Stand for Children Job Opportunity

Stand for Children - a bold and independent voice for public education reform – seeks an exceptional individual to work as the Policy Manager for the Washington affiliate.

The Organizations

The Stand for Children family consists of two separate organizations—Stand for Children, a grassroots membership lobby for children exempt under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, and Stand for Children Leadership Center, a leadership development organization exempt under section 501(c)(3). Stand for Children’s mission is to use the power of grassroots action to help all children get the excellent public education and strong support they need to thrive. To date, Stand for Children’s six state affiliates (OR, MA, TN, WA, CO and AZ) have won more than one hundred victories that have impacted the lives of more than two million children. We organize parents, educators, and other concerned community members into a strong, sustained constituency that:

• Helps elect strong local school board members, state legislators, and statewide elected officials who champion public schools;*
• Advocates for education reforms at the state and local level, including reforms that increase teacher and principal effectiveness, support school autonomy with accountability, and expand instructional time, that improve student achievement and close the achievement gap;
• Lobbies the state legislature for strategic K-12 investments and then ensures local school districts spend those dollars wisely;
• Campaigns for referenda and needed school construction bonds and operating levies.

Stand for Children Leadership Center’s mission is to develop leaders who use the power of grassroots action to help all children get the excellent public education and strong support they need to thrive. Stand Leadership Center engages parents, educators, and other concerned community members by:

• Training them on how to join together to become more effective advocates for children;
• Educating them on issues that impact children and schools;
• Providing them with the tools to develop solutions for children in their local and statewide communities.

The Position

Stand for Children seeks an outstanding Policy Manager for the Washington affiliate. The Policy Manager will contribute to Stand for Children’s goals to improve public education by:

• Coordinating the policy research and development of specific legislative proposals;
• Providing technical assistance to receptive Superintendents regarding education reform;
• Analyzing relevant legislation and working with Stand’s lobbyist to build policymaker support;
• Educating School Board members and State Legislators on how to improve Washington schools;
• Ensuring effective implementation of Stand’s state-level policy wins: basic education, teacher and principal evaluation models, improved statewide student academic growth assessment.

The Policy Manager will contribute to Stand for Children Leadership Center’s goals by:

• Providing on-going training and professional development to Stand Organizers as well as parents, educators, and community leaders on education policy, school finance, and education reform.

The Policy Manager will be joining a team of professionals committed to improving children’s lives. Stand for Children’s managers and supervisors are empowering, entrepreneurial leaders who are committed to providing outstanding supervision in order for staff to develop as professionals and grow within the organization.

Qualifications and Qualities Required

• Strong commitment to Stand for Children and Stand for Children Leadership Center’s shared goal of improving public schools and alignment with our organizational values;
• A demonstrated track record of education policy work;
• A strong familiarity with education policy and Washington state politics;
• Superb writer, skilled at making complicated ideas accessible to the general public through policy one-pagers, briefs and reports;
• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills;
• Strong planning and organizational skills with a keen attention to detail;
• Self-starter with ability to manage multiple tasks and projects under deadline;
• Ability to communicate effectively and follow through on commitments to others; accepts and incorporates direct feedback;
• Strong drive to win, willingness to take calculated risks, persistent and resilient in the face of challenges;
• Teaching experience or direct experience with public schools a strong plus.

Salary

Competitive salary, commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits: full health and dental coverage; life insurance, long-term disability and long-term care coverage; 401K with a match plan; flexible spending/benefits plan; holidays and vacation accrual.

To Apply

Stand for Children and Stand for Children Leadership Center are equal opportunity employers and candidates of color are strongly encouraged to apply. To apply for the position, please send a resume and cover letter to jobs@stand.org. Please specify interest in this position by inserting “Washington Policy Manager” in your email subject field. No calls please.

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* These activities are conducted exclusively on behalf of Stand for Children, subject to applicable law.