Advocacy

Postsecondary education is vital to thrive, not just survive. All4Ed influences policy from the classroom to Congress to ensure young people who have been historically underserved graduate from high school prepared to complete postsecondary education and achieve success in a rapidly changing world.

Preparing students for education beyond high school and success in the modern economy should be a fundamental part of the K–12 school system. All4Ed provides essential recommendations to help lawmakers craft policy that strengthens these efforts.
—Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA)

Two Decades Advocating for Equity

For 20 years, All4Ed has provided a strong and focused voice for equity in education policy to ensure all young people—regardless of background, race, ethnicity, learning or physical ability, zip code, or family income—receive a high-quality education.

In its early days, All4Ed focused on federal policies and reforms that enabled more students, particularly those of color and those from low-income families, to graduate from high school. As All4Ed matured, we extended our reach to support state policy focused on college and career readiness and district efforts to support the effective use of technology in education through our Future Ready Schools® (FRS) network of more than 3,500 school districts. Today, we advance equity in education from the classroom to Congress, ensuring practice informs policy—and policy informs practice.

At All4Ed, we combine the mission of a civil rights organization with the policy capacity of a think tank to produce equity-focused change for historically underserved children and youth. The hallmark of All4Ed’s policy and advocacy efforts is the ability to take an idea, translate it into the language of policy—legislation, regulation, guidance—and advocate for its adoption. We then support policy implementation to maximize results for the nation’s young people.

As a state legislator, I value the support of All4Ed in the process of helping me advance policy to address inequities in our education system and prepare all students to succeed.
—Delegate Hala Ayala, 51st House District of Virginia

UCLA Community School in Los Angeles, California. (photo by Allison Shelley for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action)

The All4Ed Way

We are data-driven. Our policy proposals are based on facts, rather than speculation, intuition, or an isolated experience.

We are honest brokers of policy. We have no constituency other than the best interests of children and youth.

We collaborate. We partner with civil rights organizations and other equity-focused organizations to disseminate information and amplify our impact.

We are trusted resources on Capitol Hill and beyond. Policymakers rely on All4Ed to inform their decisions and advance equity-focused policy.

We are effective, producing tangible policy results.

As a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, I am focused on ensuring that all students have access to high-quality K–12 education and the opportunity to pursue postsecondary education and succeed in the twenty-first-century innovation economy. All4Ed plays an essential role in helping lawmakers craft effective legislation to achieve this goal and help our students thrive.
—U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH)

Sen. Hassan (D-NH) used All4Ed’s data to raise concerns about states at risk of masking the performance of historically underserved students. (2:34)
Rep. Sablan used All4Ed’s data to question the approval of state accountability plans that are not in compliance with ESSA. (1:47)
Sen. Murphy (D-CT) used All4Ed’s data to question Education Secretary John King on subgroup accountability. (6:03)

Our Latest Advocacy

To learn more about All4Ed’s most recent policy and advocacy efforts, check out our New in Policy page.

Federal Flash is All4Ed’s video series on important developments in education policy in Washington, DC, including ESSA implementation, funding, and oversight from the U.S. Department of Education and Congress. To view or read a transcript of our most recent episode, click “Watch Now” below. For more frequent updates on education news and policy, follow @All4Ed on Twitter.

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