The National Education Association (NEA) has awarded Dr. Josh Cowen with its highest honor, the Friend of Education Award. The award was presented during the 2025 NEA Representative Assembly in Portland, Oregon, attended by nearly 7,000 educators.
Dr. Cowen is recognized for his work against school privatization and holding organizations accountable for promoting ineffective voucher policies. His book, “The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers,” critiques the lobbying efforts supporting these policies and discusses their negative impact on educational outcomes in the United States. Recent voter rejections of school vouchers in Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska reflect this sentiment.
NEA President Becky Pringle stated, “Dr. Cowen is a leading voice in the work of advocating for our nation’s public schools and the well-being of our students. America’s educators are proud to bestow him with NEA’s highest honor, the Friend of Education award.”
In accepting the award, Dr. Cowen said, “I’m accepting this Friend of Education Award on behalf of all the public school educators, middle-class families, and everyone else out there who’s been standing up to right-wing billionaires like Betsy DeVos for years.”
Dr. Cowen has contributed significantly to educational research and policy through his roles at various institutions. He founded the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC) in 2016 and served as a national director for REACH at Tulane University.
Discussing vouchers, Dr. Cowen remarked in an interview with NEAToday that they are akin to “predatory lending” and often target families of color and low-income families without delivering promised benefits.
The NEA’s Friend of Education Award honors individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to American public education. Past recipients include Judith Heumann, Greta Thunberg, Dolly Parton, and Quinta Brunson.
