Learning First Alliance
Learning First Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of 13 national education associations representing over 10 million members, dedicated to advancing trust, investment, and equity in U.S. public education through coordinated advocacy, research, and public campaigns.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersAlexandria, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Learning First Alliance does
Learning First Alliance (LFA) is a nonprofit coalition of 13 national education associations headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, operating since 1997 with a 9-person staff. The coalition represents more than 10 million combined members spanning teachers, superintendents, principals, school counselors, school board members, parents, school communications professionals, and K-12 ed-tech leaders. LFA does not sell products or services to end customers; its core function is advocacy and agenda-setting for public education, executed through coordinated communication campaigns, bipartisan advocacy, research and policy development, and public forums. Primary initiatives include the annual Public Schools Week (#PublicSchoolProud), the #HerefortheKids mobilization campaign, Student Mental Health Matters, Get Vax Facts, the Building What's Next convening series, a podcast program, publications and research reports, and webinars.
The underlying operating model is coalition-driven rather than technology-driven. LFA explicitly does not develop proprietary technology, software, or AI products; its "platform" is the network of 13 member organizations (AASA, AFT, NEA, NAESP, NASSP, National PTA, NSBA, NSPRA, ASCA, CoSN, Learning Forward, AESA, PDK International) which collectively serve as distribution, content, and policy infrastructure. Marketing and advocacy distribution is achieved through member organization channels, the learningfirst.org website, social media hashtag campaigns, podcasts, Twitter/X chats, and live webinar events. Revenue is generated through membership dues and assessments from the 13 member organizations — a recurring, subscription-like funding model with no transactional pricing, no public pricing disclosure, and no consumer-facing monetization.
Governance is exercised by a Board of Directors composed of executives from member organizations, with rotating annual chairs and Secretary/Treasurer roles. Recent leadership changes include the April 2025 appointment of Danny Carlson as Executive Director (succeeding Richard Long, who led the organization since 2015), and the election of David R. Schuler (AASA) as Board Chair for 2026-27, Barbara M. Hunter (NSPRA) as Immediate Past Chair, and Daaiyah Bilal-Threats (NEA) as Secretary-Treasurer. LFA is a private nonprofit domiciled in Virginia with no parent company, no subsidiaries, no disclosed funding rounds, and no M&A activity.
Learning First Alliance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Learning First Alliance
- Legal name
- Learning First Alliance
- Website
- https://learningfirst.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Learning First Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of 13 national education associations representing over 10 million members, dedicated to advancing trust, investment, and equity in U.S. public education through coordinated advocacy, research, and public campaigns.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Learning First Alliance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Advocacy Coalition
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK)
Keywords
Where Learning First Alliance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Alexandria
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Learning First Alliance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Learning First Alliance operates as a coalition of national education associations. The organization generates revenue through membership dues and assessments from its 13 member organizations, which include AASA, American Federation of Teachers, American School Counselor Association, and others.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Learning First Alliance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Learning First Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of 13 national education associations that advances trust, investment, and equity in U.S. public education through coordinated advocacy, research, public forums, and communication campaigns. Its deliverables include the annual Public Schools Week celebration, the #HerefortheKids engagement campaign, the Student Mental Health Matters initiative, Get Vax Facts health resources, the Building What's Next convening, and research publications and policy reports on topics such as literacy, mathematics instruction, safe learning communities, and educator recruitment and retention.
Product overview
Learning First Alliance is a coalition of 13 national education associations representing more than 10 million members, dedicated to advancing trust, investment, and equity in public education. Rather than offering a unified technology product, LFA functions as an advocacy alliance that provides initiatives, campaigns, events, and resources. Key offerings include Public Schools Week (an annual celebration event), the #HerefortheKids campaign, Student Mental Health Matters initiative, Get Vax Facts health resources, Building What's Next convenings, and various publications including podcasts and research reports on education policy and best practices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Public Schools Week An annual, week-long celebration honoring educators, administrators, board members, and support professionals in U.S. public schools and the communities they serve, led by Learning First Alliance in coalition with its 13 national education member groups.
- #HerefortheKids A coalition campaign mobilizing communities to support public schools, students, and educators through volunteering, advocacy, and engagement activities.
- Student Mental Health Matters An initiative providing resources and support for student mental health, including strategies and guidance for families, educators, and school communities.
- Get Vax Facts A health education resource providing information about vaccinations and wellness for children and adolescents.
- Building What's Next: An LFA Convening An LFA convening bringing together practitioners, stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers to address challenges facing public education.
- Publications & Reports Research publications, policy papers, and reports on topics including reading and literacy, mathematics instruction, safe and supportive learning communities, and teacher/administrator recruitment and retention.
- LFA Podcasts Podcast series covering topics such as academic recovery, school counseling, student demographics, and equity in education.
Companies that use Learning First Alliance
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Learning First Alliance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Learning First Alliance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- AASA, The School Superintendents AssociationcoreAASA represents school superintendents across the United States. LFA's executive director David R. Schuler (2026-27) also serves as executive director of AASA. The partnership enables collaboration on issues affecting school system leadership and student success.
- American Federation of TeacherscoreAFT represents teachers and education professionals. Through LFA, AFT contributes to unified advocacy for public education policy, educator support, and student well-being initiatives.
- National Education AssociationcoreNEA is the largest teachers' union representing 3 million educators. Daaiyah Bilal-Threats from NEA serves as LFA Secretary-Treasurer. NEA provides member resources and advocacy capacity to the coalition.
- National PTAcoreNational PTA represents parents and families in public schools. LFY contributes family engagement perspective and connects schools with parent communities through initiatives like Public Schools Week.
- National Association of Elementary School PrincipalscoreNAESP represents elementary school principals. The partnership brings perspective on school leadership, principal support, and elementary education policy to LFA's advocacy efforts.
- National School Boards AssociationcoreNSBA represents school boards and local school governance. The partnership enables LFA to engage with district-level decision makers on education policy and governance.
- American School Counselor AssociationcoreASCA represents school counselors. Through LFA, ASCA contributes expertise on student mental health, college and career readiness, and student support services.
- Consortium for School NetworkingcoreCoSN represents K-12 education technology leaders. The partnership enables LFA to address technology integration, AI in education, and digital equity issues.
- Learning ForwardcoreLearning Forward focuses on professional learning for educators. Frederick Brown, President and CEO of Learning Forward, served as LFA Board Chair (2024-25). The partnership advances professional development and teacher support.
- National School Public Relations AssociationcoreNSPRA represents school communications professionals. Barbara M. Hunter, Executive Director of NSPRA, served as LFA Board Chair (2025-26) and brings strategic communication expertise to coalition leadership.
- Association of Educational Service AgenciescoreAESA represents nearly 500 regional educational service agencies. The partnership extends LFA's reach to state and regional education agencies providing specialized services including special education, professional learning, and technology integration.
- PDK InternationalcorePDK International joined LFA as a member organization in August 2022, contributing research and policy expertise on education issues.
- National Association of Secondary School PrincipalscoreNASSP represents secondary school principals. The partnership provides perspective on middle and high school leadership, student transitions, and secondary education policy.
- American Association of Colleges for Teacher EducationcoreAACTE represents colleges and universities preparing teachers and education professionals. The partnership connects LFA to educator preparation and development pipeline issues.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Learning First Alliance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ): NCTQ is a research and policy organization focused on teacher quality and effectiveness, producing research and advocating for policy reforms in K-12 education comparable to LFA's research and policy work.
- Bellwether Education Partners: Bellwether Education Partners is a national nonprofit focused on education research, policy, and consulting for underserved children, comparable to LFA in producing research and policy analysis for K-12 education.
- Teach For America: Teach For America is a national education nonprofit that works toward educational equity through teacher leadership, policy advocacy, and community engagement, comparable in mission and nonprofit advocacy orientation to LFA.
- EdChoice: EdChoice is a nonprofit advocacy organization focused on school choice research and policy, comparable to LFA in the K-12 advocacy space though with a different policy orientation.
- Chiefs for Change: Chiefs for Change is a nonprofit network of state and district education leaders advocating for equitable education outcomes through policy, leadership development, and coalition-building, paralleling LFA's education leadership advocacy.
- Education Trust: Education Trust is a nonprofit advocacy organization promoting high academic achievement for all students, particularly those marginalized, with research, policy, and advocacy functions closely aligned to LFA's mission.
- 50CAN: 50CAN is a nonprofit education advocacy organization that builds local campaigns to advocate for education reform, with a state-level network model similar in spirit to LFA's coalition approach though focused on school choice.
Direct peers
- Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): CCSSO is a nationwide, nonpartisan education leadership organization of state school chiefs that produces research, policy positions, and advocacy on K-12 public education, directly comparable to LFA's coalition-based advocacy model.
- ASCD (formerly Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development): ASCD is a nonprofit education association serving educators, administrators, and policymakers with research, professional development, and advocacy, closely paralleling LFA's mission and member-based model.
Broad incumbents
- National Governors Association (Education Division): The National Governors Association has an education division that works with state leaders on K-12 policy and workforce, comparable to LFA in working with policymakers on education priorities though with a broader policy mandate.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Learning First Alliance social profiles
Digital presenceLearning First Alliance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Learning First Alliance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Learning First Alliance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Learning First Alliance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Learning First Alliance
What does Learning First Alliance do?
Learning First Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of 13 national education associations that advances trust, investment, and equity in U.S. public education through coordinated advocacy, research, public forums, and communication campaigns. Its deliverables include the annual Public Schools Week celebration, the #HerefortheKids engagement campaign, the Student Mental Health Matters initiative, Get Vax Facts health resources, the Building What's Next convening, and research publications and policy reports on topics such as literacy, mathematics instruction, safe learning communities, and educator recruitment and retention.
Is Learning First Alliance a public or private company?
Learning First Alliance is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Learning First Alliance founded?
Learning First Alliance was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Learning First Alliance based?
Learning First Alliance is headquartered in Alexandria, United States, in the North America region.
How does Learning First Alliance make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Dues.
Who are Learning First Alliance's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), Bellwether Education Partners, Teach For America, EdChoice, Chiefs for Change, Education Trust and 50CAN. Direct peers are Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and ASCD (formerly Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development). National Governors Association (Education Division) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Learning First Alliance have an API?
No public API is recorded for Learning First Alliance.
What industry is Learning First Alliance in?
Learning First Alliance's product category is Education Advocacy Coalition. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADALAK, Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8600.