Research and Policy Robin Hood Project – Advocate
Job Description
Advocates for Children of New York, Inc. (AFC) seeks an Advocate to support families fighting for their children’s education. The Advocate will join AFC’s Robin Hood Project and work closely with the team to provide advocacy, technical assistance, and community outreach/training. The Robin Hood Project partners with roughly 20 other Robin Hood-funded, poverty-fighting organizations (such as domestic violence shelters, hospitals, tutoring agencies, and social service providers) to provide advocacy and technical assistance for families who are struggling with education-related issues, including problems relating to literacy, learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, English-language learner (ELL) supports, and inappropriate school services, supports, and placements.
The Project, which also includes two staff attorneys and a project director, works directly with families served by its partner organizations, providing legal representation and advocacy. Additionally, the Project builds the capacity of these organizations through training and technical assistance to address the educational needs of current and future clients. The Advocate will use the Project’s integrated strategies to advocate for the educational needs of students involved with the various partner agencies and assist agency staff in supporting the educational needs of their clients.
Working in partnership with New York City’s most disadvantaged families to secure quality public education services, AFC is a not-for-profit social justice organization that supports individual families while enforcing civil rights law. AFC works on behalf of children and youth who are at greatest risk of academic failure due to poverty, race, ethnicity, disability, homelessness, immigration status/limited English proficiency, or involvement in the child welfare or juvenile/criminal justice systems. We use uniquely integrated strategies to advance systemic reform, empower families and communities, and advocate for the educational rights of individual students.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Providing advocacy to families experiencing school-related difficulties such as inappropriate special education placements and services, enrollment issues, or suspensions. This includes conducting client interviews, assisting clients with school admissions, locating educational resources for clients, and advocating for students at school meetings or suspension hearings using key laws and policies.
- Providing training and workshops to parents and staff at partnering agencies on a variety of education-related topics.
- Providing on-going technical assistance to staff at partnering agencies with the aim of building the capacity of these organizations to better address students’ educational issues.
- Serving as a liaison to partner organizations, helping to identify shared goals, and fielding inquiries and concerns.
- Tracking and recording project statistics and preparing data for grant reports.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree is required. Master’s degree in social work is strongly preferred.
- Experience in education, advocacy, or social services is required.
- Demonstrated commitment to social justice and ability to empower the families.
- Strength in oral and written communication skills.
- Experience presenting to groups.
- Ability to work both independently and as a member of a multidisciplinary team.
- Experience with program development and implementation a plus.
- Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, or Haitian-Creole is strongly preferred.
Salary:
Salary is commensurate with experience. In addition to a competitive salary, AFC offers generous benefits.
AFC is an affirmative action employer that actively encourages applications from a broad spectrum of people, including people of color, with disabilities, and of diverse religions, national origins, gender identities, sexual orientations and socioeconomic backgrounds.
