Okay, we know we are the serious wonky policy blog here at EdWeek. But now it’s been a tough news month. Want to give yourself a break from difficult—but important—coverage of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School?

We have just the thing: Our annual Leaders To Learn From report. EdWeek reporters profiled a dozen outstanding district leaders all around the country.

Their stories are pretty inspiring.

We wrote about a student wellness supervisor who infuses social and emotional learning into physical education classes. A director of blended learning who is working to make sure online classes are truly high quality. An air-force vet who is bringing a new climate and culture to a Southern California school district. A retired superintendent who came up with a creative solution to the substitute teacher puzzle. And the homegrown Chicago educator who’s just recently ascended to the top job in that city’s public schools.

My own profile was of Joseph Meloche, the superintendent in Cherry Hill, N.J. He holds more than a dozen townhalls with students every year, at least three at every middle and high school in the district. Student feedback has helped reshape everything in Cherry Hill, from summer reading to biology class to school lunches. He was one of my favorite interviews of the year.

Don’t miss the report! You can find all the profiles here.

Photo: Joseph Meloche, the superintendent in the Cherry Hill, N.J., public schools, talks with a student and his father. --Swikar Patel/Education Week