District Leadership

Learn more about the work of district-level leaders including superintendents, chief academic officers, and other administrators
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.
The finalists for superintendent of the year, from left: Roosevelt Nivens, Demetrus Liggins, Sonia Santelises, Heather Perry
The finalists for superintendent of the year, from left: Roosevelt Nivens, Demetrus Liggins, Sonia Santelises, and Heather Perry.
Courtesy of AASA
School & District Management 4 Top Leaders Led Through Change. One Will Be Superintendent of the Year
They've boosted academic outcomes, piloted teacher apprenticeships, and steered through rapid growth.
Evie Blad, December 16, 2025
3 min read
Image of a worker juggling tasks
DigitalVision Vectors
School & District Management Insights on Superintendents: How They Spend Their Time, Stress Levels, and More
Here's an interactive look at the nation's superintendents by the numbers.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, December 15, 2025
1 min read
School & District Management Video The Enemy of Smart, Strategic Spending Decisions in K-12 Districts: Leadership Churn
The EdWeek Research Center surveyed district leaders on the barriers to long-term thinking.
Sean Cavanagh & CJ Riculan, December 11, 2025
2:58
Vector illustration on businessman and business woman on a crossroad. Searching of right path. Decision and brainstorming concept.
Liz Yap/Education Week and DigitalVision Vectors
School & District Management Sales & Marketing Insights Free Download: Your Guide to Engaging K-12 Leaders
Engage K-12 leaders with clarity, credibility, and impact.
December 9, 2025
businesswoman building steps. Symbol of success, achievement, ambition, upskills and self development strategy concept
iStock/Getty Images
Equity & Diversity Opinion How to Help More Women Advance to the Superintendency
Despite ambition and talent, not enough female teachers break the glass ceiling as district leaders.
Krista Parent, December 9, 2025
4 min read
Businesspreson looks at stairs in the door of dollar sign.
iStock/Getty and Education Week
School & District Management Superintendents Think a Lot About Money, But Few Say It's One of Their Strengths
A new survey also highlights how male and female superintendents approach the job differently.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, December 5, 2025
6 min read
Screenshot 2025 11 18 at 7.49.33 AM
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School & District Management Opinion The 5‑Minute Clarity Reset: How a Small Pause Can Change a Big Decision
Stuck in a spin? This practice can help free an education leader to act.
Peter DeWitt & Michael Nelson, December 3, 2025
5 min read
A team of people collaborate with AI to create policy.
iStock/Getty + Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Q&A How This District Got Students, Teachers, Parents, and Leaders to Agree on AI
One Southern California school system went slower in developing guidelines in order to build buy-in.
Alyson Klein, December 2, 2025
3 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion Have Politics Hijacked Education Policy?
School boards should be held more accountable to student learning, says this scholar.
Rick Hess, December 2, 2025
8 min read
Screenshot 2025 11 20 at 5.50.16 PM
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Professional Development Opinion Calling Yourself a 'Lead Learner' Doesn't Make It So
As an educator, knowing your job well can dull your desire to grow. There's a way to change that.
Michael Nelson & Peter DeWitt, November 23, 2025
5 min read
A student arrives at Morrisville Middle/Senior High School.
Mason Wargo, 17, a student at Morrisville Middle/Senior High School, stands in the hallway in the school in Morrisville, Pa., on Nov. 13, 2025. Wargo was concerned about how a legislative impasse that resulted in a much-delayed state budget would affect his ability to graduate this year.
Rachel Wisniewski for Education Week
Budget & Finance A School District Almost Had to Close Mid-Year. What Happened?
A school district's close call with financial despair offers a reminder that school funding is perennially precarious.
Mark Lieberman, November 21, 2025
14 min read
Illustration of scissors, glue, a ruler, and pencils used to create a cut paper collage forming a small school.
iStock/Getty
School Choice & Charters Opinion 'This Place Feels Like Me': Why My School District Needed a Microschool
A superintendent writes about adding a small, flexible learning site to his district's traditional schools.
George Philhower, November 19, 2025
4 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion The Difference Between 'Solving a Problem' and 'Changing Patterns' in Schools
Advice on getting new habits to stick.
Rick Hess, November 18, 2025
8 min read
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent is seen in Park Ridge, Ill., Sept. 19, 2025.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent is seen in Park Ridge, Ill., Sept. 19, 2025. A lawsuit filed by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita accuses the Indianapolis schools of restricting ICE's access to school grounds.
Erin Hooley/AP
School & District Management School District Sued Over ‘Thwarting’ ICE Says Indiana AG’s Lawsuit Is ‘Silly’
The lawsuit says Indianapolis Public Schools blocked ICE from school grounds without a warrant or emergency.
Julia Marnin, The Herald (Rock Hill, S.C.), November 11, 2025
4 min read