District Leadership

Learn more about the work of district-level leaders including superintendents, chief academic officers, and other administrators
leaders social banners 2024 1720x1050
2025 EdWeek Leaders To Learn From
We're excited to reveal our 2025 leaders. These district leaders have shown persistence and creativity as they navigate the challenges facing schools in a rapidly changing world.
Meet the 2025 Leaders

Get The Strategic District Leader

Delivered weekly, this newsletter has essential news, actionable advice, and innovative ideas from your peers.
Learn More & Sign Up
WASHINGTON,DC - JUNE 10: Dr. Aaron Spence, Superintendent, Loudoun County Public Schools and Dr. Macquline King, Superintendent and CEO of Chicago Public Schools speak with US Representative Mark Takano, Democrat from California, before a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing titled “Breaking Trust: Attacks On Parental Rights, Inappropriate Content, And Legal Abuses In America’s Schools” on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Dr. Aaron Spence, the superintendent of Loudoun County schools and Dr. Macquline King, the superintendent and CEO of Chicago Public Schools speak with U.S. Representative Mark Takano, D-Calif., before a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing. Superintendents say they're anxious about financial pressure in the upcoming school year—but committed to providing students with the opportunities and resources they need to thrive.
Jabin Botsford For Education Week
School & District Management Funding, Tech, Politics: Here’s What's Weighing on District Leaders This Year
Superintendents worry that funding challenges may overshadow student growth.
Olina Banerji, August 21, 2026
•
1 min read
Numberpad visible on keyboard of ASUS CX1 Chromebook, Lafayette, California, October 27, 2025.
The Canon-McMillan school district in Pennsylvania is one of a growing number of school districts that are scaling back students’ classroom screen time. Students in grades K-2 will no longer have regular access to school-issued laptops or tablets, and students in grades 3-8 will have limited access through Chromebook carts.
Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Sipa via AP Images
Classroom Technology Q&A Why This District Is Getting Rid of Chromebooks for K-2 Students
Some parents, educators, and even students are souring on the ubiquitous presence of the technology.
Lauraine Langreo, August 11, 2026
•
6 min read
Screenshot 2026 08 10 at 5.41.59 PM
Canva
School & District Management Opinion The 10 Words That Will Make You Rethink Education Leadership
Leadership isn't about status. It's about service to others.
Michael Nelson & Peter DeWitt, August 10, 2026
•
4 min read
ISTEDay2B08
Robyn Lady, a member of the Fairfax County School Board in Virginia, left, and Rachel Edoho-Eket, a principal in Howard County, Md., participate in a panel discussion titled "Building Trust With Families in a Skeptical Age" at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., on June 30, 2026. The growing backlash against the overuse of technology in schools is forcing school and district leaders to have some difficult conversations with parents.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Classroom Technology How District and School Leaders Respond to the 'Techlash' Will Be Critical
Educators recommend showing parents how technology is used for learning.
Alyson Klein, August 4, 2026
•
4 min read
tk
The 2026 EdWeek Leaders To Learn From.
Education Week
School & District Management Who Inspires You? Nominate Them For EdWeek Leaders To Learn From
Nominations are due at midnight Sept. 8, 2026. The next cohort of honorees will be recognized in February 2027.
Alyson Klein, August 4, 2026
•
3 min read
shutterstock 2421821495
Shutterstock
School & District Management Opinion Ed. Leaders Must Stop Getting Distracted by the Shiniest New Idea. Here’s How
Effective school leadership depends on slowing down, asking better questions, and reflecting.
Peter DeWitt & Michael Nelson, July 29, 2026
•
4 min read
House Education 26161628416540
San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Maria Su, right, testifies during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on parental rights and school content policies on June 10, 2026 in Washington. More superintendents are pointing to financial pressures and enrollment as top concerns.
Kevin Wolf/AP Photo
School & District Management Why Superintendents’ Top Concerns Changed Fast in 2026
Budgets and enrollment are now top of mind for district leaders, a big change from last year.
Evie Blad, July 21, 2026
•
3 min read
People stand at the counter of a pharmacy in the Queens borough of New York City, on Nov. 18, 2025. President Trump has made certain drug prices drop and has made deals with pharmaceutical companies to continue to keep prices down.
People stand at the counter of a pharmacy in the Queens borough of New York City, on Nov. 18, 2025. School district leaders in a new survey identified rising prescription drug costs as one leading cause for rising health insurance premiums that are straining district budgets.
Anthony Behar/Sipa via AP
Budget & Finance Rising Healthcare Costs Force School District Budget Tradeoffs
The growing cost of such a large expense in school district budgets requires tradeoffs, a new survey shows.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, June 26, 2026
•
4 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
School & District Management Letter to the Editor ‘We Are Very Engaged in Our Work,’ Says Superintendent
A district leader adds more context to what it's like working in his profession.
June 26, 2026
•
1 min read
Members of the school board sit on stage in the school auditorium to respond to questions from residents during the annual Town Meeting, on March 5, 2024, in Stowe, Vt. Town Meeting is a tradition that, in Vermont, dates back more than 250 years, to before the founding of the republic. But it is under threat. Many people feel they no longer have the time or ability to attend such meetings. Last year, residents of neighboring Morristown voted to switch to a secret ballot system, ending their town meeting tradition.
Members of the school board sit on stage in the school auditorium to respond to questions from residents during the annual Town Meeting, on March 5, 2024, in Stowe, Vt. A new survey suggests that political conflict that rose during the pandemic has remained relatively high for many school boards across the country.
Robert F. Bukaty/AP
School & District Management How School Board Members Really Feel About Political Conflict
Political tensions remain high for many school boards across the country, new survey data show.
Evie Blad, June 25, 2026
•
3 min read
Acting Superintendent Andres Chait at a Los Angeles Unified School District Board meeting in Los Angeles on June 23, 2026 .
Acting Superintendent Andres Chait at a Los Angeles Unified School District Board meeting in Los Angeles on June 23, 2026. LAUSD has named Chait its new superintendent on a permanent basis following Alberto Carvalho's resignation earlier this week.
Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via TNS
School & District Management LAUSD Taps Interim Chief as Superintendent 3 Days After Carvalho's Resignation
Andres Chait has served as a teacher, principal, and regional superintendent in Los Angeles.
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, June 25, 2026
•
6 min read
20260622 AMX US NEWS WHAT ALBERTO CARVALHOS RESIGNATION MEANS 1 LD
Alberto Carvalho, then the Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent, listens to parents of students at a Los Angeles high school on March 30, 2022. Carvalho resigned from his position Sunday night under the cloud of a failed AI chatbot initiative and an FBI investigation.
Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG
School & District Management Lessons Learned About Bold Tech Initiatives From the LAUSD Chief's Departure
Bold initiatives can cut both ways, says a leadership expert, sparking achievement gains or falling apart.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, Arianna Prothero & Jennifer Vilcarino, June 23, 2026
•
8 min read
Los Angeles Schools Federal Raid 26059057494102
Alberto Carvalho speaks about Los Angeles students' improved scores before Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation related to student literacy in Los Angeles on Oct. 9, 2025. The Los Angeles Unified superintendent, facing an FBI investigation, resigned June 21.
Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo
School & District Management Carvalho Resigns as L.A. Unified Superintendent Amid Federal Investigation
Alberto Carvalho has been under FBI investigation for four months after a failed AI chatbot venture.
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, June 22, 2026
•
6 min read
WASHINGTON,DC - JUNE 10: Dr. Macquline King, Superintendent and CEO of Chicago Public Schools speaks with Mr. Johnathan Smith, Managing Director, Education and Federal Strategic Advocacy, National Center for Youth Law and Dr. Aaron Spence, Superintendent, Loudoun County Public Schools with US Representative Mark Takano, Democrat from California, before a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing titled “Breaking Trust: Attacks On Parental Rights, Inappropriate Content, And Legal Abuses In America’s Schools” on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Chicago Superintendent Macquline King speaks with Johnathan Smith, the managing director for education and federal strategic advocacy at the National Center for Youth Law, and Loudon County, Va. Superintendent Aaron Spence, before a hearing on parents rights in schools on Capitol Hill on June 10, 2026 in Washington.
Jabin Botsford/For Education Week
Families & the Community Lawmakers Grill Superintendents on Transgender Student Policies
The districts' policies around transgender students were repeatedly questioned.
Evie Blad, June 10, 2026
•
5 min read