Dignity in Schools Campaign – California (DSC CA) Statewide Coordinator

This position is with Dignity in Schools Campaign California, an organization fiscally sponsored by GSA Network.

BACKGROUND

Launched in 2017, Dignity in Schools Campaign California (DSC CA) is a groundbreaking statewide movement building alliance focused on strengthening existing community-based leadership to dismantle the school to prison and deportation pipeline and improve health outcomes of young people in California. With ever-increasing presence and integration of law enforcement on school campuses, the threat of criminalization, incarceration, and deportation of Black, Indigenous, and families of color in California has compounded significantly.

DSC CA builds on the collective leadership of parents, youth, and the organizations to which they belong to advocate for school climates that support the resilience and end the criminalization of vulnerable young people in our schools – Black, Indigenous, undocumented, Latinx, LGBTQ/gender non-conforming – and their families.

Specifically, we work with communities who are targeted and left unprotected by federal, state, and local policies, practices, negligence, and/or abusive enforcement of power in five key regions throughout the state: the Los Angeles, Bay Area, Inland Valley, Central Valley, and Central Coast regions.

DSC CA diligent movement building has resulted in a transformative approach to removing police from schools all around the state. Coupled with a statewide identity and cohesive theory of change, we met the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and systematic, state-sanctioned racial violence with incredible victories. We simultaneously developed a “trans-local” strategy of supporting local and regional campaigns across our five regions with a shared analysis and stance on Black lives and Black-Brown solidarity.

DSC CA has an immediate opening for a full-time, exempt position entitled Statewide Coordinator. The Statewide Coordinator is a leadership position and will be a full-time staff member for our dynamic statewide alliance. The Statewide Coordinator will work collaboratively with the Co-Director of Statewide Strategy (“Director of Strategy”) and the Co-Director of Movement Building to provide leadership and management within a democratic, grassroots organizing-led alliance structure that places community-led movement building praxis at the center of our decision-making. We value dedication, a collaborative work ethic, and rigorous accountability to our grassroots membership bases.

The Statewide Coordinator will work with the Co-Director of Statewide Strategy, Co-Director of Movement Building, Regional Connectors, and regional partners to support regional, local and statewide organizing efforts to remove police from schools. The Statewide Coordinator is a remote staff position, must be based in California and must have familiarity with social justice efforts in California; when it is deemed safe to do so, the Statewide Coordinator will be expected to travel regularly (average of 3 times a month) to support our five regions. The Statewide Coordinator will be supervised by the Director of Statewide Strategy and will be an employee of our coalition fiscal sponsor, the Genders and Sexualities Alliance Network (GSAN) based in Oakland, California, and subject to all of its employment laws and personnel policies.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Organizing Strategy & Advancing Statewide Efforts/Campaigns to Remove Police from Schools

• Meet regularly with DSC CA regions, organize, collect and update information on regional/local campaign goals, strategies, updates and contact information.
• Support regional and local organizing efforts and provide strategic guidance to advance local efforts to remove police from schools and implement police free school plans.
• Coordinate strategic sessions with member organizations across regions and organizations, fostering peer to peer and movement building practice.
• Support efforts to develop landscape analysis of California organizing efforts to remove police from school and identify potential partners/regions to support DSC CA growth.
• Develop new coalition materials, trainings, and educational tools for existing and emerging organizing efforts.
• Work with C4LL and Fix School Discipline to support current efforts and ensure continued alignment with DSC CA North Star.

Membership Development and Programmatic Support

• Support the development of monthly membership agendas and set up presentations highlighting local organizing efforts and update members on current organizing efforts.
• Provide coordination support to DSC CA’s two current Working Groups: ensure that our Black Love and Liberation and Healing and Culture working groups are making reasonable progress in relationship to the groups’ goals as decided on by the members leading them; staff working group meetings if needed, including facilitation of planning discussions and two-way communication between working groups and the DSC CA leadership team.
• Facilitate the Parent Organizing Working Group: ensure the working group has a regular meeting schedule; cultivate and deepen member participation as needed; facilitate working group meetings and planning; provide programmatic support for the strategies and tactics decided upon by working group members; provide regular updates on working group activities and progress during monthly membership meetings.

Statewide Activities

• Coordinate logistics for peer-to-peer learning spaces and activities that emerge as member priorities
• Work with Regional Connectors and their leadership teams to plan and carry out the annual National Week of Action to End School Pushout (where DSC members organize activities in their local communities), traditionally held in October of each year or as determined by DSC National.
• Collaborate with team to plan and execute DSC CA’s annual statewide convening to bring together members and
• leaders from all five regions for strategic planning and decision-making as well as shared learning.

Operations and Administration

• Coordinate logistics (transportation, lodging, venue, and meals) for DSC CA events, including Strategic Action Academy retreats, annual core leadership small convening, and annual large statewide convening.
• Coordinate regional subgrants
• Coordinate the submission of regional reports, grant reports, and grant proposals, often in close collaboration with the Director of Statewide Strategy
• Coordinate with Co-Director of Movement Building to manage event expenses, reimbursements, vendor contracts, and liabilities related to statewide activities.

External Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain DSC CA’s relationship with DSC National, of which DSC CA is considered a “local chapter”.
• Develop relationships with identified coalitions, allies and organizations that are working to end the school to prison pipeline.

Fundraising/Development

• Provide support with funder engagement

Qualifications:

• Work experience (5+ years) as a community organizer and/or coalition/alliance builder in a grassroots social justice organization of youth, parents/adults and/or educators, preferably with 2+ years serving in a lead role with management responsibility.
• Extensive experience working with low-income communities, people of color, and LGBTQ communities and supporting their leadership roles in the work, including in multi-stakeholder coalitions.
• Commitment to social justice movement building, anti-racism, and a human rights framework.
• Knowledge of school pushout and the school to prison/deportation pipeline.
• Strong project management skills - strong ability to work independently and handle multiple responsibilities.
• Strong training and facilitation skills with diverse stakeholders, including for phone/video conference calls, webinars, and workshops.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including through social media.
• Excellent computer and technical skills, including management of DSC CA social media.
• Ability to travel regularly throughout California (average 2-3 trips/month) and work some nights and weekends (when it is deemed safe to do so).
• Experience working with media, messaging, and social media is a plus.
• Written and oral fluency in Spanish is a plus.

Salary and Benefits:

This is a full-time position with an annual starting salary of $90,000 and then will be commensurate with experience, which will be negotiated in good faith. This position includes the benefits package with health insurance as provided by GSAN as our fiscal sponsor.

Application Process and Timeline:

Please submit a resume, a one-page cover letter, a short writing sample (1-2 pages), and contact information for three professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we will hold phone and in-person interviews with top candidates. The earliest start date for this position would be March 2024.

Keywords

Community OrganizerCoalition BuilderSocial JusticeHuman RightsProject ManagementTrainingFacilitationCommunicationMediaSpanish Fluency