DALLAS, TEXAS – Learning Forward has been recognized as a 2025 Power of Associations Silver Award winner by the American Society of Association Executives for its field-leading advocacy initiative.
As the national and international voice for high-quality K-12 educator professional learning, Learning Forward has a strong legacy of driving improvements and innovation in educator development that lead to student success. Its national advocacy initiative is an extension of its core work supporting states and districts to nurture excellent teachers, principals, and system leaders through high-impact strategies like instructional coaching, mentoring for new teachers, leadership development, and high-quality curriculum implementation.
Learning Forward’s advocacy initiative takes a multi-faceted approach to marshaling bipartisan support for high-quality professional learning for all educators. This includes rallying for full funding of federal Title II-A Supporting Effective Instruction state grants, the $2.19 billion (FY 2024) federal program supporting over 2 million teachers and leaders (2022-23). Ongoing strategies to secure and maintain professional learning funding including mobilizing Learning Forward’s extensive network of members and partners, fostering collaborative partnerships with other educational excellence organizations, and regularly hosting policy forums.
In January 2025, in response to a new presidential administration’s call for structural changes to education program funding and service delivery, Learning Forward rekindled its popular “A-Team” and hosts a monthly virtual federal education policy forum that draws hundreds of educators together to hear updates and share ideas for moving forward amid uncertainty.
Learning Forward’s national policy focus was born from its national standards for educator professional learning, which are backed by evidence of what works for educator and student learning and achievement. As the steward of the Standards for Professional Learning, Learning Forward played a key role in authoring the definition of professional learning now embedded in federal statute. States, districts, and education systems nationwide use the definition and the standards to design and facilitate ongoing, job-embedded professional learning to improve teaching practice and student outcomes.
“It is an honor to receive a Power of Associations Award from the American Society of Association Executives and be recognized as an association making significant and lasting contributions to our future as a thriving society,” according to Frederick Brown, President and CEO of Learning Forward.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to hear from educators about how great professional learning has made a difference in their skills and knowledge, ability to reach students, and especially, to improve student learning,” Brown said. “The heart of our advocacy work is encouraging educators to tell their professional learning stories, because they can capture hearts and change minds around why it’s vital to invest in teachers and leaders.”
Other notable advocacy strategies have included:
- Annual Conference, where Learning Forward announces its Policymaker of the Year award and invites the honored policymaker to speak
- Capitol Hill briefings featuring state and district education leaders
- Dedicated, action-oriented advocacy website and Action Alert emails that equip educators to reach out to their members of Congress and other elected officials
- Digital resource hub, Why Professional Learning Matters, with downloadable fact sheets, data graphics, and articles from The Learning Professional, Title II-A stories, and a list of supporting research showing effective professional learning can improve teacher practice and student outcomes.
About Learning Forward
Learning Forward is a professional membership association committed to all aspects of advancing high-quality professional learning in public education systems worldwide. We partner with states, provinces, and districts to develop and implement professional learning strategies grounded in Standards for Professional Learning in high-impact programs such as instructional coaching, leadership growth and development, new-teacher mentoring, and high-performing learning teams. Our member services include The Learning Professional bimonthly journal of professional learning research and best practices, virtual and in-person learning events, advocacy and legislative updates, and news alerts. More information is available at learningforward.org.
About The Power of Associations Awards
ASAE’s Power of Associations Awards recognize the association community’s economic and societal contributions locally, nationally, and globally. ASAE will celebrate The Power of Associations Award recipients during its annual Summit Awards Dinner on September 25, 2025, at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.
