Staff Attorney & Education Collaborative Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Advocates For Children (AFC) is a dynamic social justice organization that strives to ensure a high-quality education for New York students who face barriers to academic success, focusing on students from low-income backgrounds. 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 legal systems. We use uniquely integrated strategies to advance systemic reform, empower families and communities, and advocate for the educational rights of individual students.

AFC grounds our work in our organization's values :

• Family-Centered : We listen to what families want for their children and empower them with information and support.
• Expertise : We ground our advocacy in more than 50 years of experience with the NYC public schools and deep knowledge of the legal and education systems affecting the students and families we serve.
• Passion : We are united by our unrelenting drive to dismantle obstacles to education and our unwavering dedication to NYC's students and families.
• Community : We foster collaboration and inclusive practices within our team and with outside partners so we can learn from different perspectives and unite in advancing our common goals.
• Justice : We view the law as a powerful tool to bridge gaps in access to education and help families from under-represented communities fight for their rights.
• Impact : We recognize that our value lies in the difference we make in the lives of students and their families and push ourselves to achieve concrete results.

For more information on AFC, see www.advocatesforchildren.org.

Job Summary

AFC seeks an attorney to manage and lead our Education Collaborative, a community of foster care agencies designed to build the capacity of these agencies to better address the educational needs of the children and youth in their care. Many students in the foster system face tremendous barriers to educational success, due to frequent school changes, high rates of disability, and trauma associated with their placement in foster care. The attorney in this position will partner with Collaborative members to advocate for individual students, improve agency practices, develop agency staff, and fight for systemic reforms that help students in the foster system succeed in school.

The Education Collaborative is an initiative developed by Project Achieve, AFC's program that has been fighting for the educational rights of students in New York City's child welfare system for over 20 years. Project Achieve trains child welfare professionals, parents, youth, and educators; develops resources to support positive education outcomes for students impacted by the foster system; and secures services for students in foster care whose educational needs are not being met. We then use the lessons we learn from our on-the-ground experience to advocate for policy change that will benefit all students in the City's foster system.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Staff Attorney & Education Collaborative Manager will administer the Education Collaborative while supporting the overall work of Project Achieve. Key responsibilities include :

This position reports to the Director of Project Achieve.

Qualifications

How to Apply

Candidates must submit a resume and cover letter highlighting why they are interested in this role at AFC and how their experience aligns with the Staff Attorney and Education Collaborative Manager position, including any personal or professional experience that demonstrates their connection to the populations AFC serves.

Applications will be considered immediately on a rolling basis. This position would start as soon as possible. Due to the high volume of applicants, only complete applications from qualified candidates will be contacted. No phone calls please.

Compensation

This is a full-time position, with a salary in the range of $88,657 - $98,173, depending on experience, and includes a comprehensive benefits package.

This position is expected to work at least 2 days a week in the office and remotely on the remaining days.

ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION INFORMATION

AFC's current compensation package includes medical and dental insurance, with a plan option that covers full payment of medical plan premiums for staff and their qualified dependents. AFC has generous time-off policies that include 10 federal holidays, office closure between Christmas and New Year's Day, and 15 vacation days and 15 paid time off days in the first year of employment. AFC also offers a 403(b) plan with a fully vested employer match and coverage of the premium cost of life insurance and short-term and long-term disability insurance.

AFC is an equal opportunity employer that actively seeks to recruit and retain a diverse staff and encourages all applications including from people of color, persons with disabilities, parents of persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or gender expressions and persons of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

AFC is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability or other protected characteristic. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process. For more information and to request an accommodation, contact Human Resources at HR@advocatesforchildren.org.