Linked Learning Alliance Welcomes New Board Member Fred A. Jones, Jr.
SAN FRANCISCO (September 21, 2021) –The Linked Learning Alliance (“The Alliance”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Fred A. Jones, Jr. to the Alliance’s Board of Directors.
Fred is the Policy Director at the Aurora Institute. He leads the Center for Policy team, conducting federal and state policy analysis, providing technical assistance to elected officials, and offering strategic guidance to advance the Aurora Institute’s goals of re-envisioning education and driving systemic alignment between K-12, higher education, and industry to prepare learners for lifelong success.
“Fred’s wealth of experience in education policy and his longstanding commitment to advancing equity and improving student outcomes will prove critical to the Alliance as it continues its work to ensure every young person is engaged in rigorous and relevant education that helps them discover their purpose,” said Alliance Board colleague, John Fischer.
Linked Learning is a proven approach to education dedicated to the idea that students work harder and dream bigger when their learning connects with them and connects them to the world. It combines four components: rigorous academics, career technical education, work-based learning, and comprehensive support services. Linked Learning gives students the supports they need to prepare for both college and career and helps them grow through real work experiences so they can fully participate in shaping civic, cultural, and economic life.
Fred began his career at the U.S. House of Representatives working for the Education and Labor Committee, where he played a supporting role to help reauthorize the Higher Education Act, the National and Community Service Act, and the Affordable Care Act. He also served as a Legislative Associate for the Alliance for Excellent Education and the Director of Government Affairs for the United Negro College Fund, managing secondary and higher education public policy and appropriations issues directly impacting low-income students. Most recently, Fred served as the Director of Education Innovation for Trident United Way as well as the Deputy Director for SouthCarolinaCAN, where he led a local parent advocacy program in Charleston, SC.
“I am absolutely thrilled to join the Alliance’s Board of Directors,” said Jones. “When I reflect on my own high school experience, I realize that my high school years were unequivocally transformative. I learned through real-world experiences what connected me to my community and my dreams for the future. Policy plays a key role in creating the capacity, conditions, and culture for sustained education transformation that connects rigorous academics with career success. I look forward to working with the Alliance to ensure more young people have access to these pivotal and personalized educational experiences that not only change lives, but also drive the revolution in education that is needed.”
Fred joins the Alliance’s Board of Directors at a critical moment for education in California and beyond, as the pandemic continues to expose inequities in our schools and communities and the national reckoning with racial injustice highlights the critical need to ensure more equitable opportunities for all students.
“As a nation, we are now in a moment of extraordinary policy opportunity for our schools and communities,” said Anne Stanton, President and CEO of the Linked Learning Alliance. “Fred brings sharp thinking grounded in sound policy analysis and a passionate spirit connected to the Linked Learning movement. He will be a key thought partner in advancing evidence-based policies that help every young person grasp their own future and get on a pathway toward the career and life they want—with real economic mobility and freedom.”
Fred completed the Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative at Furman University. He is also Pahara-NextGen Fellow, an Institute for Responsible Citizenship Scholar, a National Collegiate Scholar, a Coro Fellow, and a 10x All-American Track and Field athlete. Fred holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Tufts University, and he earned a master’s in business administration degree from the University of Maryland, College Park Robert H. Smith School of Business. He lives in South Carolina with his wife and two young children.
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About the Linked Learning Alliance
The Linked Learning Alliance is the engine that drives a movement to help every young person determine their own future through a proven approach to education called Linked Learning. Linked Learning integrates rigorous academics with real-world learning and strong support services to prepare students for success in college, career, and life. The Alliance helps create public will for equity and excellence in education, elevate and expand the practice of Linked Learning across America, and advance policies that serve and support all youth. LinkedLearning.org