Description

Overview

Though 9 in 10 Latino young adults say a college degree is important for success in life, fewer than 15% age 25 or older hold a bachelor’s degree. Voices College-Bound Language Academies exists to change that.

Voices is a public charter school network with a mission to prepare all students for the challenges of higher education through the context of an academically rigorous dual immersion program. Every student, regardless of home language, graduates bilingual and biliterate in English and Spanish.

Voices Academies’ Vision for Parent Organizing and Advocacy

The vision for Voices’ Parent Organizing and advocacy is to build political and communal power in low income communities and communities of color that demands excellent educational options with pathways to universities that lead to living wages and quality work, fair and adequate housing, justice, dignity and respect for immigrants, access to political office and influential spaces and safety and protection from state sanctioned violence and race-based policing. Our organizing content is based on the curriculum and content used across the country by community based organizing groups with some modifications for use in a school-based setting.

Role Summary

Voices Academies’ Parent Organizer will join Voices as we prepare not only for the opening of schools five and sixth and final school but also during a time of growing opposition to public schools of choice that serve primarily low-income communities of color. Reporting to our Chief Growth and Community Engagement Officer (CGO), the Parent Organizer will lead Voices’ work to train and support parents at all Voices school sites to build relationships, develop leadership skills and habits, engage civically in their communities and embody Voices’ school site core values of Activism, Si Se Puede Attitude, Scholarship and In Lak’Ech. Our parent organizing seeks to establish and prepare core groups of parent leaders to own and understand their mission and vision for building power for themselves and their community. The Parent Organizer will train parent leaders to be skilled, active, accountable leaders at Voices and in their communities using trainings such as planning and running meetings; testifying in public; conducting research meetings with elected officials, community leaders and experts; preparing and presenting research reports; talking to the media; conducting listening campaigns through one to one conversations; house meetings and group sessions with other parents and community members; building and maintaining a personal network and understanding and using Shared Leadership; among many other training and development opportunities.

The Parent Organizer will serve multiple regions and the role will require travel to our local schools and communities throughout the Bay Area.

Key Responsibilities

Parent Organizing:

• Build an active corps of Voices parent leaders at each school site, in addition to assisting the CGO and/or Parent Engagement Manager in developing the capacity of school level staff to work directly with parent leaders
• Provide training and leadership development opportunities for parent leaders
• Complete assigned one to one relational meetings every week with potential and existing parent leaders and community allies or key stakeholders
• Support and prepare parent leaders to conduct regular research meetings with elected officials and influential community members
• Support growth in each new and developing Voices community. Work with parent leaders to support signature collection, meet with elected officials and other community leaders to advocate for school choice and for Voices schools, and increase the presence of additional parent supporters for charter hearings and other advocacy events
• Routinely communicate with newly enrolled families to keep them engaged and excited about joining the Voices community and help connect them to leadership opportunities
• With the Family Recruiter, manage the signature collection process for charter petitions, developing and executing on the strategy to collect hundreds of signatures for each new school to demonstrate demand and to fulfill charter petition requirements
• Build relationships with key community members and leaders to support Voices in the community. Research potential connections between key community leaders and Voices, leading meetings and managing follow-up
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Voices Academies Parent Organizer candidates will have the following:

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 2 years related experience in community based organizing or political/civic engagement
• Demonstrated passion for the mission, vision and values of Voices Academies with a deep commitment to improving the lives of students from low-income communities
• Ability to quickly build trusting relationships with a broad set of people, including parents, external stakeholders, school staff, and teammates
• Ability to self-direct and prioritize among competing goals, exhibit flexibility, and drive results in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
• Adept at thinking strategically, translating plans into action, and exhibiting excellent judgment
• Ability to navigate highly political situations fearlessly and diplomatically
• Skilled at analyzing, interpreting, and using data to collaborate, identify best practices and areas for improvement, and drive results
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Spanish
• High proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Google Suite
• Outstanding written, speaking, and organizational skills with experience interacting with a broad range of stakeholders
• Experience or commitment to public education, social justice, efficacy and equity
• Works well in a high pressure environment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of and experience working with low-income communities preferred
• Growth mindset Desire to learn, engage in crucial conversations, take and implement constructive criticism
• Sense of urgency -- Our communities can’t wait to have excellent schools or build their power in an increasingly uncertain world -The time is now
• Understanding of dual immersion instructional practices and school design and the unique characteristics of public charter schools is a plus

Personal and Professional Finally, the ideal candidate will hold the following personal and professional competencies:

• Can work independently
• Leadership Couple strong management with excellent interpersonal skills in leading an organization in one’s functional domain
• Relationship Develop relational trust across constituencies, by maintaining a positive attitude with students, parents and staff, while also maintaining confidentiality
• Organization Be intensely execution-oriented and frighteningly organized, allowing one to work in a fast paced, but sometimes unpredictable, environment
• Perspective Combine maturity, humility, a strong work ethic, a sense of humor, and a roll-up-my sleeves attitude to celebrate successes as well as navigate times of ambiguity and high levels of stress
• Professionalism See oneself as an ambassador of the school, presenting oneself both positively and professionally at all times and with all constituents

Working Conditions:

• Regular requirement to stand, sit, walk, talk, hear, see, read, speak, reach, stretch with hands and arms, stoop, kneel and crouch
• Lift and carry objects weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Occasional evening and/or weekend work
• Travel required
• Willingness to be trained as needed

Prior to Employment: Once an offer has been extended, a candidate must meet the following criteria to receive a final agreement:

• First Aid/CPR Certification
• Clear Criminal Background Check
• Valid TB Clearance

Key Compensation:

• Annual Salary Range: $65,000 - $80,000
• Exceptional growth opportunities
• Medical Benefits
• Retirement plan

Employment:

• Reports directly to Chief Growth and Community Engagement Officer
• Permanent Full-Time, Exempt Position
• Position follows a 12 month work schedule
• At-Will Agreement

If you have any questions about this position, please contact our hiring team by email at jobs@voicescharterschool.com

Voices College-Bound Language Academies is an equal opportunity employer.

It is the policy of Voices to afford equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity,

ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, citizenship status, medical condition, or any other legally protected status.