Director of Programming, Education Rights Institute, School of Law

The Education Rights Institute (ERI) at the University of Virginia School of Law seeks a dynamic and collaborative Director of Programming. The Director of Programming will work under the direction of and closely with the Institute's director Professor Kimberly Jenkins Robinson.

Launched in 2023, ERI aims to expand the opportunity for every student in the United States to enjoy a right to a high-quality education that empowers them to be college and career ready and engaged civic participants. It will accomplish this by advancing the following strategic priorities:

• Producing scholarship and commentary that engages public debate and support for legislation or litigation guaranteeing a federal right to a high-quality education and other law and policy reforms that support a high-quality education;

• Producing reports videos and webinars that help school districts understand their obligations to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and engaging with school districts to support their understanding and compliance so that all students can enjoy equal educational opportunity;

• Amplifying research about educational opportunity gaps and their impact on individuals, families, communities, democracy and our economy through digital and other modern communication strategies to increase public awareness of these gaps;

• Serving as a catalyst that expands the capacity of school districts to better utilize federal laws, regulations, policies, research and assistance that can increase access to high-quality schools and close opportunity gaps so that more students are college and career ready and engaged citizens, particularly Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI); and,

• Hosting invitation-only and public convenings and events about the above topics.

The Institute does not represent individual clients in legal proceedings.

The Director of Programming assists the Director and ERI team in developing and implementing a strategy for increasing school district understanding and utilization of federal laws, policies, research and assistance to expand the capacity of districts to deliver a high-quality education, with a focus on Title VI. Title VI prohibits recipients of federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin. The Director of Programming will have significant research, writing, and editing responsibilities for ERI's written content regarding Title VI, which includes reports, editorials and model policies, as well as significant responsibilities for leading the writing, recording and editing of video and webinar content regarding Title VI and the Institute's mission. The Director of Programming will supervise one or more Staff Attorneys who also support ERI's work. The Director of Programming is instrumental in supporting ERI's work to advance equal educational opportunity.

The Director of Programming will support ERI by taking the following responsibilities:

• Research and Writing Responsibilities

  • Write reports, essays, and editorials that support school district understanding of compliance with Title VI and advancement of equal educational opportunity.

  • Review and finalize reports and other documents that support school district compliance with Title VI and advancement of equal educational opportunity.

  • Write and edit webinar scripts and participate as a speaker in and editor for webinars developed to teach educators and district leadership about Title VI.

  • Research and analyze the patterns and practices of the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to identify enforcement priorities and trends in compliance investigations and compliance agreements in recent decades.

  • Review and comment on ERI reports about educational opportunity gaps and how to close them as needed.

• Strategic Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with the ERI team to implement and refine ERI's strategic plan.

  • Help identify school districts that may benefit from ERI's support.

  • Work with the ERI team to take advantage of new opportunities as they are presented.

• Responsibilities for Working with School Districts

  • Support and assist the ERI team in implementing a strategy that builds relationships with leadership of selected school districts.

  • Develop and lead Title VI professional development opportunities for school districts.

  • Collaborate on the development of ERI webinars and workshops to help districts develop plans for review of their policies and programs under Title VI.

• Supervisory Responsibilities

  • Supervise the ERI staff attorney(s) as well as student research assistants.

• Other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience:

• J.D. from an ABA approved law school or foreign equivalent.

• Be an active member of a state bar in good standing (by the start date of the position).

• One or more years' of experience working in the field of education law and policy or civil rights.

• Excellent analytical, research, and writing skills.

• Top-notch interpersonal, project management, and organizational skills.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with other professionals to achieve common aims.

• Comfortable designing and making large and small group presentations.

• Ability to work diligently and efficiently in a fast-paced, detail-oriented environment.

• Proficiency with standard office software.

Preferred Experience:

• First-rate communication skills, both oral and written.

• One year or more of supervisory or managerial experience.

• Experience with education and civil rights law and policy, through work for a federal or state agency, school district, or advocacy or non-profit organization.

• Experience working with educators, school district leaders, and/or state and federal education leaders.

This is a full-time University Staff position with benefits.

This is a gift funded restricted position contingent on funding and performance.

This position requires most work to be performed in person at the Law School, with the opportunity to perform a limited amount of work remotely in accordance with Law School policy.

To Apply:

Apply online at http://jobs.virginia.edu/us/en/job/R0067670/Director-of-Programming-Education-Rights-Institute-School-of-Law. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile. Complete the application, and upload the following:

• Cover letter

• CV/resume

• Writing sample

• Names and contact information for three professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notice to the candidate.

*** Please note that ALL REQUESTED documents MUST be uploaded in the resume submission field, and you can combine documents into one PDF. ***

***Applications that do not have all the required documents will not receive full consideration.***

The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

Questions regarding the position should be directed to Kimberly Robinson, Professor of Law, at krobinson@law.virginia.edu. Questions regarding the application process should be directed to Marcus Rozier, Academic Recruiter at hjv5vm@virginia.edu.

The University of Virginia School of Law is consistently recognized as one of the top law schools in the country. The environment at the Law School is both active and supportive, with a strong sense of collegiality among students, faculty, and staff and a commitment to excellence and service.

The School of Law is located in Charlottesville, VA, a college town setting with natural beauty and significant historical relevance in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Charlottesville is a wonderful place to live with an extraordinary quality of life, often ranked among the best places to live in the United States.

For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see http://www.virginia.edu/life/charlottesville andhttps://embarkcva.com/.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician's Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, and family medical or genetic information.