Richard Long

Dr. Richard Long is executive director of the Learning First Alliance and a nationally known advocate, writer and commentator on pre-K-12 issues and federal policy. Prior to joining LFA, he spent the past four decades working in education policy, including 37 years as the Government Relations Director for the International Reading Association. He also concurrently served as Executive Director/Government Relations Director for the National Title I Association from 1995 to 2014. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from George Washington University. Long provided the leadership to create “The Elements of Success.” In reviewing each LFA members’ recommendations on unusually effective schools, he found significant agreement on what constitutes successful schools. In short, the education community knows what is important and what works.