David Jacobson is the director of EDC’s First 10 initiative, which was recently featured as a “Bright Spot” by the U.S. Department of Education’s Center for Early Learning Success. First 10 supports a national network of school-early childhood-community partnerships. David brings deep experience in early childhood education, school improvement, applied research, and strategic planning and action focused on improving outcomes for children and their families.

David is the author of a September 2026 commentary published by the Stanford Center on Early Childhood, Strong Communities, Thriving Children: The Power of School-Early Childhood Zones and Hubs to Drive Change, that details the importance of coordinated efforts to improve teaching, learning, and care during the first decade of children’s lives. Capita recently published David’s companion call to action, Transforming Communities through Early Childhood-School Zones and Hubs. Both works build on a previous report on early education reform.

David serves on the National Advisory Board for an initiative led by Waterford.org that is working  to close school readiness gaps in 16 states in the Rural South. His publications include articles and reports on community-school partnerships, bipartisan education priorities, building state P–3 systems, and professional learning communities. He frequently presents First 10’s work at national convenings and forums and was interviewed for an in-depth two-part article in The 74.

David holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Chicago, an MA in Philosophy, and a BA in History from Brown University.