Alexandria, Va., June 29, 2023–The Learning First Alliance (LFA), a coalition of leading education associations representing more than 10 million parents, educators and policymakers, has elected Jill Cook, CAE, executive director of the American School Counselor Association, as the Chair of its Board of Directors for the 2023-24 term.
Frederick Brown, president and CEO of Learning Forward, has been elected Secretary/Treasurer, and L. Earl Franks, executive director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals and 2022-2023 LFA Chair, will serve on the board as immediate past Chair.
“The Learning First Alliance has experienced growth and progress under the leadership of each chair, who has brought fresh insights and vision to the position,” said Richard M. Long, LFA executive director. “During Franks’ tenure as chair, an environment was cultivated that resulted in the LFA community coming together to create the significant movement, #HerefortheKids.”
“As our new chair, Jill Cook will further expand and enhance support for public education by emphasizing the Alliance’s shared goals, commitment to addressing challenges, and active engagement with the public to solve those challenges,” continued Long.
“Jill Cook’s visionary and effective leadership in supporting America’s schools, coupled with her outgoing personality and highly effective communication skills, will benefit the LFA organization tremendously as she assumes the role of board chair,” said Franks.
Cook has more than 30 years of experience in K-12 education, including over 20 years of service at the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). She helped create the ASCA School Counselor of the Year Program and also created, developed and expanded the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP), which has honored more than 1000 schools across the U.S. for exemplary school counseling programs. Cook is also a former assistant principal at the elementary and middle school level and a former middle school counselor.
“In this critically important period for public education, the organizations that make up the Learning First Alliance know we must communicate openly and collaborate to support our nation’s students and the educators we serve,” said Cook. “It is an honor to help lead this work.”
Learn more about the #HerefortheKids campaign and how you can support and celebrate your local public schools at https://www.learningfirst.org/hereforthekids/.
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About the Learning First Alliance: The Learning First Alliance is a partnership of leading education organizations with more than 10 million members dedicated to improving student learning in America’s public schools. Alliance members include: American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education; AASA: The School Superintendents Association; American Federation of Teachers; American School Counselor Association; Consortium for School Networking; Learning Forward; National Association of Elementary School Principals; National Association of Secondary School Principals; National Education Association; National PTA; National School Boards Association, National School Public Relations Association, and PDK International.
About the American School Counselor Association: The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is a professional organization based in Alexandria, Va. ASCA promotes student success by expanding the image and influence of school counseling through leadership, advocacy, collaboration and systemic change. ASCA helps school counselors guide their students toward academic achievement, career planning and social/emotional learning to help today’s students become tomorrow’s productive, contributing members of society. Founded in 1952, ASCA has a network of 50 state and territory associations and a membership of approximately 43,000 school counseling professionals. For additional information about ASCA, visit www.schoolcounselor.org.
