Community Coalition Organizer
The National Education Association (NEA) in conjunction with the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) and the Cedar Rapids Education Association (CREA) is looking to hire a Community Organizer. The role of the Community Organizer will be to represent CREA/ISEA within our community organizations, advocate and be a voice for public education and educators, collect and analyze data collected from educators, and community stakeholders and develop strategies that promote the successful adoption of identified goals.
This grant funded position will primarily focus on gathering input through listening sessions, community forums, one-on-one communications and surveys and using the data collected to advocate support for community schools we want for our children with community leaders, the school board and local and state government. The main goal of the Community Organizer is to develop a broad-based community coalition which elevates community, teacher, and student voice in support of community schools and other school improvement strategies that are meaningful to stakeholders, and shows a deep commitment to education justice.
Job Summary:
- Oversee gathering input from all stakeholder groups around the questions – 1) What do they love about their schools? 2) What is their vision for their schools and their community? 3) What do their schools need to achieve that vision?
- Organize monthly community stakeholder/listening session to gather, maintain and further develop a community coalition.
- Organize community wide-events to elevate the work Cedar Rapids educators are doing to better understand and meet the needs of our community.
- Identify several target neighborhoods within the greater community for more in depth stakeholder input into their vision of schools for their community.
- Compile results of stakeholder input into a useable report to guide further advocacy work.
- Develop and implement an Education Justice Engagement plan with educators.
- Assist in building and maintaining relationships with allies to win electoral campaigns.
- Organizes the electoral work of CREA in support of candidates who advocate for our vision.
- Other duties as assigned.
Job Qualifications:
- College degree or equivalent professional experience required.
- Demonstrated ability to relate successfully to individuals of all races, nationalities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, income levels, educational backgrounds, and occupational groups.
- Experienced in developing and executing successful campaigns in one or more of the following areas: grassroots lobbying, electoral field work, community coalition building.
- Outstanding ability to simultaneously manage numerous projects with a high level of attention to detail and within project deadlines. Demonstrated ability to problem solve, prioritize and organize work.
- Excellent written communication skills with experience in writing and executing a plan of action.
- Demonstrated ability to make oral presentations to groups or individuals.
- Ability to travel and work various hours, including evenings and weekends.
- Valid driver’s license.
Compensation:
- Salary dependent on qualifications and experience.
- A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance