Director of Community Involvement Program

Annenberg Institute for School Reform

New York City, New York

OVERVIEW

The Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University seeks applications and nominations for the position of Director of its New York City–based Community Involvement Program. The Director will work closely and collaboratively with the Institute’s Executive Director, Deputy Director, senior leadership team, and talented staff to provide strategic guidance to enhance the programs and impact of the research, community organizing and engagement support, and research programs and resources of the Community Involvement Program and the Institute. The ideal candidate will be an established and articulate leader with vision, intelligence, commitment to social and educational equity and justice, and a demonstrable record of success in developing and directing programs in the fields of community organizing, community engagement, and education research.   

BACKGROUND AND HISTORY

The Community Involvement Program (CIP) was founded in 1996 by New York University ’s Institute for Education and Social Policy to support grassroots organizing for school improvement in New York City schools by providing policy and data analysis, research, and training. CIP’s support has produced a significant increase in community organizing for school improvement in New York City . These efforts have improved the quality of district- and school-level instructional leadership, reduced school overcrowding, leveraged new resources to support effective instruction and increased the public visibility of community organizing as an important educational reform strategy. 

Since September 2006, CIP has been part of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform (AISR), a standards-based and practice-centered policy-research and technical-assistance organization that works nationally to promote equity and excellence in the nation’s public schools, particularly in urban communities. The Institute develops and shares knowledge to help urban communities and school districts collaborate on building “smart systems” that provide excellent education and equitable opportunities for every student. Established at Brown University in 1993, the Institute has its main office in Providence , Rhode Island ; CIP is based in New York City .

LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES

This position will present the new Director with opportunities that are each key to the success of the Institute’s goals. The key challenges will include but are not limited to:

Developing and implementing an infrastructure that brings the work of Institute and CIP under a shared mission, set of values, and strategic objectives. 

The Director will be required to provide effective strategic and operational guidance in establishing clarity around structural relationships across AISR’s four work areas.

The Director will be expected to help develop new programs, practices, and strategies that strengthen the connections and alignment between the AISR’s extraordinary and unique mix of skills and expertise in organizing support, community engagement, district design, and research in ways that will have the greatest impact on the field of national education reform. This responsibility would include but is not limited to:

• developing ways to effectively use CIP’s unique combination of research, organizing, and engagement;
• leading the thinking about the evolving role of community organizing and engagement in a shifting educational climate (decentralization, mayoral control, privatization, etc.);
• integrating the community organizing model more deeply into the Institute’s work nationally and locally (in Providence).

The Director must also be able to cultivate and maintain vibrant and productive internal relationships – with Brown University , the Institute’s Board of Overseers, the Providence-based staff, and CIP’s staff – and enhance the visibility and utilization of AISR ideas and expertise throughout the Brown University community.  Leading the development and implementation of a comprehensive and innovative program strategy that will expand, diversify, and increase CIP’s impact.

The Director will need to provide conceptual energy and collaborative leadership to support and expand the organizing and engagement programs, projects, and resources of AISR in New York City.  The Director will be responsible for all aspects of CIP’s community organizing and engagement support, including management of internal and external communications, oversight of the Web site and publishing services, and development of marketing and communications materials including proposals, reports, and articles. The Director will help AISR design, develop, and implement new, comprehensive, and innovative strategies to enlarge the scope of CIP’s existing programming and research projects and identify opportunities for new areas of knowledge and practice. S/he will extend the impact of CIP’s community organizing and engagement support work by:

• increasing the profile of community and youth organizing and engagement as a successful strategy for school improvement;

• promoting the “collaborative models” in other urban communities and in the field;

• increasing the profile of research on community and youth organizing and engagement within the field of education research and policy; and

• providing leadership in the coordination of youth and adult organizing into a unified constituency that can have an even greater impact on school improvement in historically neglected neighborhoods.

Being a strong representative of CIP and the Institute to the broader community by cultivating and stewarding relationships with organizations, agencies, and communities in ways that will increase the impact and reach of CIP’s work nationally. 

The Director will be an articulate, persuasive, and charismatic advocate of the Institute, capable of advancing the visibility and impact of community organizing and engagement for school improvement nationally. S/he will serve as an ambassador of CIP and the Institute by developing strong and strategic relationships with local and national constituent organizations and institutions, researchers, school districts, local and state agencies, and the media. The Director will proactively publish reports and materials relevant to CIP’s activities, deliver presentations, become an active member of relevant associations, and build collaborations through networking with appropriate institutions, researchers, scholars, activists, and policy makers. Activities that might be undertaken in this area include:

• bringing a national profile to CIP research;
• introducing and promoting the CIP model of community organizing and engagement for school improvement to a national audience;
• promoting and supporting endeavors similar to the of replication of CIP in other cities;
• promoting the effectiveness of collaboration between research and organizing.

Designing and implementing a long-term funding plan that will drive strategic growth and diversify and increase fund-raising opportunities with all potential funders.

The Director will champion the development of a multiyear fund-raising strategy in research, organizing, and engagement and lead a plan that utilizes best practices to expand support for CIP and creates benchmarks for success regarding development sustainability, expansion, and growth. S/he will be responsible for the development of all proposals focused on securing the funding necessary to support CIP’s activities. The Director will have a well-established network of potential funders and will nurture existing relationships while building new ones in order to increase the capacity of the overall funding base. S/he will cultivate donors, funders, advisors, and consultants, aligning them strategically with the vision and programs of the organization. S/he will also define and develop a comprehensive program to strengthen existing donors’ commitments to the Institute.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POSITION OF CIP DIRECTOR

Work Experience and Training

• At least 10 years of successful experience in developing and implementing programs, including work experience in community organizing, organizational development, and educational policy that builds grassroots power to improve low-income communities of color 

• Advanced degree in education/social policy and research

• Demonstrated experience working with community-based social justice groups and organizations and their constituencies

• Demonstrated ability to use data, research, and reports to inform multiple constituencies, including opinion leaders

Fundraising

• A strong track record of identifying, stewarding, and acquiring major gifts from organizational supporters

• Knowledge of and relationships with a wide range of foundations and other potential funding sources

Personal and Professional Commitments to Social Justice Issues

• Personal and professional commitment to the principles and values of progressive organizing for social, economic, and political justice.

Management Style (emphasis on working in diverse environments)

• At least 10 years of demonstrated management and supervisory experience, including management and supervision in collaborative office culture

• Demonstrated organizing and program experience, including program planning, development, implementation and evaluation, and financial planning and oversight

• Strong leadership, management, and organizational skills, including experience with and skills in conflict resolution; ability to nurture program-development skills in others

• Innovative, strategic, and creative thinking skills

• Ability to quickly and effectively manage and support a number of projects and activities in multiple settings

• Ability to work effectively in a shared-leadership staff structure

• Experience and ability to work with colleagues with different racial, cultural, and professional backgrounds in multiple city sites

Areas of Knowledge

• Substantive knowledge of the academic community as well as public policy, public advocacy, and public interest issues

• Intimate knowledge of both academic journals and popular education  publications

• A substantive grasp of urban education reform, issues of equity and diversity, and the social and political dynamics of national education reform support

• Deep understanding and analysis of the dynamics of race, class, and immigration that create and sustain existing inequities in urban public schools

• Strong knowledge of the New York City education landscape, its neighborhoods, and their ethnically diverse communities and key relationships and connections within the NYC education world

• Knowledge of national social and urban school reform movements

• An understanding of education research and evaluation, both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies (desirable)

Communication Skills and Knowledge

• Experience developing communications and outreach materials for distribution through a variety of communication channels, including print, broadcast, and internet media 

• Superior oral and written communications skills in one-on-one settings, large-group meetings, and with print and electronic media

• Ability to make the CIP and the Institute vision and agenda relevant to a wide range of audiences and to generate interest in CIP and Institute work 

• Comfort developing and executing a comprehensive vision for CIP communications and outreach 

• Demonstrated communications skills, including excellent writing skills and a command of a variety of speaking and presentation styles with a variety of audiences

Vision and Leadership Capacity

• Vision for the transformation of urban education systems to provide excellent schools for low-income students, immigrant students, and students of color and the ability to articulate AISR’s and CIP’s role in that transformation

• Ability to analyze social issues and their influence on the lives of students, families. and constituencies 

• Capacity and experience in creating professional networks and connections for CIP and AISR locally, nationally, and internationally 

FURTHER INFORMATION

Descriptions of the work of the Annenberg Institute and the Community Involvement Program can be found at www.annenberginstitute.org.

TO APPLY

Due to the pace of the search, candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Apply online at: http://careers.brown.edu/.  All inquiries about this position can be directed to Deb Berman at Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group at: deb@nonprofitprofessionals.com.  

Women and candidates of color are strongly encouraged to apply. 
Brown University is an equal opportunity employer.