Written by Aurora Dreger, Project Director, Educating All Learners Alliance
As a new year dawns and I reflect on my first full year as the EALA Project Director, I am filled with overwhelming gratitude for the committed community I have the honor to lead. By design, EALA is an “uncommon coalition,” bringing together a diverse network of partners – educator, parents, edtech leaders, and non-profits – who often wouldn’t sit in the same room.
The Alliance operates on a simple, yet powerful conviction: progress in education doesn’t just happen from the top down. True, lasting change is unlocked when those closest to the challenge are empowered to engage with decision-makers, inform, and influence system-level change. Even when the work is demanding and the community is facing challenges like never before, I am continually inspired to be part of this extraordinary work. It is encouraging to work alongside those who aim to deliberately tear down silos which have dominated division and choose to empower the people on the front lines of empowering educators to show the “pathway to possible” for every learner.
In recent months, the EALA community produced some incredible moments of uncommon alliance bright spots:
-
On December 3rd, EALA, New America, and EDSAFE AI Alliance convened a high-level roundtable in Washington, D.C. to update the policy brief Prioritizing Students with Disabilities in AI Policy. Bringing together advocates, educators, industry and policy experts ensures that the recommendations in our updated policy brief are updated to reflect emerging AI use cases. Stay tuned for the release of the new brief in the first quarter of 2026.
-
The inaugural All Learners Action Lab cohort continues to grow, spark change and be lead by 10 school teams, composed of dedicated educators and leaders, committed to centering students with disabilities and piloting effective instructional practices. Through virtual community sessions, the cohort will continue its professional development and receive support from our network of pro-bono EALA mentors. A comprehensive brief will be released to share the lessons learned and highlight this model for the broader field. This is a true research and practice in action network which is radically different from previous models to build national networks.
-
Partner call, workshops and Coffee talks: Our Partner Calls are a consistent forum for active participation, allowing partners to stay current on EALA initiatives and exchange valuable field updates (and it’s not-so-secretly my favorite part of the week). Our live workshops and smaller, more intimate “coffee talks” intentionally creates space for us to sink our teeth into topics such like “Designing Flexible Learning Experiences for Neurodivergent Students,” and “Leading without Losing Your Impact.”
-
This January, we will launch our fifth phase of the Community of Action. This dynamic 36-hour participatory grant-funding event brings together 30 innovators and practitioners to form teams and design solutions. The most unique and connective aspect of the CoA is that the community members themselves form design teams, iterate and create solutions, and vote on which projects receive funding to move from concept to idea to reality within a day and a half.
The progress described above is only possible because of our vibrant “network of networks” approach. Innovating isn’t just about doing something new, its about creating the space, the resources and the connections for partnership and progress.
If you are part of a school, district, or non-profit, become an EALA Partner. This no-cost membership opens the door to collaboration, resource sharing, and opportunities to participate in our highest-impact initiatives.
If you want to stay informed, subscribe to our community newsletter for free access to resources, webinars, and opportunities that showcase the path to possibility for all learners.