National Alliance for Restructuring Education

National Alliance for Restructuring Education
Name	National Alliance for Restructuring Education
Abbreviation	NARE
Formation	1993
Type	Nonprofit advocacy network
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States
Leader title	Executive Director
Leader name	Patricia L. Morales

National Alliance for Restructuring Education The National Alliance for Restructuring Education is a U.S.-based nonprofit advocacy network focused on systemic reform of public school systems and vocational pathways. Founded in the early 1990s amid policy debates involving the A Nation at Risk era reforms, the Alliance has engaged with federal actors such as the U.S. Department of Education, state agencies like the California Department of Education, and philanthropic organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Prominent partnerships and critiques have connected the Alliance to debates involving figures and institutions such as Alice Waters, Diane Ravitch, Arne Duncan, Michelle Rhee, Eli Broad, The Heritage Foundation, Center for American Progress, Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and Annenberg Foundation.

Overview

The Alliance positions itself at the intersection of policy advocacy, school restructuring, and workforce development, aligning with initiatives from the National Governors Association, Council of Chief State School Officers, and the Business Roundtable. Its networks include educators from districts like Chicago Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools, as well as higher education partners such as Teachers College, Columbia University, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Stanford Graduate School of Education. The organization’s public profile has overlapped with national campaigns involving the Every Student Succeeds Act, No Child Left Behind Act, and the Career and Technical Education Act.

History

Founded in 1993 during a period of bipartisan education reform activity, the Alliance emerged alongside movements led by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers to rethink school structures after reports like A Nation at Risk. Early convenings featured leaders from the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, Education Trust, and municipal school reformers from New York City Department of Education and Boston Public Schools. During the 2000s, the Alliance engaged with federal initiatives under the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, interacting with policy instruments such as Race to the Top and the Coalition of Essential Schools. Its timeline includes collaborations with Achieve, Inc., Standards Institute, and labor-management partnerships exemplified by projects with SEIU and AFT Innovation Fund.

Mission and Objectives

The stated mission emphasizes restructuring institutional arrangements to improve equity and college- and career-readiness, citing benchmarks promoted by College Board, ACT, Inc., and Associated Builders and Contractors. Objectives include redesigning school schedules modeled after pilots in High Tech High, aligning career pathways inspired by Linked Learning, and promoting assessment reforms discussed in forums with ETS and WESTED. Policy objectives reflect recommendations from commissions such as the National Commission on Excellence in Education and consultations with think tanks like Brookings Institution and Urban Institute.

Structure and Governance

Governance comprises a board of directors with leaders drawn from organizations including the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Spencer Foundation, KIPP Foundation, and municipal education chiefs formerly of Denver Public Schools, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and Philadelphia School District. Staff roles have included executives with prior service at the U.S. Department of Labor and staffers seconded from institutions such as the Institute for Educational Leadership and National Center on Education and the Economy. The Alliance has maintained advisory councils featuring scholars from Columbia University, University of Chicago, University of California, Berkeley, and practitioners from New Leaders and Teach For America.

Programs and Initiatives

Programmatic work spans district redesign pilots, teacher professional development, and employer-driven apprenticeships, often coordinated with partners like Linked Learning Alliance, National Association of Secondary School Principals, Association for Career and Technical Education, and National Skills Coalition. Notable initiatives have included a redesign model piloted with Baltimore City Public Schools and a technical education consortium with Purdue University and Georgia Institute of Technology. The Alliance has hosted convenings featuring speakers from National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of the Great City Schools, and research briefs co-published with RAND Corporation and Mathematica Policy Research.

Impact and Criticism

Supporters cite measurable outcomes in pilot districts similar to reforms in Seattle Public Schools and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, pointing to increased credential attainment aligned with benchmarks from Lumina Foundation and National Skills Coalition. Critics have invoked controversies associated with high-profile reform movements involving Michelle Rhee and Eli Broad, raising concerns echoed by commentators such as Diane Ravitch and organizations like the Network for Public Education. Debates have centered on accountability regimes influenced by Every Student Succeeds Act provisions, charter expansion debates involving EdTrust critiques, and labor disputes reminiscent of conflicts documented in Chicago Teachers Union actions.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding streams historically include grants from major philanthropies such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, and federal contracts with the U.S. Department of Education and collaborations with state education agencies including the Texas Education Agency and New York State Education Department. Corporate and nonprofit partners have included Microsoft Corporation, IBM Corporation, JPMorgan Chase, The Rockefeller Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and employer partners such as Siemens and Boeing for apprenticeship pipelines. The Alliance has also worked with labor organizations including the American Federation of Teachers and workforce entities like the National Association of Workforce Boards.

Category:Education reform organizations