Education Reform Now

What Education Reform Now does

Education Reform Now (ERN) is a Washington, DC-based non-partisan nonprofit think tank and advocacy organization focused on K-16 education policy reform. Founded in 2007 originally as Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), the organization researches, advocates for, and leads campaigns to advance evidence-based education policies aimed at expanding equitable access, accountability, and school choice for students of color and students from low-income families. Its work spans three policy pillars — Innovation, Accountability, and School Choice — delivered through a Policy Library, Featured Work research streams (Investing in Educators and Spotlight Schools), the Leaders of Color fellowship program, and an annual Impact Report.

ERN's core "products" are research and advocacy assets rather than software. Notable technical/research outputs include the 2025 Spotlight Schools dataset (160 high-poverty schools across GA, TX, MA, and CO achieving above-average proficiency), the December 2025 Federal Scholarship Tax Credit analysis projecting a $24 billion annual boost if Democratic governors opt in, and the November 2025 joint differentiated-pay brief with National Parents Union. The organization maintains a Substack publication and email newsletter as primary distribution channels, and partners with groups such as NWEA (assessment policy) and EdMobilizer (legacy admissions). Leadership is anchored by CEO Jorge Elorza, former Mayor of Providence, appointed in April 2023.

ERN is funded through charitable donations and grants from individuals and foundations (Lumina Foundation, NewSchools Venture Fund identified in source data) and operates with 51–100 employees across a national footprint that includes ERN DC and state-level Leaders of Color programs in New York, Louisiana, Memphis, and Washington DC. It has no disclosed revenue, no public listing, and no parent company.

Name

Education Reform Now

Legal name

Education Reform Now Advocacy

Website

https://edreformnow.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Policy Advocacy & Lobbying Organizations (EDADADAB), Education Equity, Access & Inclusion Policy Research (EDADADAF)

Keywords

• Education policy advocacy
• Policy research and analysis
• Nonprofit think tank
• K-12 policy reform
• School choice advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit organization, Education Reform Now operates primarily through charitable donations and grants from individuals and organizations supportive of education reform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Education Reform Now is a non-partisan nonprofit think tank and advocacy organization that conducts policy research, develops evidence-based recommendations, and runs advocacy campaigns to advance K-16 public education reform. It produces a Policy Library covering innovation, accountability, and school choice, alongside featured research such as the Investing in Educators series on differentiated teacher pay and Spotlight Schools studies highlighting high-poverty school success stories across multiple states.

Product overview

Education Reform Now operates as a non-partisan nonprofit think tank and advocacy organization focused on research-driven education policy rather than a traditional software product company. Its core offerings include a Policy Library (covering Innovation, Accountability, and School Choice), Featured Work showcasing research on Investing in Educators and Spotlight Schools across multiple states, and the Leaders of Color Fellowship Program for training Black and Latino leaders. The organization also produces periodic impact reports and policy analyses, such as the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program projections. These offerings collectively form an advocacy and research portfolio rather than a unified software platform with modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leaders of Color: An ERN affiliate program that trains Black and Latino leaders in leadership, civic, and political engagement to support education and community equity.

Products and services

• Policy Library A research and advocacy resource containing policy positions and analyses on education innovation, accountability, and school choice, available to policymakers, advocates, and the public.
• Leaders of Color Fellowship Program An ERN affiliate fellowship program that trains Black and Latino leaders in education policy, civic engagement, and political leadership through 70+ hours of training content over five months with in-person training weekends.
• Featured Work (Investing in Educators and Spotlight Schools) Spotlight research publications featuring the Investing in Educators series on differentiated teacher pay and Spotlight Schools research highlighting high-poverty schools achieving above-average proficiency rates on state assessments across multiple states.
• Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC) Analysis Research and projections on the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program (formerly ECCA), estimating a potential $24 billion annual boost for students if state governors opt into the program.

Quantifiable outcome

• FSTC program projects $24 billion annually to Scholarship Granting Organizations if governors opt in
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Parents Union (NPU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2025Joint analysis comparing compensation systems in teaching and nursing, examining differentiated pay models. The study found that nursing contracts routinely include 10-20% premiums for hard-to-staff assignments while teacher contracts offer little comparable compensation.
• EdMobilizerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2021Partnership to end legacy admissions in higher education, working toward more equitable college access for students regardless of family alumni status.
• NWEAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2021Joint release of policy recommendations for reimagining assessment and accountability systems. Convened 100+ experts from 60+ organizations for robust discussions on how assessment systems can better advance student success.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Education Trust: Education Trust is a national nonprofit that conducts research and advocates for equitable K-12 policy, particularly for low-income students and students of color. Closely comparable to ERN's think-tank-and-advocacy model and its equity framing.
• New America: New America's Education Policy program produces research and policy recommendations on pre-K through higher education, including accountability and school choice. Directly overlaps ERN in policy research output and audience of state/federal education decision-makers.
• Center for American Progress (CAP): CAP is a Democratic-aligned think tank whose K-12 and higher education teams publish research and policy recommendations. Shares ERN's ideological positioning and federal/state policy engagement model.
• Bellwether Education Partners: Bellwether is an education-focused research and advisory nonprofit working with policymakers and education leaders. Directly comparable as a research-driven nonprofit shaping education practice and policy.
• National Parents Union: National Parents Union is a parent-voice advocacy organization focused on K-12 choice, accountability, and teacher quality, and is an ERN partner. Overlaps with ERN on differentiated-pay and accountability advocacy targeting state education systems.

Broad incumbents

• Brookings Institution (Center for Universal Education): Brookings produces influential education policy research including on accountability and teacher policy. Broader portfolio but overlapping education research product and policy audience with ERN.
• National Education Association (NEA): NEA is the largest US teachers' union and a major K-12 policy advocate, often opposed to ERN's school choice and differentiated-pay positions. Operates in the same policy arena as ERN, frequently as a counterweight, making it a strategic comparable rather than a co-operator.
• Teach For America: Teach For America is a large K-12 talent and equity-focused nonprofit that influences policy and teacher pipelines. Comparable in mission area (educational equity) and scale of footprint, though delivery model (teacher placement) is very different.

Emerging players

• The 74 (The Seventy-Four): The 74 is an education news and advocacy site covering K-12 policy, often in a school-choice-friendly register. Comparable as a content-and-policy outlet competing for the same education-policy thought-leadership audience.
• Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching: Carnegie Foundation advances teaching and learning improvement through research and network initiatives. Comparable as a research-and-evidence producer advancing K-12 practice and policy positions that overlap ERN's accountability work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/edreformnowusa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/education-reform-now

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Education Reform Now