Policy and Advocacy Leadership Consultant - Hartford
LOCATION: Connecticut
POSITION TYPE: Contractor
START DATE: April 2025
END DATE: January 2026
REPORTS TO: Amber Davis-Prince, Interim Vice President, Leaders of Color
ROLE OVERVIEW
DFER is seeking a Consultant in Connecticut to develop and implement Connecticut-specific leadership and policy programs aimed at strengthening educational equity, charter school advocacy, and preparing equity-driven leaders for public office.
This includes:
- Co-leading a leadership training program focused on campaign management, public office preparation, and policy advocacy.
- Conducting policy research and advocacy efforts to support educational reform in Connecticut.
- Assist in Implementing a structured recruitment and training process and program to cultivate a pipeline of civic and political leaders.
- Foster collaboration between Client, 50CAN/LEAD to ensure long-term sustainability of the program.
- Serve as on the ground liaison, building program sustainability, coalition management and building close relationships with local leaders
WHO WE ARE
Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is a national political organization that supports elected Democrats and candidates for office who seek to expand policies and practices that work well for America’s students and confront those that do not.We prioritize students and families, especially low-income students and students of color who should be better served by our country’s public education system.
DFER partner Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA) is an advocacy group that advances education reform measures through empowering community leaders to support our legislative and political advocacy work. ERNA engages with legislators to ensure they champion high-quality public education.
DFER partner Education Reform Now (ERN) is a nonpartisan think tank that promotes increased resources and innovative reforms in K-12 public education, particularly for students of color and students from low-income families.
WHAT WE DO- Support for Elected Education Leaders — In an approach that is markedly different from our peers and partners in the field, DFER engages directly with candidates and elected officials to empower them to advocate for education policies that focus foremost on serving students. Our partner organization, Education Reform Now, does work that involves policy research, analysis and education that helps policy makers at all levels understand complex education issues and make informed decisions.
- Informing the Education Debate — Our coalition work reflects the breadth of our policy priorities. We work collaboratively with organizations and our community networks to create an education system that is held accountable to all kids and families.
- Targeted Interventions and Rapid Response — DFER’s reach from the most local district relationships to state and federal policymakers, enables us to respond quickly to the changing landscape and policy trends. Activities vary significantly from project to project and may include training, policy analysis, public engagement, electoral and issue advocacy, and policy guidance for elected officials and local advocates.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership Training Program- Launch and assist in delivering training cohorts starting in Q2 2025 (April 2025)
- Implement a hybrid training model with 2-3 in-person sessions and the remainder conducted via Zoom.
- Provide leadership workshops, coaching sessions, and candidate readiness conversations.
- Implement a train-the-trainer model to transition program facilitation to 50CAN/LEAD over time.
- Collaborate with staff to conduct research on charter school expansion and educational reform policies.
- Collaborate with staff to develop legislative proposals and advocacy toolkits to support education initiatives.
- Provide strategic guidance for engagement with policymakers and community stakeholders.
- Ensure a cohort of 15-20 diverse civic and political leaders per training cycle.
- Maintain ongoing engagement with program alumni to track long-term impact.
- Assist in recruitment of 2025 and 2026 program participants
- Participate in bi-weekly coordination meetings to align on program progress and address challenges.
- Collaborate with staff to craft monthly progress reports summarizing key activities, decisions, and next steps.
- Attend a mid-year review meeting to assess program impact and refine strategies.
- Collaborate with staff to develop an end-of-year evaluation report measuring leadership development, policy impact, and program effectiveness.
Requirements
WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR
The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications and skills:
- Leadership experience- leadership and management experience within the non-profit education and political campaign/advocacy sectors; record of achieving ambitious results in these roles
- Coalition Building- experience in developing and fostering coalitions that are in alignment with our goals for work in CT. This includes, but is not limited to, leveraging the strengths, expertise, and resources of each member to amplify impact, build power, and drive change.
- Advocacy Support - experience in conducting policy research, creating legislative proposals, and knowledge around charter school expansion and education reform in Connecticut.
Benefits
COMPENSATION
The pay for this contract position is $4,000 a month. Contractors are not eligible for benefits typically extended to employees, such as paid time off, insurance, leaves, retirement. Contract renewals will be subject to mutual consent based on performance and funding availability.
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
Democrats for Education Reform welcomes applications from all backgrounds. We are committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization and recruiting a team that reflects the diversity of the students we serve.
HOW TO APPLY
Please apply as soon as possible, even if you are not available to start immediately. All applications are held in strict confidence. References will be requested in a later stage of the selection process.