District Leadership

Learn more about the work of district-level leaders including superintendents, chief academic officers, and other administrators
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2025 EdWeek Leaders To Learn From
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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
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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
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5 min read
Image of an organizational chart with "prompt."
Getty + Canva
Artificial Intelligence Why This Large District Used AI to Simplify Its Org Chart
The school system's organizational chart evolved organically for decades. Can AI bring cohesion?
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, June 10, 2026
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3 min read
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School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Events and PD for K-12 Educators?
From peer-led sessions to AI training, see how well you understand today’s K-12 professional development priorities.
June 9, 2026
Seminole County, Fla., deputies remove parent Chris Mink of Apopka from an emergency meeting of the Seminole County School Board in Sanford, Fla., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. Mink, the parent of a Bear Lake Elementary School student, opposes a call for mask mandates for Seminole schools and was escorted out for shouting during the standing-room only meeting.
Seminole County, Fla., deputies remove parent Chris Mink of Apopka from an emergency meeting of the county school board in Sanford, Fla., Sept. 2, 2021, after he opposed a call for mask mandates and shouted. A new report gives a national picture of how school board conflict, including between boards and their communities, rose during the pandemic.
Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP
School & District Management School Board Conflict Surged During the Pandemic. Has It Gone Away?
New research reveals how school boards navigated heightened levels of conflict in recent years.
Evie Blad, June 8, 2026
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5 min read
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School & District Management Opinion The 3 Predicable Struggles That Thwart Education Leadership Teams
Even highly capable leadership teams can struggle to translate their strengths into school impact.
Peter DeWitt & Michael Nelson, June 8, 2026
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4 min read
AASA National Conference on Education attendees and exhibitors arrive for registration before the start of the conference at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tenn. on Feb. 11, 2026.
Attendees arrive before the start of the AASA National Conference, which hosted scores of superintendents and district leaders, in Nashville, Tenn., on Feb. 11, 2026. The organization's new survey indicates that most superintendents want to stay put for now.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
School & District Management Superintendents Increasingly Report Economic Pressures on Their Districts
Nevertheless, most superintendents hope to remain in their current roles next year, a new survey finds.
Evie Blad, March 31, 2026
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3 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion ‘This Isn’t Working’: Educators Share Unsolicited Advice for District Leaders
How can superintendents improve student outcomes—without micromanaging teachers?
Larry Ferlazzo, March 31, 2026
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8 min read
Tue., March 10, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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School & District Management Webinar Too Many Initiatives, Not Enough Alignment: A Change Management Playbook for Leaders
Learn how leadership teams can increase alignment and evaluate every program, practice, and purchase against a clear strategic plan.
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School & District Management Sponsor From Balcony to Dance Floor: How District Leaders Rebuild Belonging in Times of Uncertainty
District leaders must balance strategy and connection to rebuild belonging, strengthen staff culture, and drive student success.
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HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 20: Students walk through the hallway to their next class at Cypresswood Elementary in Aldine ISD in Houston, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. Aldine ISD is one of the most improved school districts in the Houston area in 2025 TEA A-F ratings, increasing the district's overall score by 10 points in two years.
Elementary students walk to their next class in the Aldine Independent school district near Houston on Aug. 20, 2025. The district has decided to close 11 schools over the past three years due to a sharp enrollment drop.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
School & District Management Q&A How a School District Handled 3 Straight Years of Campus Closures
Amid 11 closures, a superintendent shares her advice for leaders in similar situations.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 6, 2026
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8 min read
collaged image of a district leader contemplating schools in their district
Education Week via Canva
Teaching Profession Download Insights for School District Leaders: How to Better Support Teachers
EdWeek's downloadable guide offers tips for K-12 leaders on how they can improve the morale of educators.
Sean Cavanagh, March 4, 2026
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1 min read
Students at Glover Middle School in Spokane, Wash. make bookmarks and snowflakes during Falcon Time on Dec. 3, 2025.
Students at Glover Middle School in Spokane, Wash. make bookmarks and snowflakes during Falcon Time on Dec. 3, 2025. The district has sought to encourage students to spend less time on devices.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A Cellphones: The 'Most Formidable Adversary' Schools Have Ever Faced
The Spokane schools in Washington paired cellphone restrictions with expanded extracurricular activities.
Alyson Klein, February 20, 2026
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5 min read
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Superintendents and attendees get ready for the start of the AASA National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn. on Feb. 11, 2026. A team of highlighted new scenario-based role-playing tools that district leaders can use to prep for tough conversations with school board members and other constituencies.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
School & District Management Simulations Aim to Prepare Superintendents to Handle Political Controversies
The exercises, delivered virtually or in-person, can help district leaders role-play volatile discussions.
Evie Blad, February 19, 2026
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3 min read