Regional Director

Organization:

Empower Illinois

State / Location:

Illinois

External Job Posting:

Job Description:

Organization

scholarship granting organization (SGO). EI was built to support the state’s private schools and up to 15,000 low-income children as a result of the $100,000,000 annual scholarship tax credit law EI recently advocated into law. In addition to the SGO aspects of its work, Empower Illinois advocates for policy that leads to a high-quality, student-centered education system for children from low income and working-class families — both inside and outside of the traditional public education system. EI focuses on a broad range of research based and innovative policies, the core of which are focused on equitable funding and developing pathways to unlock the unique student potential within a diverse range of learner types. EI policy is sequenced as part of a larger long-term strategy to build a base on which further innovations — empowering educators, equal access to gifted education, career technical education, course equity, and better meeting the needs of children with unique abilities — can better prepare students for success beyond the K-12 environment. EI works closely with One Chance Illinois – Action (OCI). OCI is a 501c4 that works with other non-profits, schools, and community advocates to achieve shared advocacy goals. OCI employs the state’s leading lobbyists, activates grassroots organizing, communications, and ultimately serves children from the entire state of Illinois and is presently based in Chicago.

Position

Empower Illinois (EI) seeks an effective and entrepreneurial Regional Director. The Regional Director will join a growing organization that has distinguished itself as a powerful catalyst for the creation and sustainability of high quality private school scholarships and innovative education policy in Illinois. The organization has successfully advanced a number of policies including the 2017 passage of the IL tax credit scholarship (TCS) program. It is the first time a large blue state—with both houses of the legislature under Democratic control—has enacted an educational choice program. In the past 3 years, EI also advanced a tax credit for teacher expenses spent out of pocket on supplies, legislation that creates universal screening for low income gifted and talented students, a competency-based learning program, and an increase in the individual tuition tax credit. The Regional Director will join a team of staff and contract lobbyists who advocate for priority policies at the district and state level, and who will work with external stakeholders and school network leaders to support their participation in the Tax Credit Scholarship Program and lead advocacy efforts in and for those communities. The Regional Director will report to the Director of Government Affairs.

The growing Advocacy and Policy Team focuses on state-level advocacy and legislative affairs (with the longer-term prospect of district level activity), as well as school-level data and policy analysis. The Regional Director is therefore responsible for developing relationships and providing key support in specific regions of the state and/or with specific constituent groups. The regional director is the primary relationship lead for these communities, creating a conduit of support, communication and advocacy. EI seeks a Regional Director who can assess the opportunities available in each of these areas and make strategic decisions about priorities and additional possibilities. Responsibilities include:

Regional Leadership and Local Advocacy

• Work with Advocacy and Policy Team to develop region- and constituent-specific strategies to empower local stakeholders;
• Serve as the primary point of contact for in-district visits with legislators;
• Develop and implement grassroots strategies and events to mobilize scholarship parents, families, and coalition members to take meaningful action on local and state issues;

For the full posting see here.