Director, EC-12 Education Policy
27 days ago
Dallas
Job Description Job Summary Helping Advance Strategic Public Policy to Expand Opportunity for Texas Students from Early Childhood through 12th Grade The Commit Partnership, the largest regional educational “backbone” organization in the country with more than 70 employees and an annual operating budget exceeding $40 million, is seeking a passionate, strategic, and policy-driven team member to serve as the Director of Early Childhood Education-12th grade (EC-12) Policy. This role will support the Managing Director, Policy and State Coalitions, to improve educational outcomes across the early childhood through high school continuum by advancing strategic investments in policies that improve student outcomes, facilitating cross-section collaboration, and helping share the state’s educational landscape through thoughtful engagement. The Director will play a pivotal role in developing and executing Commit’s EC-12 policy strategy, most notably within the foundational years (ages 3-8), by leading legislative communication, engaging state agencies on rulemaking, and coordinating policy coalitions. This role is ideal of a professional with at least 4 years of direct experience in public policy, advocacy or governmental relationships, preferably in Texas, who is eager to translate local and regional insights into lasting statewide impact. The annual salary range for this role is $110,000 - $139,000. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Policy Agenda Formation • Work with the internal policy team and programmatic partners as well as key external stakeholders and coalitions to develop, refine, and execute a state-level EC-12 policy agenda (both regulatory and legislative) that improves student outcomes, closes student achievement gaps, and increases workforce readiness., • Determine relevant rulemaking opportunities and monitor opportunities for other regulatory or legislative engagement., • Develop a strategy to mobilize broad and diverse coalitions to support these policy priorities, including strategies for interim charge approval and hearings, rulemaking opportunities, and other opportunities as made available., • Develop and maintain trusted relationships with legislative leaders, staff, and relevant agency staff and leadership., • Build strategic relationships and alliances with senior leaders from programmatic initiatives and other partners statewide who are involved in similar policy priorities or are stakeholders., • Establish, facilitate, and mobilize coalitions as needed., • Provide regular communication and updates so partners are aware of progress and can provide input., • Build consensus on policy recommendations to share with agencies/legislators., • Equip advocacy partners to influence and advise on EC-12 policies at the state level., • Manage junior members of the Policy & State Coalitions team., • Co-create goals, coach, and provide annual reviews and professional development., • Support with hiring, onboarding, and training of new Policy staff., • Support strategic planning and goal-tracking for the Policy & State Coalitions team. Qualifications and Skills Required, • Demonstrate understanding of the structure, operations, and challenges facing Texas public schools and early education centers operating with public dollars., • Ability to build strong, trusting relationships with key internal and external stakeholders., • Ability to communicate complex ideas and strategies in a simple, motivating way., • A team player who works nimbly across the organization and team with humility and urgency., • Strong project management skills, attention to detail, and follow-through. Education and/or Experience Required, • 7+ years of work experience preferred, with at least 4 years in an education policy and/or public policy role advocating to the state Legislature and/or relevant agencies., • Direct management experience and a defined management style that includes fostering professional growth, driving accountability and cultivating a collaborative and inclusive workplace., • Strong interpersonal communication skills, both written and oral, including group facilitation and public speaking., • BA/BS degree in a related field. Language Skills, • Ability to understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate., • Ability to communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters., • Ability to describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities, • Ability to read and write in Standard English., • Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with others., • Ability to interact with persons of various social, cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds., • Ability to listen perceptively and convey awareness., • Ability to interact diplomatically with the public in a continuous public contact setting., • Ability to work as part of a team and in a team environment., • Ability to maintain level-headedness in the face of resistance and contrary opinions. Work Environment The Director generally works in an office environment but is often required to perform job duties outside of the typical office setting, including the Texas Capitol. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate. The employee is not exposed to any adverse environmental conditions. Physical Activity & Requirements While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to sit and use repetitive motions of the wrists, hands and/or fingers. This is a sedentary position, however, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, grasp, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl and lift up to 10 pounds. Hearing, talking and vision abilities required by this job include perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, expressing or exchanging ideas be means of the spoken word and close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal and extensive reading. Job Requirements To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed must be representative of the knowledge, skills, minimum education, training, licensure, experience and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. About The Commit Partnership: Our Mission We believe that through our actions, Dallas County – which educates 10% of Texas and 1% of the nation– can be an inclusive and prosperous region where economic opportunity is shared equitably. That’s why our true north goal is that by 2040 at least half of all 25-34-year-old residents of Dallas County, irrespective of race, will be provided the opportunity to earn a living wage. To increase living wage attainment, we must equitably increase educational success aligned with high-demand jobs, maximizing the cumulative impact from early education all the way to college, career, and/or military readiness and accessing and completing a strong postsecondary education. Our staff aligns community stakeholders around this shared future roadmap – analyzing data to lift up strategic initiatives that improve policies, practices, and funding that grow our community’s capacity to serve every student more effectively. Our Story Founded in 2012, this partnership is the nation’s largest educational collective impact organization, composed of backbone staff and over 200 partners across Dallas County and the state of Texas working collaboratively to solve systemic education challenges. Our staff aligns community stakeholders around a shared future roadmap – analyzing data to lift up strategic initiatives that improve policies, practices, and funding that grow our community’s capacity to serve every student more effectively. Together, we work to advocate for excellent and equitable public education that ensures all students – regardless of race, place, or socio-economic status – have the power to determine their future and earn a living wage. We do this work through several ventures including Early Matters Dallas, North Texas Tutoring Corps, Dallas County Promise, Texas College Bridge, Dallas Thrives, Commit’s Policy Team, the Texas Impact Network, and several coalitions. True North Traits Our True North Traits creates a mission-driven environment and champions us to do our best work each day. Systemic Impact: You understand the barriers and lived experiences that our students face and are skilled at delivering systemic solutions at scale that address these needs. You achieve significant, sustainable results that increase equitable outcomes through your work (including the reallocation or improvement in public funding), and you recognize the difference between activity and impact. Judgment: You exhibit a relentless “students first” focus by thinking strategically about what data must be collected, analyzed, visualized, and activated (and what steps must be taken, in what order) to cause resources to be reallocated and actions to be taken to systemically overcome the root causes hindering achievement of the Partnership's mission. Communication: By listening to understand before seeking to be understood, you’re able to build trust and facilitate collaboration across lines of difference, recognizing that both are essential to our success. You are also able to find common ground with diverse stakeholders and can tailor the organization's message to different audiences as needed to influence meaningful change. Innovation: You can create or meaningfully contribute to the design and execution of a systemic and transformational strategic plan to solve complex problems, often at scale, that improves organizational effectiveness and/or closes equity gaps for our students and families. Equity and Inclusion: You intentionally create spaces where relevant stakeholders have a seat or voice at the table, ensuring that each person at the table's thoughts and perspectives are shared, valued by all others at the table, and reflected in our work. You're excited to help build and/or contribute to teams where everyone feels welcomed, respected, valued, and highly supported. Joy: You recognize that people are central to our work, striking a balance between people and process, and you inspire others with your optimism and thirst for substantive change in service to the mission. Integrity: You admit mistakes openly, share learnings widely, and elevate bad news quickly, also capable of making difficult decisions in all situations to ensure the success of the organization. The Commit Partnership is an Equal Opportunity Employer that seeks to hire individuals with backgrounds similar to that of the stakeholders they serve. As an organization that embraces equity and inclusion, all employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. Commit does not sponsor visas of any kind. Powered by JazzHR oKQPIuiV7J
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