The Association of American Educators Foundation (AAE Foundation) is an organization that supports the activities of the Association of American Educators, a national non-union teacher association. The AAE Foundation intends to provide public educators and the general public with education, opportunities, and funding to improve American education through policy reform. ¹

The Association of American Educators Foundation is an associate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. ²

Activities

The Association of American Educators Foundation aims to support education reform and improvement efforts alongside the Association of American Educators, a national non-union teacher association. The AAE Foundation supports teachers with scholarships and grants allowing them to continue their education, advance student learning, and fund classroom projects. The Foundation also supports educators with workshops about education reform, curriculum, and leadership. ³ The AAE Foundation annually conducts a survey of its members in order to collect educators’ opinions on reforms, which it disseminates to elected officials and policy makers. ⁴

The Association of American Educators Foundation acts as a resource for school boards and school districts, especially as it regards alternative forms of teacher representation to labor unions and collective bargaining and individual workplace rights. ⁵

Funding

The Association of American Educators Foundation is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. While the AAE Foundation does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Walton Family Foundation ($549,300 in 2019), ⁶ the William E. Simon Foundation ($125,000 in 2012), ⁷ and the Snider Foundation ($65,000 in 2018). ⁸

People

Colin Sharkey is executive director of the Association of American Educators and the AAE Foundation. Sharkey formerly worked as a project coordinator at the Heritage Foundation and as a program officer at the Collegiate Network, a program of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. ⁹

Becky Norton Dunlop is the secretary and treasurer of the board and is the Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Dunlop formerly worked as secretary of natural resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia, a senior official in the Reagan Administration, and as senior special assistant to the Attorney General in the Department of Justice. ¹⁰

Kris Enright formerly sat on the boards of the Professional Association of Colorado Educators, the Colorado Cyberschool Association, and the Colorado League of Charter Schools Membership Council. ¹¹

Karen Kay Harvey formerly worked as coordinator at the New Mexico National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and as an assessment specialist at the New Mexico Public Education Department. ¹²

Kevin Ryan is the founding director of the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character at Boston University. ¹³

DeLaina Tonks formerly sat on the Utah Immigration Commission and the board of the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools. ¹⁴

Gary Beckner is the chair and co-founder of the Association of American Educators and the AAE Foundation. Beckner is the former executive director of the Coalition of Independent Education Associations and former participant at the White House Conference on Character and Community. ¹⁵

Other members of the board include Gary Abud, Jr., Lewis Hodge, and Tracy J. Valentine. ¹⁶

1.  “AAE Foundation.” Association of American Educators, 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/aae-foundation.
2. “The Network: Virginia.” State Policy Network, 2022. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://spn.org/directory/#VA.
3. “Support AAE Foundation.” Association of American Educators, 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/aae-foundation/support-aae-foundation.
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5.  “AAE Foundation.” Association of American Educators, 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/aae-foundation.
6. Walton Family Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Schedule I, Part II.
7. William E. Simon Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2012, Schedule I, Part II.
8.  Snider Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018, Schedule I, Part II.
9. “Contact and Key Staff.” Association of American Educators, 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/about-us/contact-and-key-staff.
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13. “AAE Foundation Board of Directors.” Association of American Educators, 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/aae-foundation/aaef-board-of-directors.
14. “AAE Foundation Board of Directors.” Association of American Educators, 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/aae-foundation/aaef-board-of-directors.
15. “AAE Foundation Board of Directors.” Association of American Educators, 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/aae-foundation/aaef-board-of-directors.
16. “AAE Foundation Board of Directors.” Association of American Educators, 2021. Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/aae-foundation/aaef-board-of-directors.