Teach for America Is Looking for a Lobbyist. Interested?

On November 15, 2018, Teach for America (TFA) posted this Linkedin job listing for a government affairs manager (in other words, a lobbyist).

Though TFA is fine with putting inexperienced college grads in classrooms as temp teachers following a five-week sneeze of *training*, if one wants this critical TFA lobbying job, one “must have” (TFA’s words) “two years of public policy and/or federal legislative experience.”

Why, TFA is even willing to help the would-be-yet-inexperienced TFA lobbyist get a foot in the Congressional door via its one-year Capitol Hill Fellows Program.

And, as one might expect, the successful TFA lobbyist applicant must have “a deep belief in Teach for America’s vision, mission, and theory of change.”

Token teaching for two years and then landing an ed policy position promoting TFA in the ears of legislators is part of that TFA theory of change. Such is the career path taken by current TFA director of government affairs (i.e., head lobbyist) Kelly Brougham. After a two-year TFA stint in Houston (make that one year, ten months), Brougham became an ed policy advisor in the US House of Representatives for four years (more than twice as long as she lasted in a Houston classroom) before becoming a TFA government affairs manager (same job as that of the job listing featured in this post) on her way to becoming a TFA head lobbyist.

It does help for one on the road to TFA lobbying to have a bachelor’s degree in political science, which Broughan does. However, if one holds a bachelors in something other than poli sci, as in the case of TFA lobbyist Gloria Molina-Estolano, one can always remain in the classroom for three years, until one earns a masters of ed policy, and then leave in order to advocate for TFA’s theory of change.

The TFA theory of change must feed TFA the organization. It’s an integral part of the TFA lobbyist job description, posted below in full. (Not sure about the August 5th deadline….)

Manager, Government Affairs

Company Name: Teach for America

Company Location: Washington, D.C., DC, US

Posted 2 weeks ago  Number of views: 18 views

Job description

TEAM: Government Affairs
REPORTS TO: Vice President, Government Affairs
LOCATION: Washington, DC

THE ROLE
The Government Affairs team seeks a manager to support the team as we represent and advocate for Teach For America’s priorities before Congress and the Administration. In this role, you will serve as a critical member of the Government Affairs team and will use your knowledge of Congress and the Executive Branch to help raise Teach For America’s profile, advance the organization’s federal priorities, and build champions among key decision makers in the federal government. You will also play an important role in supporting the Teach For America Capitol Hill Fellows Program by providing support in the application, selection and placement of Fellows, as well as on-going professional development throughout the Fellowship cycle.

THE ORGANIZATION
There are more than 16 million children growing up in poverty in the U.S., and less than 10 percent of them will graduate from college. These statistics are not a reflection of our children’s potential; we know that children growing up in poverty can and do achieve at the highest levels. Rather, these statistics reflect the systemic lack of access and opportunity for children in low-income communities.

Teach For America’s (TFA) is to find, develop, and support a diverse network of leaders committed to expanding opportunity for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate. We are seeking individuals who align with our mission, and commitment to and are ready to join us in this

THE PERSON
Government Affairs (estimated 70%). Working closely with the Vice President and Director of Government Affairs to:

• Execute a strategy that ensures Members of Congress understand and value Teach For America’s mission and impact in their communities and nationally
• Help secure bipartisan support in Congress for programs, policies, and federal funding streams that support Teach For America’s mission across the country
• Help cultivate relationships with internal and external stakeholders to advance Teach For America’s mission
• Collaborate in the drafting and review of advocacy materials, memos, hearing questions, fact sheets and other materials for internal and external use
• Manage the reporting of lobbying disclosures
• Attend Congressional briefings, hearings and other external events and report back on key observations and contacts made
• Assist in the planning, organization, and execution of legislative summits and advocacy days for the CEO, members of the National Community Alliances team, and in partnership with other organizations
• Develop and execute an engagement plan for Teach For America alumni who work in the federal government in the D.C. region.

Capitol Hill Fellows Program (estimated 30%)

• Support the Teach For America Capitol Hill Fellows Program in partnership with VP, Policy and Associate, Public Partnerships
• Develop and execute recruitment strategy for next cohort of Fellows
• Support all stages of application process for next cohort of Fellows
• Support planning for professional development and career support for current cohort of Capitol Hill Fellows through their year-long fellowship in Washington, D.C. including attending Fellow program events and advising on post-Fellowship opportunities.

Qualifications

THE MUST HAVES

Skills

• • • Excellent interpersonal, organizational, verbal and written communications skills
    • Excellent strategic and critical thinking skills
    • Highly motivated and able to excel in an entrepreneurial environment
    • Ability to partner with external and internal stakeholders
    • Ability to develop and cultivate relationships and networks in order to achieve results
    • Ability to effectively organize, plan and execute projects
    • Ability to work efficiently and accurately in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
    • Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point, OneNote)
    • Commitment to issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in the workplace
    • A deep belief in Teach For America’s vision, mission and theory of change

  Prior Experience:

• • • 2 years of public policy and/or federal legislative experience
    • Experience in or knowledge of education policy; OR
    • Previous experience in a government affairs role related to education policy.

Work Demands

• • • Occasional evening or weekend work required to support special events and projects.

THE TEAM

• The mission of the Government Affairs team is to support Teach For America (TFA) through the pursuit of public policy outcomes and funding that benefit the organization as it pursues its mission to ensure that every child receives an excellent education. To do so, we represent TFA before the legislative & executive branches of government. We cultivate champions among federal elected & appointed officials, and build & work within coalitions that help propel TFA’s work forward.

THE PERKS

• By , you join a network of individuals committed to pursuing equity for all students and developing themselves as professionals in the process. We as an organization value the longevity of our employees and offer a that has proven to be pretty competitive. The salary for this position is also competitive and depends on your prior work experience. Please be advised, you will have an opportunity to discuss salary in more detail after you begin the application process.

WE ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

• Teach For America encourages individuals of all ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds to apply for this position. We are committed to maximizing the, as we want to engage all those who can contribute to this effort.

• Teach For America is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member) or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

• • • This job description reflects Teach For America’s assignment of essential functions and qualifications of the role. Nothing in this herein restricts management’s right to assign, reassign or eliminate duties and responsibilities to this role at any time.

NEXT STEPS

Interested in this position? Apply now by submitting a resume and cover letter by August 5th. ! Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the link to the online application. If you still have questions regarding the role, feel free to contact our recruitment team at staffing@teachforamerica.org or visit.

If you believe that all children should experience a rotation of teachers with five minutes of training and you’re willing to reframe this scenario in a manner that feeds the TFA organization, then this job could be for you.

As for me, well, I’m of no use to TFA. I have no interest in selling turnstiles.

_____________________________________________________________________________

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Schneider is a southern Louisiana native, career teacher, trained researcher, and author of two other books: A Chronicle of Echoes: Who’s Who In the Implosion of American Public Education and Common Core Dilemma: Who Owns Our Schools?. You should buy these books. They’re great. No, really.

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