Nation’s leading early childhood advocacy organization selects experienced Hill advisor to lead national policy efforts
WASHINGTON – The First Five Years Fund (FFYF) today announced the appointment of Republican Hill veteran Sarah Rittling as National Director. Rittling comes to FFYF after four years as Senior Policy Advisor at EducationCounsel, an education consulting firm, where she was part of a bipartisan education-focused team led by former U.S. Secretary of Education Dick Riley.
Highly regarded on Capitol Hill, Rittling has dedicated her career to creating policy change on education issues, with a particular emphasis on early childhood education. She served as counsel to Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., on education policy and counsel to Rep. Michael N. Castle, R-Del., on education and labor matters before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Under Sen. Alexander, Rittling was responsible for advancing the Senator’s priorities during the reauthorization of the Higher Education, Head Start and Child Abuse Prevention Treatment Acts. While serving Rep. Castle, Rittling assisted with matters before the Subcommittee on Education Reform, including reauthorization of the National School Lunch and Child Nutrition Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Rittling also served as a legislative assistant and deputy press secretary to Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn.
“Sarah Rittling brings a wealth of expertise in education to the team, along with an extensive knowledge of the policy and economic issues driving policy action in early childhood education,” said Kris Perry, executive director of FFYF. “Early childhood education has truly become a true bipartisan issue, and Sarah’s appointment today is a real testament to that.”
As National Director at FFYF, Rittling will oversee all policy operations of FFYF and lead advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and among national early childhood coalitions – as the organization continues pushing for increased federal support for access to quality early childhood education and care. Rittling holds a Bachelor of Arts from Syracuse University and earned her J.D. from Syracuse University’s College of Law.
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About the First Five Years Fund
The First Five Years Fund helps America achieve better results in education, health and economic productivity through investments in quality early childhood education programs for disadvantaged children. FFYF provides knowledge, data, and advocacy – persuading federal policymakers to make investments in the first five years of a child’s life that create greater returns for all.