Russlynn ALi Summer Fellow (A-G Monitoring)

The Education Trust•Oakland, CA

12d•$26•Remote

About The Position

EdTrust-West seeks an A-G Monitoring Fellow for its 9th cohort of Russlynn Ali Summer Fellows for 2026. The Russlynn Ali Fellowship program, named in honor of the founding executive director of EdTrust-West, aims to support people entering policy and advocacy leadership by laying the foundation for current and future policymakers, researchers, and advocates to become lifelong leaders within California’s P-16 education ecosystem. Fellows will gain exposure to the issues, policies, and politics of the current California landscape through a cohort experience and will work on a project with an EdTrust-West team member to advance educational equity and racial justice. The A-G Monitoring Fellow will support and inform EdTrust-West's Higher Education Policy Team by conducting a landscape scan of all districts in Los Angeles County to identify which have established A-G coursework as the default curriculum. Through the fellowship, the A-G Monitoring Fellow will produce a report that includes state local policy recommendations, as well as a school district bright spot. The Fellow will report to the Senior Policy Analyst on the Higher Education Policy Team. EdTrust-West, the California-based office of EdTrust which is headquartered in Washington, DC, is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the U.S. education system. Through our research and advocacy, EdTrustimproves equity in education from transitional kindergarten through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where all students will thrive. This role will be based in Oakland, CA or remotely from June 15 through August 21 for a term of approximately 10 weeks. Earlier start/end dates will be considered on a case-by-case basis to be determined by the students’ and academic school schedules. Fellows must reside in the state of California and report to the EdTrust-West Oakland, CA office within three days of hire for employment verification will be expected to travel to the Oakland office 1-2 times during the summer term, June 16 and August 18.

Requirements

At least a high school diploma or GED and currently enrolled in or recently graduated from an undergraduate program in a relevant field
General knowledge of TK-12 and/or higher education policy
Experience engaging in research and conducting a landscape scan
Strong verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to communicate with diverse stakeholders

Nice To Haves

Shared belief in Ed Trust’s mission and a commitment to improving educational equity, with a focus on racial equity
Organized, motivated, and detail-oriented
Ability to work independently
Adaptive, collaborative, and open to giving and receiving feedback
Demonstrated expertise in A-G coursework and related policy
Experience working with similar projects and working effectively with diverse education stakeholders
Direct experience in a school setting where A-G was a graduation requirement or the default curriculum

Responsibilities

Conduct a landscape analysis of all districts in Los Angeles County, identifying which have established A-G as the default curriculum.
Conduct focus groups and interviews with students, high school educators, and administrators.
Synthesize findings from focus groups, interviews, and landscape data to identify A-G curriculum successes, perceptions, barriers, and implementation challenges.
Identify and document one school district “bright spot” and highlight promising practices.
Develop a written summary of findings and create a presentation deck to share key insights.
Develop local, statewide, and budget-related policy recommendations based on the research.