Director, Policy & Communications

Director, Policy & Communications — New York

Reports to: Executive Director, E4E-New York

Location: New York City

Role Emphasis: 70% Communications / 30% Policy

Role Level: Director

About Us

Our nation’s education system is leaving millions of students—including an overwhelming number of students of color and low-income students—unprepared for college, career, and life. Research shows that classroom teachers are the single most important in-school factor in improving student achievement, and we believe a truly thriving teaching profession requires educator voice and leadership. We work to build durable teacher power, especially with those who have been historically excluded from decision-making, to shape the systems and policies that define education. 

Founded by public school teachers, Educators for Excellence is a growing movement of nearly 40,000 educators working together to build a high-quality, diverse teaching profession with the resources and conditions necessary to help every student thrive. Together, we research and develop educator-informed solutions, build teacher power, and advocate for policy change at the district, state, and national levels.

What We Do

Our work is grounded in the belief that the teaching profession is one of the most vital forces shaping our shared future - and that educators must be at the center of shaping the policies and systems that define public education. We focus on developing teacher leadership and power to drive issue advocacy campaigns that shape policy, contracts, and the national conversation. 

To achieve our vision for transforming the teaching profession, we advance and support the implementation of a focused set of policy solutions backed by research and educators. Our agenda focuses on achieving a high-quality, diverse workforce through:

• Building strong and sustainable career pathways.
• Creating coherent systems of instructional support.
• Funding public schools fully and equitably.

By building durable teacher power, teachers unite as a collective force to drive lasting change and advance an equitable, sustainable public education system where every student has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.

The Opportunity

Educators for Excellence–New York is seeking a Director, Policy & Communications to lead the chapter’s external communications strategy while providing policy expertise that strengthens our advocacy campaigns.

This is, first and foremost, a communications leadership role. The Director will shape how E4E-NY communicates about its priorities, educators, campaigns, and policy agenda across earned media, digital platforms, public events, executive communications, and advocacy materials.

The Director will also serve as a policy thought partner to the Executive Director and chapter leadership team. They will help the organization understand emerging education policy developments, translate research and policy proposals into clear positions and messages, and ensure that E4E’s public communications are substantively sound.

The ideal candidate is equally comfortable developing a media strategy, writing an op-ed, preparing an educator for an interview, interpreting a policy proposal, and translating technical education policy into language that families, educators, policymakers, and reporters can understand.

Scope of the Role

Communications Strategy & Leadership — Approximately 70%

Campaign Communications and Narrative Strategy

• Own and execute the communications strategy for E4E-New York’s advocacy and policy campaigns.
• Develop campaign message architecture, narrative frameworks, communications plans, audience strategies, and editorial calendars tied to measurable campaign objectives.
• Translate complex education policy and research into compelling, accessible narratives for educators, families, policymakers, media, and the public.
• Ensure communications strategies are integrated into campaign planning from the beginning rather than added after advocacy strategies have been developed.
• Identify opportunities to elevate educator stories and experiences as evidence supporting E4E-NY’s policy agenda.
• Maintain consistency of message across earned media, digital communications, advocacy materials, public testimony, events, and executive communications.
• Build rapid-response plans and messaging for major policy announcements, breaking education news, legislative developments, and other high-profile moments.

Media Relations and Public Affairs

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with education reporters, editorial boards, columnists, producers, and other relevant media stakeholders.
• Proactively identify opportunities to position E4E-New York and its educator members in public conversations about education.
• Pitch educators, organizational leaders, research, campaign developments, and policy perspectives to media outlets.
• Write and oversee press releases, media advisories, statements, op-eds, letters to the editor, talking points, briefing documents, and other external communications.
• Prepare the Executive Director, staff, and educator leaders for media interviews and other public-facing opportunities.
• Build and maintain a diverse bench of educator spokespeople who can effectively communicate E4E’s campaign priorities.
• Monitor education media coverage and advise chapter leadership on emerging narratives, reputational issues, opportunities, and risks.
• Serve as a senior communications advisor to the Executive Director during high-profile or sensitive moments.

Digital, Content, and Executive Communications

• Lead the chapter’s content strategy across email, social media, web, newsletters, advocacy communications, and other digital channels.
• Partner with national digital and communications teams to ensure New York priorities and educator voices are represented in organizational communications.
• Develop content that moves audiences beyond awareness toward meaningful engagement and action.
• Draft and edit communications on behalf of the Executive Director, including public statements, speeches, presentations, talking points, opinion pieces, and stakeholder communications.
• Establish and maintain a chapter-wide editorial and communications calendar aligned with campaign milestones.
• Use audience and performance data to evaluate communications effectiveness and improve future strategies.
• Ensure public-facing materials meet high standards for accuracy, clarity, accessibility, message discipline, and brand consistency.

Communications Capacity Building

• Coach organizers, policy staff, and educator leaders on messaging, storytelling, public speaking, and media engagement.
• Develop communications templates, protocols, processes, and tools that allow the chapter to move quickly while maintaining quality.
• Establish clear review and approval processes for external communications.
• Partner with organizing staff to ensure communications authentically reflect educator experiences rather than simply speaking on behalf of educators.

Policy Strategy & Analysis — Approximately 30%

Policy Development and Analysis

• Serve as a policy thought partner to the Executive Director and chapter leadership team on New York City and New York State education issues.
• Monitor significant education policy, legislative, regulatory, budget, and implementation developments related to E4E-New York’s advocacy priorities.
• Analyze proposed policies and legislation and clearly articulate their potential implications for educators and students.
• Conduct and synthesize research to inform chapter policy positions, advocacy strategies, and communications.