Education First Consulting

What will it take to truly retain a strong, diverse educator workforce?    Join Education First Partner and Chief People, Equity and Impact Officer Rashidah Lopez Morgan from 3:00–4:30 p.m. ET for a conversation on what it takes to keep great educators in the classroom.    This exciting group of panelists will discuss innovative strategic staffing models and opportunity culture frameworks that empower teachers to take on leadership roles and earn higher compensation while remaining in the classroom.      Staying the Course: Strategies for sustaining and Retaining a Diverse Teacher Workforce  📅 May 19, 2026 | 3:00–4:30 p.m. ET    Register now! ➡ https://bit.ly/3LkTvIy Teach Plus | EdTrust | Public Impact, Education Consultants | Educators for Excellence | William Penn Foundation

For 20 years, Education First has provided employees with the flexibility of a #remote workplace. That means when we get together, in-person connection is all the more meaningful. Last week, our team spent the week in beautiful San Juan, PR for our annual retreat--soaking up sunshine, collaborating with colleagues and planning for the future of the #education sector. ✈️ 🏖️ During our time on The Island of Enchantment, our team: 🟡 Revisited our RIDE Vision (Racial Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity) to ensure our culture and client partnerships put #racialequity first. By centering the voice and agency of those closest to the challenges, we are actively redesigning more equitable systems, policies and processes. 🟢 Reflected on Ed First's origin story and impact on the sector as we prepare to celebrate our 20th anniversary this summer. 🟣 Discussed the state of the field--including declining academic proficiency, the urgency for thoughtful, system-connected college and #careerpathways and more. And above all, we took a break from busy portfolios to connect, laugh and compete in some of the greatest office karaoke of all time! 🎤

There’s a difference between funders working 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳 each other and funders working 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 each other. In our latest blog, we explore what it takes to move beyond “parallel play” toward truly coherent, place-based impact, where local, regional and national funders align around shared goals, relationships and long-term community priorities. The most powerful ecosystems we’ve seen aren’t built through perfect coordination. They’re built through trust, candor, complementary roles and a willingness to learn together. Grateful to be in conversation with so many thoughtful leaders wrestling with how philanthropy can better support communities in this moment. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gMrT2BrT Shout out to our partners: Dr. Deirdre Johnson Burel Jonathan T. R. Peter Rivera Sarina Sheth Noone Education First Consulting Vivian Mihalakis Adam Tucker Natalie Mitchell-Bay Shayne Spalten

What is strategic staffing, and why are states paying it attention? In the newest #NASBEStandard, Education First Consulting researchers explore the strategic staffing landscape: what it is, where it has been tried and why, and the state policy levers to make it possible. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/exYS5fRd

As K-12 districts grapple with persistent learning gaps and acute teacher shortages, strategic staffing offers a robust solution to both challenges. We believe state education leaders are uniquely positioned to move the needle on school staffing by deploying resources to accelerate and scale local efforts, supporting local systems to align their models with state priorities, and fostering clarity and coherence across their systems. In our new article for the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE)'s State Education Standard, John Luczak, Allison Pennington, and Sarah Begeman outline how state leaders can advance these models to achieve critical goals: 📝 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: By providing more educators with access to robust curriculum-based professional learning and extending the reach of effective educators so that students receive higher-quality instruction from teams of well-prepared adults. 📝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞: By creating space for prospective educators to gain high-quality field experience, offering differentiated, compensated leadership pathways for in-service educators, and fostering a more collaborative work environment for all. Our thanks to Jack Elsey and Brenda Berg for sharing insights from their work in Michigan and North Carolina for this piece! Read the full piece at the link in the comments.

Mark your calendar! Join Ed First's Josh Parker and the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation for an upcoming webinar celebrating the release of their latest report, 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯. 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 highlights unique approaches on how to engage high schools through expanded learning and enrichment programs. Tune into the webinar to: ✔️ Hear directly from school site leaders and partners about how programs are supporting student engagement, belonging, and college and career pathways ✔️ Explore how funding, partnerships, and technical assistance were leveraged to expand access ✔️ Unpack key lessons and strategies that can be applied across school communities Education First Consulting helps education leaders turn complexity into coherence and vision into action, without sacrificing equity or quality. Webinar Details: 📅 Date: Wednesday, May 20th  ⏰ Time: 3:00 - 4:00 PM 🔗 Register at the link in comments

#NACAC and Education First Consulting have teamed up to identify opportunities to reimagine #collegefairs for greater impact. Beginning last year, NACAC and Education First interviewed focus groups of students, college counselors, admission officers, community partners, and employers. https://lnkd.in/ejmShGra The feedback was clear: As higher education institutions brace for impact from the demographic cliff, NACAC college fairs need to help students better understand their opportunities beyond high school and the value of earning a postsecondary degree. #HigherEd #CollegeAdmission

Middle school is the "sweet spot" for building student career identity. Is your state making the most of it? 💡 Delaware is moving from innovation to impact by reimagining middle school CTE. By bridging policy, practice, and philanthropy, the Delaware Department of Education and Rodel are ensuring every 8th grader exits ready for high school with a clear sense of purpose. As a trusted advisor in this work, Education First helped align these stakeholders with Advance CTE's 10 essential design principles. The Delaware Model includes: 🔹 Inclusive, standards-based career exploration. 🔹 Cross-curricular focus on foundational technical skills. 🔹 Active Communities of Practice for teachers. We help education leaders turn vision into action. Rethink your middle school design to ensure student outcomes improve for the long haul. Read the latest from Education First Principal Sheila Briggs and Advance CTE Executive Director Kate Kreamer: https://bit.ly/41CNrQv

There's no place like EdLoc. Education First is headed to Los Angeles to celebrate ten years of this multiracial, multi-sector network. We're eager to connect with leaders of color whose expertise and commitment to building equitable education systems transform outcomes for students. We're excited for Partner Kelly James to moderate a session featuring exceptional leaders in education philanthropy. Stop by their panel, How Philanthropy Can Build Power and Scale Impact, to learn how aligning resources with the expertise of leaders of color creates systems that work for all communities. Hear from: 🔆 Jonathan T. R., Program Officer, ECMC Foundation 🔆Frank L. Gettridge, Ed.D., President and CEO at The Philanthropic Collaborative for Education 🔆Nancy Poon Lue, Managing Director, Valhalla Foundation 🔆Errika Moore, Chief External Affairs Officer, Camelback Ventures   Rashidah Lopez Morgan will also be on the ground to connect and strategize with you. We're looking forward to it! Will we see you at EdLoc 2026? Education Leaders of Color