Community Organizer

Description

Charlottesville United for Public Education (CUPE) is a coalition of parents, grandparents, and community members committed to ensuring every child in Charlottesville City Schools (CCS) receives a quality education. We advocate for student success from preschool to graduation through community engagement, family support, and civic participation. As champions united for healthy students and schools, we center community voices and welcome all who are invested in making public education better in Charlottesville. Charlottesville United for Public Education is a non-partisan grassroots effort operating as a joint plan of work with Virginia Organizing.

CUPE Campaign Goals

• Support investments in CCS infrastructure:

  • Renovating outdated schools, starting with Buford

  • Moving 5th grade back to Elementary schools

  • Building a high-quality preschool center at Walker Upper Elementary

  • A long-term facilities plan for CCS

  • Adding aftercare and wraparound services

• Support investments in CCS education and services. responding to the needs of parents, caregivers, stakeholders, and teachers. While topics will be determined based on future input, recent topics of concern have included:

  • Mental health and social-emotional supports

  • “Learning loss”

  • Adequate transportation to and from school

  • Special Education services, specifically additional help to navigate the IEP process

  • LGBTQ representation in curricula

• Ensuring adequate investments at the local and state level during annual budget cycles.

Compensation

The salary range for the Full Time (40 hours a week) CUPE Organizer is $46,000 to $55,000 depending on experience. Full-time employees receive generous benefits, including full health, dental, vision, and childcare benefits, in addition to paid vacation, sick, parental, and family leave.

We strongly encourage women, people of color, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ community to apply. Knowledge and experience with Charlottesville City Schools preferred.

Job Duties

As a community organizer, you will build power for long-term change. Day to day, you will recruit parents and stakeholders committed to strengthening Charlottesville City Schools. Specifically, your work will include:

• Recruit individuals and organizations to join CUPE and advocate for public education

• Conduct face-to-face meetings with CCS parents, youth, teachers, and community stakeholders;

• Develop parents into leaders by sharing new skills

  • Center Black and Brown parents in organizing efforts and support the formation of the Black Parents Association and other affinity groups as requested

• Build partnerships with organizations serving CCS students and engage them in CUPE activities

• Based on input from parents, caregivers, and stakeholders, strategize and build on issues of concern, and move people to action (including at the School Board or City Council level)

• Maintain relationships with new contacts, members, and leaders through phone calls, texts, and in-person visits;

• Elevate the issue of investing in public education

  • Listening sessions, town halls, or candidate forums for future City Council elections

  • Securing organizational endorsements, local government resolutions, letters to the editor, and media coverage when needed

  • Joining similar organizations across the state in advocating for public education at the General Assembly

• Prepare leaders for meetings, public speaking, and media interviews

• Complete administrative tasks—including monthly work plans and weekly activity reports—thoroughly and promptly

Skills Required

The Community Organizer is driven by a commitment to strengthen CCS so that every child thrives. This includes strengthening local investment in CCS. You believe that people who are most directly affected by how well our public schools serve our students — or don’t — should have a seat at the table. You are passionate about developing leaders who speak for the organization and make decisions about local campaigns. You want to use your critical thinking and interpersonal skills to build a powerful local movement for engagement around issues that strengthen our local schools and center students and their families.

Successful applicants will also have:

• Experience in community organizing, either as a staff member or volunteer leader

• Experience working in low-income communities and communities of color across racial and cultural lines

• Experience with the public education system

• Ability to work independently, which includes managing your own work schedule, setting priorities, and accomplishing long-term goals

• Ability to participate in regular evening and weekend activities

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Strong personal organizational skills

• Basic computer skills (Google Suite, Microsoft Office).

Work Schedule

The organizer works 40 hours per week, including some evenings and weekends for special events and activities.