Alexandria, Va., July 1, 2025 – The Learning First Alliance (LFA), an alliance of associations advancing trust, investment, and equity in public education for each and every learner, is pleased to announce that Barbara M. Hunter, APR, executive director of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), has been named Chair for 2025-26.
David R. Schuler, executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, has been elected Secretary/Treasurer, and Frederick Brown, president and CEO of Learning Forward, will serve as immediate Past Chair.
A national leader in school communications, Barbara Hunter brings decades of experience advancing public education at the district, state, and national levels. She has held senior communications roles in two of Virginia’s largest school systems and previously led communications at both AASA, The School Superintendents Association, and the National School Boards Association. Since joining NSPRA as executive director in 2020, Hunter has championed effective communication as a strategic function of school leadership. As Chair, Hunter will help lead LFA’s collaborative efforts to elevate the work of public schools and advocate for policies and practices that support student success.
David Schuler brings visionary leadership and a deep commitment to advancing excellence and equity in public education. Highly experienced in empowering school leaders and championing student-centered learning, his career spans national, rural, urban, and suburban districts.
“It’s a pivotal moment for public education, and I look forward to leading the Learning First Alliance to meet today’s unprecedented challenges,” said Hunter. “Representing more than 10 million members, LFA’s shared commitment to equity and excellence is stronger than ever.”
“I want to congratulate Barbara and David on their new roles,” said Danny Carlson, executive director of LFA. “As chair of LFA, Barbara’s background and expertise in communications will be extraordinarily valuable to our efforts to advocate for public education. David is a strategic, forward-thinking leader with a strong track record of driving innovation.”
“I look forward to working alongside Barbara and David as we strengthen LFA’s impact and continue advancing educational equity for each and every student.”
Learn more about the Learning First Alliance and its initiatives.
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About the Learning First Alliance: The Learning First Alliance is an alliance of associations advancing trust, investment, and equity in public education for each and every learner. 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 Education Association; National PTA; National School Boards Association, National School Public Relations Association, and PDK International.
