The Story Behind All4Ed: Founder Dan Leeds Reflects on 25 Years

As All4Ed celebrates 25 years of advancing educational opportunity, founder and longtime board leader Dan Leeds reflects on the vision that inspired the organization's creation—and the progress made since. In this anniversary conversation, Dan shares the story of how his parents' belief in the transformative power of public education led to the founding of All4Ed. Inspired by their own journey as refugees and their commitment to expanding opportunity for every child, they set out to improve high school success and create a stronger education system for all students. Dan looks back on key milestones over the past 25 years, including helping elevate high school graduation as a national priority, advancing federal education policy, supporting the standardization of graduation rates, expanding digital learning through E-rate and Future Ready Schools, and championing pathways that connect education to college, careers, and lifelong success. Looking ahead, he shares why he believes the future of education must be grounded in the science of learning, meaningful career pathways, and equitable opportunities that prepare every student to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Connect with us: 🌐 https://all4ed.org/ ➡️   / all4ed   ➡️   / all4ed   ➡️ linktr.ee/all4ed All4Ed is a national nonprofit advocacy organization located in Washington, D.C. We are committed to expanding equitable educational opportunities for students of color, students from low-income families, and other marginalized groups. We advance transformation from the classroom to Congress by advocating for federal, state, and local policies and practices that ensure all students graduate high school prepared for college, work, and life.