Meet Annie Kidder, Top 25 Women of Influence+ Award Recipient

Annie Kidder is the Executive Director and a founding member of People for Education, an independent, charitable organization dedicated to supporting and advancing public education through research, policy development, and public engagement. Raised in a mining family, Annie experienced a peripatetic childhood, attending twelve schools across Canada, from Labrador to British Columbia. This experience shaped her commitment to advocating for public education. 

Early in Annie’s career, the dialogue surrounding education in Ontario was polarized, with no objective, evidence-based voice “in the middle.” In 1997, alongside a group of parents who recognized public education as a key civil society issue, Annie helped to found People for Education. Since then, she has become a leading expert on education policy and funding, regularly advising policymakers and governments in Canada and beyond.

Annie’s writing on education has been widely published, and she is frequently sought out by the media for her expertise. Known for her ability to communicate complex issues in an accessible way, she consistently links education to broader social and economic goals. She has spoken at conferences in Canada, the United States, Europe, Africa and South America as an expert on education issues.

Annie is the recipient of the Ontario Principals’ Council 2004 Outstanding Contribution to Education Award, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation 2005 Public Education Advocacy Award, and an honorary doctorate from York University in 2018.