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Those who insist that we cannot solve America’s education problems without first solving poverty have it exactly backwards: we will never solve poverty until we guarantee a great education for all our children.

This belief inspires the work of 50CAN: The 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now, a nonprofit advocacy organization that recruits and supports local leaders who build citizen movements in their states to ensure that every child has access to a great public school.

50CAN is led by President & Founder Marc Porter Magee, and is built on ConnCAN’s groundbreaking accomplishments in Connecticut during his six years as its chief operating officer. 50CAN operates campaigns in Rhode Island, Minnesota, New York and Maryland. We aim to launch 12 state campaigns by 2013 and reach half of the country by 2015.

Position

We’re looking for a budding ‘advocacy scientist’ to help 50CAN harness the power of data for its state education reform campaigns. 50CAN uses one central customer relationship database on the Salesforce platform for all of our state campaigns. It serves as the beating heart of the organization, housing all of our data on advocates, donors, elected officials, strategic partners and more. Salesforce is also a core piece of our microtargeting work to identify and recruit education reformers in our states. We are looking for a data management and strategy associate to bring this tool to the next level and support its proliferation during a time of rapid expansion.

As a key member of the national communications team, the data management and strategy associate will be charged with leveraging the full potential of this advocacy tool through mission-critical data management and reporting. Previous database experience is an advantage but not as important as willingness to learn. A sense of humor and ability to geek out with data are plusses. The data management and strategy associate will be trained by and report directly to 50CAN’s online communications manager in the New York City office.

Responsibilities

• Data management. Maintain superb data quality by frequently importing and updating contacts, actively leveraging our engagement and donation tracking systems and performing regular data cleanses to remove duplicate records. The database should always be a robust, real-time reflection of our state movements.
• Structural development. Optimize the power of our database by continually innovating and enhancing the database’s architecture. This work includes soliciting feedback from staff members, working with our Salesforce consultant to make needed structural adjustments and keeping abreast of the latest Salesforce updates, features and available apps.
• Drive user adoption. Develop a training curriculum for staff members, train all staff on new features, report monthly on staff use and serve as the in-house Salesforce expert that staff members can turn to with questions or for help on technical issues.
• Reporting. Routinely provide each state campaign with standard reports on their mobilization work and donation pipelines, as well as build custom reports whenever requested to help state teams make informed, strategic decisions, especially during the fast-moving legislative campaign season.

The ideal candidate will:

• Possess a bachelor’s degree. 
• Possess exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Be highly organized and have keen attention to detail.
• Be a fast and willing learner.
• Have some experience working with data, either within a CRM platform, Excel or otherwise.
• Be a self-starter.
• Possess a strong commitment to education reform and 50CAN’s mission to close the achievement gap.
• Have a sense of humor, strong work ethic, “roll-up-my-sleeves” attitude, and willingness to do “whatever it takes” in a fast-paced work environment.

How to apply

Salary is highly competitive and commensurate with experience. 50CAN offers a comprehensive benefits package. Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to clairelise.rodriguez@50can.org with “Data management and strategy associate” in the subject line. 

50CAN is an equal opportunity employer.

Jon was born in South Jersey just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, the city he’s called home ever since his undergraduate days at the University of Pennsylvania. It’s also the city where his interest in public schools first began: as a college student he co-founded an after-school group for students in West Philadelphia with arguably the worst acronym of all time: REal Community Exchange Starts with Students or RECESS. 

After graduation, Jon made his way to Morrison Elementary School to teach reading and social studies as a Teach for America corps member. His proudest moment was coaching his girl’s basketball team to its first victory in four years with a resounding 18-12 win over its rival. While teaching, he was struck by how profoundly policy decisions impacted his classroom. So much so that he left the classroom to be a community organizer with Good Schools Pennsylvania, a statewide advocacy organization. A few years of working with community groups and legislators on education issues turned Jon into a certified policy wonk. He then joined KIPP Philadelphia Schools as their director of strategic initiatives to help manage their external relations as they entered into an aggressive growth phase.  At KIPP, Jon learned how to embody its motto to Work Hard and Be Nice.  He holds a master’s in education and a bachelor’s in history from the University of Pennsylvania. 
 

Those who insist that we cannot solve America’s education problems without first solving poverty have it exactly backwards: we will never solve poverty until we guarantee a great education for all our children.

This belief inspires the work of 50CAN: The 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now, a nonprofit advocacy organization that recruits and supports local leaders who build citizen movements in their states to ensure that every child has access to a great public school.

50CAN is led by President & Founder Marc Porter Magee, and is built on ConnCAN’s groundbreaking accomplishments in Connecticut during his six years as its chief operating officer. 50CAN currently operates campaigns in Rhode Island, Minnesota, New York and Maryland. We aim to launch 12 state campaigns by 2013 and reach half of the country by 2015.

Position

The national government relations department works directly with 50CAN’s state teams to analyze existing state level statutes and regulations, identify areas for meaningful policy reform and craft winning strategies to pass legislation that will help ensure that all kids have access to a great public school. The government relations fellow will report directly to 50CAN’s VP of government relations in the New York City office. Responsibilities include working with the VP of government relations and state teams to:

• Identify, summarize and analyze state level laws, regulations and bills that implement priority policy issues.
• Compare state laws and regulations across those policy issues.
• Prepare legislative support documents such as legislative summaries and briefs.
• Draft model legislation.
• Support strong advocacy campaigns in our states.
• Assist in legislative landscape and political analysis in potential expansion states.
• Review federal legislation and regulations as necessary to support our state campaigns.

We are looking for someone who is results-oriented, hard working and committed to continuous improvement. Integrity, creativity and intensity are also key attributes of competitive applicants. The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience doing legal and legislative research.
• Bachelors degree required, JD or master’s degree strongly preferred
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills.
• Experience with and interest in state-level legislative politics and policy-making.
• Desire and flexibility to be part of a highly dynamic start-up organization.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to work independently.
• A strong commitment to education reform and 50CAN’s mission to close the achievement gap.
• A sense of humor, strong work ethic, “roll-up-my-sleeves” attitude, and willingness to do “whatever it takes” in a fast-paced work environment.

This is a one-year paid fellowship. Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to recruitment@50can.org with “Government Relations Fellow” in the subject line. 

50CAN is an equal opportunity employer.
 

Those who insist that we cannot solve America’s education problems without first solving poverty have it exactly backwards: we will never solve poverty until we guarantee a great education for all our children. This belief inspires the work of 50CAN: The 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now, a nonprofit advocacy organization that recruits and supports local leaders who build citizen movements in their states to ensure that every child has access to a great public school.

50CAN is led by President & Founder Marc Porter Magee, and is built on ConnCAN’s groundbreaking accomplishments in Connecticut during his six years as its chief operating officer. 50CAN currently operates campaigns in Rhode Island (RI-CAN), Minnesota (MinnCAN), New York (NYCAN) and Maryland (MarylandCAN). We aim to launch 12 state campaigns by 2013 and reach half of the country by 2015.

Position

As a key member of 50CAN, the assistant will support the work of founder and president, Marc Porter Magee in our Washington, D.C. office. This is an extraordinary opportunity to help build the next great American education reform organization and we are looking for an extraordinary person to join our team.

The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree, a strong academic track record and possess exceptional multitasking abilities, great judgment, grace under pressure and excellent written and verbal communication skills. He or she will be extraordinarily organized, detail-oriented, self-directed, amazingly driven, willing to work with colleagues remotely, entrepreneurial and absolutely dedicated to ending poverty by reforming public education. This job will require intense focus and attention to detail on simultaneous projects – both short- and long-term. Boundless energy and a great sense of humor are musts.

Responsibilities include:

• Scheduling and Administrative Support. Use expert judgment and discretion to coordinate and manage the president’s calendar, while also remotely coordinating and managing our NYC-based executive vice president’s calendar. Manage internal and external communications to ensure flawless scheduling. Prepare materials for conference calls and meetings. Manage travel arrangements and expenses for the president and executive vice president.
• Research, Analysis and Project Management. Complete complex projects supporting the work of the president and executive vice president. Maintain 50CAN’s project management system and participate as a team member on projects.
• Writing and Communications. Draft and edit documents to ensure accurate and effective communication. Create and circulate notes from internal meetings.
• Office Management. Working with our NYC-based VP of Operations, order and take inventory of office supplies. Collect and distribute the mail daily. Maintain a warm and supportive office environment.

Salary is highly competitive and commensurate with experience. 50CAN offers a comprehensive benefits package. Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to curtis.whatley@50can.org with “Assistant to the President” in the subject line.

50CAN is an equal-opportunity employer.

Alex was born and raised in the suburbs of Sacramento, California. After high school she headed east to The George Washington University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a major in sociology and minor in religion.

While at GW, she found time between classes to dance in GW’s ballet group, lead a campus ministry group and hunt down the city’s best cupcakes (Baked & Wired in Georgetown). She also developed an interest in working on behalf of kids by interning with the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies and volunteering in the development department of the Children's Law Center. 

After graduation Alex packed two (giant) suitcases and flew off to New York City to start her "grown-up" life. As 50CAN’s first development associate, she gets to combine her love of fundraising with her passion for improving kids’ lives.

50CAN: The 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now is seeking an exceptional individual to serve as the founding executive director of CarolinaCAN: The North Carolina Campaign for Achievement Now, the fifth state branch. 50CAN: The 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now is a nonprofit advocacy organization that recruits and supports local leaders who build citizen movements in their states to ensure that every child has access to a great public school. We believe that great schools change everything—from the life trajectory of a child to the economic prosperity of the state.

Our model is built around the conviction that all politics is local but locals shouldn’t have to start from scratch. We identify education reform leaders in each state and then provide them with the tools needed to build an effective advocacy movement grounded in three principles: 1) greater high-quality choices for parents, 2) greater flexibility for innovative educators and 3) greater accountability for results.
CarolinaCAN’s advocacy model involves three key components:

Research & Policy

CarolinaCAN will produce original research that marries in-depth analysis of state-level education data with the latest national research.

Communications & Mobilization

CarolinaCAN will create a movement of informed citizens through media work, e-advocacy, publications, partnerships with like-minded civic and community groups, phone banks, petitions and rallies.

Advocacy for Policy Change

CarolinaCAN will team with local leaders to develop and enact concrete, meaningful education reforms through both legislative and administrative action.

Position

The executive director will be responsible for bringing the winning 50CAN model to life in North Carolina’s unique political and policy landscape. Working in collaboration with the 50CAN national team and the CarolinaCAN advisory board, the executive director will drive statewide policy campaigns that seek fundamental changes to ensure all North Carolina children have access to great schools. During summer 2012, the executive director will help recruit and manage two additional staff members – a government relations & policy manager and a public affairs manager – to complete the CarolinaCAN campaign team.
The ideal candidate will have a successful track record running issue advocacy or political campaigns, possess a deep understanding of education policy, be extraordinarily entrepreneurial, have excellent written and verbal communication skills and be absolutely dedicated to our mission of securing great schools for all through fundamental educational reforms. The executive director serves both as the leader of the North Carolina branch of 50CAN and as a member of 50CAN’s senior leadership team.

Responsibilities

• Advocate-in-Chief: The executive director will lead the effort to change state policy through legislative and administrative action by crafting and executing the organization’s strategy and campaign plans.
• Local Fundraising: The executive director will be the primary driver of the effort to secure state funding to ensure the long-term sustainability of the campaign and build upon the existing funding secured to date.
• Spokesperson: The executive director will be the voice of the campaign in speeches, meetings, media outreach and written communications across the state, effectively articulating complex policy arguments to a broad range of individuals and groups.
• Manager and Mentor: The executive director will be the leader of the North Carolina team and serve as both a strong manager and mentor.

How to apply:

Salary is highly competitive and commensurate with experience. 50CAN offers a comprehensive benefits package. Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to sarah.ganley@50CAN.org.

50CAN is an equal opportunity employer.

Those who insist that we cannot solve America’s education problems without first solving poverty have it exactly backwards: we will never solve poverty until we guarantee a great education for all our children.

This belief inspires the work of RI-CAN (the Rhode Island Campaign for Achievement Now), a new state-level education reform advocacy group. RI-CAN is a branch of 50CAN (the 50 State Campaign for Achievement Now), a national organization committed to building world-class, state-based advocacy campaigns for education reform that get results.

Position

RI-CAN has an energetic “we won’t fail” culture and a national-caliber team working on state-level problems. As a key member of the in-state team, the Government Relations Associate will manage the inside strategy to pass laws and administrative reforms to fix Rhode Island’s public schools. The Government Relations Associate will report to the RI-CAN Director.

Responsibilities

• Lobbying. Build relationships with key lawmakers, staffers, lobbyists, and administrative state government officials, take meetings and give briefings on behalf of RI-CAN with public officials.
• Political strategy and intelligence. Craft inside strategy to turn public mobilization and media pressure into votes in the statehouse by working with caucuses, leadership, strategic partners and rank-and-file lawmakers, glean intelligence on opposing special interests, public officials and key staff.
• Political networking. Strengthen RI-CAN’s visibility and political relationships through attendance at key events, forums and summits related to education.

Qualifications

• Political instincts and a working knowledge of the Rhode Island political and legislative processes
• Outgoing personality, supported by strong written and verbal communication skills
• Previous civic engagement experience preferred.
• Prior experience working for the Rhode Island General Assembly preferred.
• Must possess a bachelor’s degree from a competitive college or university. Master’s degree a plus.
• Basic research skills with an emphasis on legal/legislative research;
• Strong commitment to education reform and RI-CAN’s mission to close the achievement gap.
• Sense of humor, strong work ethic, positive, “roll-up-my-sleeves” attitude, and willingness to do “whatever it takes.”
• Relentless commitment to improving the educational outcomes for all of Rhode Island’s children.

How to apply

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. RI-CAN offers a comprehensive benefits package. Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to info@ri-can.org.

RI-CAN is an equal opportunity employer.

Danielle was born and raised in New York and moved to Connecticut as a teenager. She developed her love of writing at her public high school and went on to become the first person in her family to earn a college degree. Danielle graduated summa cum laude from Northeastern University in 2009. She studied journalism and worked for The Boston Globe, WNYC (93.9) and Wax Poetics Magazine. Danielle also traveled to Egypt and Syria in 2009, where she blogged about politics and culture.

Danielle returned to Connecticut after college, where she joined her hometown board of education, sang to children at the library and worked as an education reporter for The Hour newspaper in Norwalk. It was there, through working with parents and the staff at ConnCAN, that Danielle realized her passion for education reform.