Academic Policy Associate, OAPS - 22428

Position Summary: The New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) is the largest school system in the nation, with nearly 1 million students, over 1800 schools, and 135,000 employees, including 80,000 teachers and an annual budget of $25B.

The Office of Academic Policy and Systems (OAPS) is responsible for supporting New York City schools in implementing grading, programming, promotion, and graduation processes that support educational equity. OAPS creates structures, resources, and tools to support schools in reflecting on their practices in these areas, using policy, data, and systems as levers for advancing equity and minimizing bias. OAPS is part of the Office of Policy and Evaluation (OPE) under the First Deputy Chancellor. OPE is the primary source of data analysis, research, and academic policy for the NYCPS.

The Academic Policy Associate will support the Deputy Director of Policy Development, OAPS in the development and communication of academic policies related to the design and implementation of K-12 academic programs. The Associate also provides support and assists in developing, scheduling, organizing, and presenting professional development workshops on these topics to principals, field staff, and community-based organizations. Performs related work.

Reports to: Deputy Director of Policy Development, OAPS

Direct Reports: N/A

Key Relationships: Works closely with policy and program managers in NYCPS offices, including the Office of Assessment (OA), the Office of Student Pathways (OSP), the Office of School Performance (OSP), the Office of Safety and Youth Development (OSYD), the Division of School Leadership (including field staff), the Office of Compliance Services (OCS), the Division of Specialized Instruction and Student Support, and the Division of Multilingual Learners, and others.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates stakeholders from NYCPS offices and community-based organizations to plan, design, and implement academic policies in alignment with NYCPS priorities.
• Coordinates working groups, developing meeting agendas and associated follow-up, tracking project plan deliverables, and communicating regularly with project stakeholders to provide status and issue escalation updates, as well as decision points regarding projects and data.
• Creates resources and professional development opportunities to advise principals, field staff, parents and families, and community-based organization staff on the implementation of the academic policies described above.
• Supports and maintains expertise on the alignment of student data systems to policy, including systems used by school staff, field staff, parents, families, and community-based organizations.
• Assists Central NYCPS offices on the alignment of NYCPS initiatives, programs, and communications.
• Maintains the OAPS online resources to support schools and families in understanding academic policies, ensuring that documents meet the NYCPS’s accessibility guidelines.
• Reports on the status of projects, with careful attention to next steps, decision points and timely escalation of issues, as appropriate.
• Reviews NYCPS data to identify policy needs and inform the development of academic policies related to K-12 academic programs.
• Conducts research on national, state, and local policies related to academic programs and requirements.
• Prepares and disseminates internal reports, some of which may be confidential in nature, for senior leadership.
• Tracks policy project plans, including timelines and deliverables for policy development, communications, support, and evaluation.
• Responds to escalations from field staff regarding academic policy interpretation and implementation, ensuring timely responses and building field staff capacity.
  
  

Qualification Requirements

Minimum

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two (2) years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or
• High school graduation or equivalent and six (6) years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or
• Education and/or experience which is equivalent to “1” or “2” above. However, all candidates must have at least one (1) year of experience as described in “1” above.
  
  

Preferred

• Deep interest in public education and its role in advancing equity; experience or enrollment in a large urban school district.
• Experience working with diverse peers and populations.
• Understanding of racial equity and willingness to engage in conversations about race.
• Ability to interact with and obtain feedback from school-based staff, field staff, and other constituents.
• Experience collaborating with various stakeholders to gain new perspectives.
• Extremely well-organized; able to work under pressure and meet frequent and sometimes changing deadlines.
• Ability to build relationships and navigate disagreements.
• High standards for personal excellence, including receptiveness to feedback.
• Exceptional project-management abilities; proven ability to prioritize both long and short-term projects and initiatives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including public speaking.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  
  

Salary: $82,000 - $85,100

(Internal candidates who are selected for this position and who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not earn less than their current salary.)

Please include a resume and cover letter with your application.

NOTE: The filling of all positions is subject to budget availability and/or grant funding.

• New York City Residency is NOT Required *
  
  

We encourage all applicants from the New York City tri-state area to apply.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

DOE Non- Discrimination Policy

The Department of Education of the City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's actual or perceived sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or pregnancy. For more information, please refer to the DOE Non-Discrimination Policy.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.