The assistant director will work under the direction of Dept. Senior Director and the Director for Educational Rights and Social Justice Initiatives and Policy with particular emphasis on community schools, extended learning time, and integrated student supports. The assistant director will lead in analyzing and developing policy, field supports and programs, and AFT national positions and partnerships in the areas of community schools and will work collaboratively with various staff within and beyond the Educational Issues department.
- Analyze, develop and promote policies and practices to enhance school improvement and student supports through expanded learning time, family engagement, and the community school strategy, in collaboration with AFT staff in Government Relations, Research and Strategic Initiatives, Communications, and other departments.
- Provide support, training, and other technical assistance needed to state and local affiliates related to community schools around local, state and federation policy, advocacy and school and district implementation.
- Work with RSI to review collective bargaining agreements that promote community schools, as well as help develop language for collective bargaining agreements.
- Cultivate AFT’s Community Schools Network by: adding new affiliates to the group, hosting monthly meetings, creating an eLearning community, producing a regular newsletter (or adding to the PL newsletter), developing and sourcing relevant tools, and resources for members.
- Organize and facilitate AFT’s Annual Community Schools Intensive with local leaders and national partners. Build out our internal capacity to support more locals participating in the Intensive and identify additional opportunities to bring Intensive teams together throughout the year. Work with national partners to provide direct coaching support and resources to Intensive teams.
- Highlight and document best practices of collaborative community school implementation and early childhood practices (i.e., labor-management-community) through blogs, case studies, toolkits, etc. for affiliates, partners, AFT staff and officers.
- Capture stories of work in the field and share with relevant AFT staff – communications team and Educational Issues’ avenues of social media and professional learning newsletter.
- Coordinate learning experiences in-person and virtually, such as study visits for various groups of stakeholders, including union affiliates, with national partners when applicable.
- Build and maintain relationships with key researchers, advocates, funders, and thought leaders within the community schools to ensure and strengthen AFT’s position as a leader in this field.
- Represent the AFT at professional meetings and other external partner “tables” related to extended learning time, community schools, and other whole child related strategies.
- Make related presentations to affiliates and other groups.
- Work with colleagues in Educational Issues to ensure collaboration across efforts in policy and research, professional development, school improvement and affiliate support and external partnerships.
- Work collaboratively across AFT departments and programs to promote and expand community schools.
- Work with the Communications department to develop a communications plan that highlights the efforts of the AFT Community Schools Network and its impact, as well as identifies AFT member voices with strong relationship with community schools.
- Build capacity for development of professional development coursework focusing on community schools’ leadership and sustainability.
The AFT is a union of professionals that champions fairness, democracy, economic opportunity and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for our members, their families and our communities. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through the work our members do.
The AFT is a place-based employer, and this position is assigned to the AFT National headquarters office in Washington, D.C. This job requires the ability to drive and travel throughout the U.S.
