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Championing the Success of English Learners

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Uncategorized

Job Opening: Communications Manager

July 15, 2020 by Erika Menjivar

Position: Communications Manager, Non-Profit

Long Beach, CA

Exempt, Full-Time, Regular Position

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Organizational Background:

Californians Together is a statewide advocacy coalition with the goal of better educating 1.2 million English learners by improving California's schools and promoting equitable educational policy.

Position Summary:

The Communications Manager is the sole communications staffer within Californians Together and reports directly to the Executive Director. The Communications Manager is responsible for implementing all communications activities and is heavily focused on developing content. The essential duties for this position include creating different types of high-quality content; translating research and policy content into easy-to-understand versions for different audiences; developing and implementing the organization’s communications plan, brand and narrative; and collaborating with the organization’s staff to support organizational-wide communications efforts. Responsible for developing work products with a special emphasis on key initiatives and organization wide programs.

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Content Development:

  • Translate research and policy papers into briefs, executive summaries and other accessible written formats to share with a broad audience
  • Write monthly newsletter to highlight organizational news, updates and milestones
  • Manage organizational website and social media accounts to keep content updated and strategically aligned with organization’s goals and priorities
  • Manage the production of photo and video shoots, usage and distribution of photo and video story content for general Californians Together work and specific to social media campaign for Spanish speaking parents
  • Build communication/advocacy campaigns, including:
    • Work with colleagues to vet stories
    • Conduct interviews with coalition members, educators and parents and others, and write their stories
    • Promote stories on organizational platforms and share with partners to disseminate
    • Build a bank of freelance photographers to capture visuals from multiple locations across the state
    • Build a list of education journalists, reporters and editors
  • Draft white papers with support from senior staff
  • Additional duties as assigned

Organizational Communications:

  • Develop and implement a comprehensive communications program with specific strategies and action plans to effectively communicate with and influence internal and external stakeholders
  • Drive ongoing brand integration and updates, including narrative and design consistency, and clarity across the organization
  • Update brand and style guidelines and train staff on how to use them when they develop their own materials; and to share with outside consultants on related projects
  • Brief staff, leadership and board on communications efforts
  • Create high-quality printed and digital materials per the communications plan
  • Manage media opportunities, including responding to reporters, writing talking points and writing and pitching op-eds
  • Develop and monitor communication measurements and analytics to gauge effectiveness and interest level of key audiences.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 3 years of experience in a communications capacity, and relevant experience including a mix of the following qualifications

  • Commitment to the mission and work of Californians Together with the credibility and persuasiveness to secure support from others
  • Bachelor’s degree preferably in journalism, public relations, communications, public policy, marketing or related field required.
  • Bilingual and biliterate in English and Spanish.
  • Experience with strategic communications practices and techniques and/or minimum three years communications experience in education, non-profit, government or related field required.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communications skills with a strong focus on creating high-quality content such as briefs, executive summaries, press and social media announcements and other organizational documents
  • Ability to present and defend ideas and recommendations
  • Excellent organizational abilities
  • Ability to design and implement communications ideas
  • Experience in editorial work including the planning, development and distribution of communications materials in multiple formats also required.
  • Experience with digital communications, including websites, newsletters and social media
  • Experience with policy and research
  • Experience with data storytelling
  • Collaborative leadership; Able to contribute to a high functioning team environment
  • Graphic design skills preferred

 

Equal Employment Opportunity: Californians Together is an equal opportunity employer, welcomes a diverse pool of applicants, and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. Californians Together policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, military service, legally protected medical condition, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions: This is a full-time, forty-hour per week position, though additional hours and evenings may be necessary to attend events and functions. Work will include long periods of sitting and standing and driving, so reliable transportation and a valid driver’s license is required. Time will be spent on the phone and sitting in front of a computer. Some lifting up to 15 pounds may be required. Limited physical effort required. Hearing, repetitive hand motions, sitting, talking, typing.

Compensation:

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. Includes full health, dental and vision benefits, holidays, vacation and sick days. Office closes between Christmas Eve and New Year’s.

 

To Apply:

Please send cover letter and resume to:

Erika Menjivar

Office Manager

Erika@californianstogether.org

Filed Under: Human Resources, Job Positions, Uncategorized

Congratulations to our Fearless Leader: Shelly Spiegel-Coleman!

May 28, 2020 by Claudia Vizcarra

Made with Padlet

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Executive Director, Shelly Spiegel-Coleman

Two new Communities of Practice before school ends!

May 27, 2020 by Claudia Vizcarra

1

This session will provide school, district, and community leaders the opportunity to share best practices, resources, and lessons learned for coordinating successful DELAC and ELAC Committee Meetings in virtual settings. A space will be created for participants to engage in a small group breakout session to share local practices, ask questions, and identify needs to facilitate the active engagement of parents and families when schools are closed.

Register
Centering English Learners in School Reopening

Join us for a collaborative discussion about centering English learners in school reopening planning. Currently, local school districts are pivoting to planning for the upcoming school year. During this session, examples will be shared of how educators can ensure that reopening conversations and plans are equity-focused and prioritize the needs of English learners. Attendees will learn from lessons gathered and information shared through our Communities of Practice series and educator survey and from educators engaged in reopening planning conversations in their schools and districts. Breakout sessions will also provide all attendees with an opportunity to share how they are continuing the focus on serving English learners in their own context.

Register

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Job Opening: Project Specialist – EWIG

May 26, 2020 by Claudia Vizcarra

Start date: negotiable but no later than July 1, 2020 to August 30, 2023

Background

The Budget Act of 2019, Section 84, provides for an Educator Workforce Investment Grant Program (EWIG) to support the design and delivery of professional learning opportunities designed to support system-wide implementation of the California English Learner Roadmap State Board of Education Policy: Educational Programs and Services for English Learners (EL Roadmap Policy) that align with the California Statewide System of Support. The total grant budget for this $5,000,000. The grant period is three years.

There are three main agencies leading this effort: Californians Together, SEAL (Sobrato Early Academic Language), and Loyola Marymount University’s Californians Together for Equity for English Learners (CEEL). Under Californians Together’s leadership, these three agencies have formed a Design Team to design research-based professional learning and to ensure coherence across the professional learning efforts for multiple roles and across the state. The grant includes the collaboration of 20 County Offices of Education, separated into three varying levels of engagement, and partnering with them to:

  • Develop their own capacity to provide direct support to LEAs in implementing the EL Roadmap policy; and
  • Co-host with the Lead Agencies (Californians Together, SEAL and LMU CEEL) professional learning opportunities for LEAs related to supporting multiple roles (e.g., school administrators, district leaders, teachers, counselors, etc.) to build capacity to implement the EL Roadmap

Position Description

The Project Manager works under the supervision of the Project Administrator and the Executive Director of Californians Together and collaborates with the EWIG Design Team and with other Californians Together staff in carrying out the duties of the position.

The Project Manager will assist in the management and administration of all aspects of the grant. The Project Manager carries out duties that include but not limited to:

  • Coordinate Training (COE and Administrator Strands, Teacher Strand, IHE Strand and Other Strands) and coordinate the development of a calendar of all statewide training activities
  • Plan and coordinate training events
  • Develop social media, online and other communication strategies for the EL RISE Network across 20 county offices and the LEAs
  • Assist with the planning and development of professional learning institutes including the provision of face to face and online professional learning to COEs and districts
  • Conduct some meetings and trainings for County Offices and with County Office teams
  • Provide support to the administrator in the day to day management of the grant
  • Attend Design Team meetings, work with the Design Team Lead to assist in the preparation meeting agendas
  • Assist Administrator with the maintenance of effective relations and communication among Executive Director, Design Team members, County Office staff, other partners, evaluator, CDE and CCEE
  • Attend required EWIG meetings
  • Assist Administrator with the writing of grant reports and updates
  • Assist with gathering data for the evaluator
  • Recruit and train consultant trainers for training events
  • Edit project documents
  • Provide feedback to graphic designer for publications
  • Maintain complete and accurate files and records

Qualifications

  • M.A., M.Ed., equivalent or higher required
  • Five or more years of experience in the public-school arena, such as teaching, school and district administration, university teaching and administration, or work in state- level agencies or organization
  • Three or more years of increasing responsibility in program management
  • Strong background in the field of English learner and bilingual education and advocacy
  • Secondary experience is a plus

Skills / Knowledge

  • Expertise and knowledge of the California EL Roadmap
  • Knowledge of the System of Support, the Quality Professional Learning Standards (QPLS) and communities of practice
  • Prior experience in writing grant or program reports on specific projects
  • Highly organized; ability to work independently as well as a member of a team.
  • Proven ability to use sound independent judgment to handle and solve problems
  • Excellent meeting facilitation skills
  • Ability to plan and implement innovative programs.
  • Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
  • Office and software: 1) Proficient in MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel), (2) Virtual meeting platforms (Zoom), 3) Adobe Acrobat (editing)
  • Biliteracy in English and one of the major languages spoken by English learners in California is preferred but not required

Location

Home base may be anywhere in California. Frequent travel includes meetings and convenings in Northern, Central and Southern California

Applications are now open until filled.

Please provide a cover letter highlighting your qualifications for this position, along with your résumé, a sample of a report you composed, and complete contact information (not letters) for three references who are familiar with your work to:

Martha Hernandez, Deputy Director, Californians Together

Martha@californianstogether.org

805 290-7557

Filed Under: Job Positions, Uncategorized Tagged With: Job Opening

Stories from the Field

May 13, 2020 by Claudia Vizcarra

Photo by Kyo Azuma

The crisis created by COVID-19 has placed a magnifying glass on opportunity gaps faced by many students across California. From access to healthy meals to meeting mental health and education technology needs, communities are depending on public schools to help weather the storm. Of particular concern to Californians Together is the impact on our state’s 1.2 million English learners, multilingual families, and refugee and immigrant students. This crisis has highlighted and amplified the equity challenge to ensure that learning plans meet the needs of English learners (ELs) and their families.

Fortunately, many districts, schools, and educators are stepping up to the challenge and implementing strategies from which we can learn. In an effort to share these practices, Californians Together has been uplifting these stories through Weekly Zooms: Communities of Practice Supporting EL Teachers and Administrators, blog posts, and newsletter articles. Through Alas y Voz,  resources for families are also available in Spanish. 

To further support district, school, and community leaders, we also developed the following four considerations to ensure that ELs continue to have full access to the curriculum (Supporting English Learners Through Distance Learning: Considerations for District and School Leaders). The list and examples are not exhaustive but are meant to help informally assess and guide a conversation about how distance learning is being implemented in your district, school, and community. 

The list is organized into four key areas essential to supporting ELs, including to:

  1. Provide full access to the curriculum, ensuring that designated and integrated ELD are incorporated within distance learning plans.
  2. Meet technology needs, providing students with devices and no cost internet access that support learning in multiple languages.
  3. Proactively engage parents and guardians, disseminating information and  explaining assignments for their children in students’ home languages and implementing a robust plan to reach out to families; and 
  4. Meet the needs of the whole child, ensuring that students have access to essential resources to stay safe and healthy, such as social-emotional supports and meals.

As you review this list and reflect on the progress in your school and district, it is important to continue to celebrate and build on the positive stories from your community. There is not a “one size fits all” approach to ensure that ELs are supported by distance learning, as we know that students and communities are diverse. However, we know that progress in each of the four key areas is important and must be at the forefront of every district and school strategy.

Put together with our Weekly Zooms: Communities of Practice Supporting EL Teachers and Administrators, blog posts, and newsletter articles, you will find many examples of how leaders like yourselves have tackled some of the challenges. We encourage you to share these resources to ensure that ELs continue to be a focus with our communities.

Thank you in advance for your tireless work on behalf of students across California.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: COVID-19, English Learners, School closures

English Learner Roadmap Hub –

May 12, 2020 by Claudia Vizcarra

EL Roadmap One-Pager Web (1)-page-002

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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525 E. 7th Street, Suite C203
Long Beach, CA 90813