lists, and collecting media mentions desired

Notes:
Additional Salary Information: Salary range in the upper $50,000s, commensurate with experience.

Planning Associate II, CFW Inc. - Emeryville or Los Angeles, CA

Planning Associate II

CFW Inc.

Professional Area: 

Facilities and Infrastructure Planning

Experience: 

3-5 years

Contact person: 

Dr. Rosa Perez

Phone: 

510-596-8180

Email: 

rperez@cfwinc.com

Website: 

http://www.cfwinc.com

Location: 

Emeryville, CA

THE POSITION

Our planning associates are multi-talented visionaries that deliver superb written work, are as comfortable using skills of urban design to craft site plans and capital programs as they are crunching numbers and streamlining excel formulas, and ultimately use their poise and confidence at the podium to present a completed planning product in front of public officials.

The Planning Associate II position is a full-time professional services position. This position will require candidates to apply a broad range of analytical support, guidance, and production of original planning work, under the direction of the Assistant Vice President for Planning Services. The selected candidate will be based either out of the company’s Emeryville or Los Angeles office; however, this position requires the candidate to travel in order to serve clients throughout the State.

RESPONSIBILITIES
The responsibilities of the Planning Associate II are as follows:

• Assess school capital program needs, including facilities, infrastructure, technology, and other relevant programs
• Develop specifications for proposed facilities and sites
• Write, design, assemble, and edit original content for clients through a process-driven planning approach focused on improving the learning environments and the functionality of school site
• Coordinate with team members to develop project budgets and schedules
• Direct, coordinate, review and participate in collecting data, performing analysis, formulating plan documents, and producing implementation materials as well as prepare and analyze reports, studies, findings, letters, memos, public notices, etc., as needed to support CFW operations or client needs
• Attend client and Board of Trustee meetings as required, typically in the evenings
• Analyze grant eligibility and assist in completing necessary applications for State and Federal education grant programs, such as State Aid funding
• Oversee and provide quality control for the products assigned to the Planning Associate(s) I
• Review drafts and provide final edits to the documents produced by the Planning Associate(s) I, insuring these documents are error-free, written in proper style/voice, and fulfill our commitment to both the client and our firm
• Synthesize the Division’s efforts in regular reports to the Assistant Vice President for Planning Services
• Review of all external marketing and client presentations
• Train and mentor the subordinate Associates
• Identification and marketing of additional opportunities to assist new and existing clients in meeting their facilities planning objectives
• Maintain knowledge of advanced planning principles and practice, current developments, literature and information sources; research methods, and laws and ordinances regarding plans, development review, education policy, zoning, land division and environmental review

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS/REQUIREMENTS

• At least three (3) years of relevant work experience along with completion of a Masters degree in Urban Planning, Public Policy, Business, Economics, Architecture, or a related field
• Advanced knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint and Word; candidates are encouraged to share any experience with additional industry-specific tools (e.g. MS Project for schedules, Photoshop/Illustrator for graphics, SketchUp for 3D models, ArcGIS/Google Earth for mapping, etc)
• Adept with planning policies at the local, county, and state level in California (e.g. School Districts, City Councils, County Planning, CEQA, Coastal Commission, etc) and are prepared to rapidly develop a command of relevant State agencies (e.g. OPSC, DSA, CDE, etc)
• Self-motivated and self-directed, can work independently and  adhere to a rapid-paced work schedule
• Available for evening meetings and overnight trips
• Proven ability to write in a professional manner
• Ability to synthesize and apply government regulations and industry best practices to the assigned work product

APPLICATION PROCESS & DEADLINES

Desired Start Date: At successful completion of interview process.

Compensation: CFW offers a competitive compensation package, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Required materials:  Interested candidates should submit the following to the Director of Human Resources, Dr. Rosa Perez at rperez@cfwinc.com: (1) a cover letter that summarizes relevant work experience and abilities; (2) 2-3 professional references; (3) a resume; and (4) a sample of written work that is relevant to the position.  Samples of work may include a professionally completed plan, study, or analysis completed for a client or public decision-making body.  Professionally commissioned documents or presentations with written narrative, graphics, and data are preferred.  Candidates must indicate precisely the portion of work completed individually.

Hiring Process: CFW will review the pool of candidate information in the order received and may call suitable candidates to arrange an opportunity for an in person or Skype-based preliminary interview.  Finalists may then be called to arrange a second interview with the firm’s senior management team.

Submittal Deadline: Reviews of applicants will begin in mid-December, 2015; candidates are strongly encouraged to submit required materials as soon as possible.

Questions regarding the assignment may be directed to Jeremy Cogan, Assistant Vice President for Planning Services at:  jcogan@cfwinc.com.  Mr. Cogan’s phone number is 323-543-8317.

More information about CFW may be found at: http://www.cfwinc.com/