Learning First Alliance Team

Danny CarlsonExecutive Director
An experienced pre-K-12 policy and advocacy leader, Carlson served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Policy and Programs in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), where he helped oversee the administration of K-12 formula, discretionary, and pandemic relief programs. He also served as Chief of Staff for OESE, managing the office’s day-to-day operations.

Prior to the Department of Education, Carlson led advocacy and government relations for the National Association of Elementary School Principals. He previously worked at the National Governors Association, supporting governors across the country in advancing K-12 human capital work. Earlier, he was an education policy advisor in the U.S. Senate and worked on the reauthorization of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Carlson began his career as a public school teacher.

Charlotte BlaneDirector of Communications
Charlotte Blane brings over 20 years of experience in the non-profit K-12 education sector. Most recently, she spent more than seven years at the National School Boards Association (NSBA), developing and implementing digital communication strategies. Before joining NSBA, Charlotte served as the Communications Director at an education research center of the George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development. Earlier in her career, she spent over seven years at AEL (now McREL International), where she contributed to major education initiatives, including a Regional Education Research Laboratory and a Comprehensive Technical Assistance Center. Charlotte holds a bachelor’s degree from the City University of New York at Baruch and an MBA from the University of Miami.

Board of Directors

The Learning First Alliance (LFA) Board is composed of chief executive officers and other senior staff of each Alliance member organization. The Board meets at least six times each year to determine Alliance policy and practice. LFA is governed by a set of By-Laws.

2025-26 Board Chair:
Barbara M. Hunter
National School Public Relations Association

2025-26 Secretary-Treasurer:
David Schuler
AASA, The School Superintendents Association

Immediate Past Chair:
Frederick Brown
Learning Forward

Board members:

AASA, The School Superintendents Association
David Schuler, Executive Director

American Federation of Teachers
Marla Ucelli-Kashyap, Assistant to the President for Educational Issues

American School Counselor Association
Jill Cook, Executive Director

Association of Educational Service Agencies
Joan Wade, Executive Director

Consortium for School Networking
Keith R. Krueger, CEO

Learning Forward
Frederick Brown, President & CEO

National Association of Elementary School Principals
L. Earl Franks, Executive Director

National PTA
Howard Berman, MA, CAE, Executive Director

National Education Association
Daaiyah Bilal-Threats, Senior Advisor

National School Boards Association
Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs, Esq., Executive Director & CEO

National School Public Relations Association
Barbara Hunter, Executive Director

PDK International
Jeanie Lee, CEO