Education Policy Researcher

Job Description

As an Education Policy Researcher for System Navigation, you will play a critical role in enhancing the accessibility and effectiveness of educational support systems for Canadian high school students and their families. This role does not involve direct referral work or system navigation. Instead, you will conduct in-depth research on provincial and municipal education policies across various Canadian provinces and territories. Your research will support the development of a comprehensive guide designed to assist educational professionals and system navigators in addressing key student and family needs within the education system.

Responsibilities and tasks:

1. Conduct thorough research on education policies related to system navigation issues such as individualized education programs (IEPs), school boundary adjustments, discrimination, harassment, grade appeals, and student club/team applications.
2. Analyze and document the procedures and channels available for escalating issues within schools and school boards.
3. Develop detailed process documents for the top identified issues, outlining step-by-step guidance for navigating these challenges.
4. Create templates and checklists to streamline the system navigation process for educational professionals.
5. Compile findings into a comprehensive guide that will serve as a resource for system navigators and related stakeholders.
6. Collaborate with a team of researchers and educational experts to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the information provided.
7. Plan and facilitate ad hoc consultation sessions with FCSS-FESC alumni, interested students, school boards, and other education stakeholders as needed to inform the direction and development of the work product.

Minimum qualifications:

This job will be part of the Canada Summer Jobs Program. As per the requirements of the program, youth hired need to meet the following criteria. Please ensure you review the below before applying:

• be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment*;
• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment**; and,
• have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.

*The youth must be 15 years of age at the beginning of the employment period. The youth may be more than 30 years of age at the end of the employment period as long as the youth was 30 at the beginning of the employment period.

**International students are not eligible participants. International students include anyone who is temporarily in Canada for studies and who is not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person who has been granted refugee status in Canada. Youth awaiting a refugee status ruling, as well as those who hold a temporary visitor visa, youth visa or work visa are ineligible. As the objective of the Canada Summer Jobs program is to support youth entering the Canadian labour market, the temporary nature of an international student's time in Canada does not allow for a long-term connection to the labour market.

Ideal qualifications:

• a post-secondary degree in education, public policy, politics, or a related field (either in-progress or completed).
• some experience in policy research, preferably within the education sector (0.5 to 2 years).
• some understanding of the Canadian education system and its governing policies across provinces and territories (0.5 to 2 years).
• excellent analytical and problem-solving skills (1 to 4 years).
• proficient in document and report preparation with a keen attention to detail (1 to 4 years).
• ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks effectively within tight deadlines (1 to 4 years).
• strong communication skills, both written and verbal (1 to 4 years).

Note : Le bilinguisme anglais/français n'est pas une exigence pour ce poste. Toutefois, les candidats ayant au moins un niveau B2 en français auront la préférence pour ce poste.

Note: English/French bilingualism is not a requirement for this position. However, candidates with at least a B2 working level of proficiency in French will receive preference for this position.

Additional Information

• Work location: remote/from home
• Hours: 35 hours per week (flexible scheduling)
• Pay: $16.55 per hour
• Contract: 8 weeks (start on 3 June 2024)
• Number of positions: 1

Equity Statement

At the FCSS-FESC, we are committed to building and fostering an environment where our Members, volunteers, and staff feel included, valued, and heard. Our belief is that a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion enables us to make our student advocacy work and services better for everyone. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and other racialized people, people with disabilities, people from gender and sexually diverse communities, linguistic minorities in their respective province/territory, and/or people with intersectional identities. Where a job posting states a required number of years of previous experience or a degree requirement, members of equity-seeking groups may use a combination of formal education, informal education, work experience, volunteer experience, and lived experience to meet these requirements.