AASA has finalized an agreement to acquire the highly regarded educational consulting firm Battelle for Kids. Executive Director David Schuler made the announcement on stage Thursday afternoon at the 1st General Session of AASA’s 2025 National Conference on Education.
AASA’s integration of Battelle’s strategic assets, which will take effect July 1, Schuler said, is “one of the many reasons I’m so optimistic about our ability to ensure our children are ready for the future.”
The strategic integration between AASA, founded in 1865 and Battelle, created in 2001, represents a “a significant step forward in building out our ambitious network and supports for school leaders.”
Schuler lauded Battelle for Kids’ innovative solutions through their widely used Portrait of a Graduate and Portrait to Practice work.
He said the timing was right for this bold move by AASA. “If not us — the leaders here in this room — who serve and lead America’s public school children in rural, urban and suburban communities across the nation, then who? And if not now, then when? It has to be now.”
Supported by an initial grant from Battelle Memorial Institute, Battelle for Kids was established in 2001 by the Ohio Business Roundtable to advance student achievement and growth in Ohio. In 2005, it became an independent, national not-for-profit organization. In 2017, Battelle for Kids took over EdLeader21, a national network dedicated to accelerating the implementation of 21st-century, deeper learning.
“We are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead with the strategic integration into AASA,” said Mike Duncan, CEO of Battelle for Kids, in a joint press release. “Dr. David Schuler’s vision and commitment to preparing future-ready students fits perfectly with the work BFK has led for more than a decade around Portrait of a Graduate, Portrait to Practice® and the EdLeader21 network. By joining forces with AASA, the work of Battelle for Kids will be amplified, spread, and scaled at an even greater level, impacting more students and communities nationwide.”
Over the past decade, Battelle for Kids worked with hundreds of school districts and state agencies to design and launch Portrait of a Graduate programs.
Battelle for Kids remains committed to delivering high-quality support and partnership to its current clients, honoring all existing contracts. Throughout the integration process with AASA, which will take place from March to June 2025, the organization will ensure a seamless transition while maintaining its standards of excellence, according to the organizations’ press statement.
(Jay P. Goldman is editor-in-chief of Conference Daily Online and editor of AASA’s School Administrator magazine.)
