District Strategies

Collection

District Dilemmas – Solutions for Common District Leader Challenges
District leaders around the country share how they address some of the common challenges they experience.
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4 Proven Ways Public Schools Are Reversing Enrollment Declines
Enrollment stability is a result of authentic school transformation. This paper presents four strategies successful schools have adopted to align their purpose with family priorities, build durable skills, and achieve enrollment resilience.
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School & District Management Staffing, Mentoring, Strategy: Can AI Solve Big Problems at School?
One of the sessions at the ISTE conference focused using AI for strategic questions facing schools.
Arianna Prothero, June 30, 2026
5 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.
4 min read
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A staff member from a district school carts away food and household items to donate to student families in St. Paul, Minn., February 23, 2026. Across the Twin cities, teachers and school administrators adapted to support families affected by heightened immigration enforcement.
Tim Evans for Education Week
Families & the Community As ICE Activity Rises, Schools Focus on Family Support
Since 2025, school districts have quickly adapted to shifting effects from federal immigration enforcement.
Ileana Najarro, June 22, 2026
7 min read
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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?
3 min read
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This practical guide helps district and school leaders identify and address implementation challenges, prioritize what matters most using...
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AI in K-12: From Permission to Purpose
AI is already showing up across district workflows — often faster than guidance, alignment, or visibility. Explore new insights from 1,05...
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Students return from the Ephrata, Pa. district's "maker bus" to their classrooms at Fulton Elementary School as teacher Joel Bischoff leads them on April 29, 2026. The Ephrata district parks the mobile makerspace at each of its elementary schools a few weeks at a time to allow students to complete hands-on projects. The district has oriented its teaching around projects that allow students to demonstrate skills like empathy and creativity alongside content knowledge.
Scott Lewis for Education Week
Curriculum See the Retired School Bus That High Schoolers Turned Into a Mobile Makerspace
In a Pennsylvania district, students use a bus specially outfitted for them to work on creative projects.
Evie Blad, June 4, 2026
1 min read
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Hidden Costs of Special Ed Vacancies: Solutions for Your District
When provider vacancies hit, students feel it first. Hear what district leaders are doing to keep IEP-related services on track.
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HERMOSA BEACH, CA-NOVEMBER 10, 2023, 2023: People ride an e-bike on the Strand in Hermosa Beach. In Hermosa Beach, it's against city code to use electric power on the Strand, but many e-bike riders do so anyway.
People ride an e-bike in Hermosa Beach, Calif. School districts are developing new policies as students' use of e-bikes rise, as do related crashes and traffic problems.
Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
School & District Management More Kids Are Riding E-Bikes, Causing Headaches for Schools and Hospital Visits
Districts develop new policies as students' e-bike use spikes—alongside crashes and traffic problems.
5 min read
Shepria Johnson, lead for Concentric Educational Solutions in Michigan looks for a student absent from the Westwood Community School District near Detroit on April 11, 2024.
Shepria Johnson, lead for Concentric Educational Solutions in Michigan, looks for a student absent from the Westwood Community School District near Detroit on April 11, 2024. A new study in Michigan finds some promising practices to curb student absenteeism that rely on home visiting and family engagement. But, it says, no one strategy is likely to work all on its own.
Andy Morrison/The Detroit News via TNS<br/>
Student Absenteeism What Makes Some Schools Better at Building Attendance? There's No Silver Bullet
"Deep" family engagement to boost attendance is promising, but schools must address the problem holistically.
Evie Blad, May 29, 2026
4 min read
People Crossing the Book Bridge in the Cliff Valley
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School & District Management Opinion Our Schools Are Breaking Educators. We Can Fix It
Making the teaching profession more sustainable starts with a new school leadership architecture.
Lindsay Whorton, May 18, 2026
5 min read
Two teachers meet at a table in an office with their instructional coach.
Olga Dietz and Glenda McKinney meet with coach Jenna Davis (center) at Mt. View Elementary School in Antioch, Tenn. Dietz and McKinney, teachers of English learners, co-teach kindergarten classes with general education colleagues. Regular coaching is one element of what research has shown makes professional development effective.
William DeShazer for Education Week
Professional Development How a District Stopped Relying on 'One-and-Done' Professional Development
As its population of English learners grew, a district invested in coaching and co-teaching.
Ileana Najarro, May 18, 2026
8 min read
A computer screen in English teacher Casey Cuny's classroom shows ChatGPT during class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025
A computer screen in English teacher Casey Cuny's classroom shows ChatGPT during class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2025. A school district in Washington state on the forefront of using AI in education is harnessing artificial intelligence to create customized digital teaching and learning tools.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Artificial Intelligence A District Expects to Save $200K From AI-Powered 'Vibe Coding.' Here's How
This school district is using AI coding to develop cheaper, more customized ed-tech tools.
Alyson Klein, May 8, 2026
7 min read