About EdWeek Leaders To Learn From

  • EdWeek Leaders To Learn From is the only district recognition program run by a news organization.

    The aim: To shine a spotlight on some of the nation’s often overlooked K-12 district leaders—highlighting their innovative strategies, profiling their track records of success, and sharing their insights and road maps with the field at large. In a sea of negativity, these leaders and their impact on students’ academic and social growth often go unnoticed.

    Our annual profiles highlight all levels of district leadership: superintendents, food-service leaders, student services coordinators, budget officers, and transportation and facilities managers, among others.

    Preparing students for an uncertain future

    Our 2026 EdWeek Leaders to Learn From are making core subjects relevant for students through a deep focus on career readiness, navigating the political blowback that come with focusing on equity, harnessing technology to reach students with significant cognitive disabilities, or working with families to ensure that every child can thrive inside and outside of school.

    Martha Salazar-Zamora, Tomball ISD’s superintendent, spotted a for-sale oil field-services site and envisioned a career and technical education hub where others saw only abandoned buildings. She purchased the property at a fraction of its value, transforming warehouses and office spaces into classrooms, labs, and an agricultural arena that now host programs in aviation, graphic design, law enforcement, and legal studies. Under her leadership, CTE enrollment has grown by thousands, students are earning industry certifications at record rates, and work-based learning has nearly tripled. Salazar-Zamora credits a strong team and supportive school board for turning a once-improbable plan into a thriving innovation center that prepares students for life after high school.

    Alex Moseman, executive director of talent acquisition for Knox County Schools in Tennessee, has reimagined how a large district staffs its schools. By extending the hiring cycle into a year-round operation, streamlining applications with a new online system, and giving principals flexible control over vacant positions, Moseman has helped the 4,700-teacher district start school nearly fully staffed for two straight years, reversing a once chronic teacher shortage. Drawing on his experience as a teacher and recruiter, he combines data-driven strategies with trust in school leaders, focusing on practical, scalable improvements that ensure students have stable classrooms while supporting staff growth and retention.

    Debra McAdams, executive director of the department of exceptional education for Nashville schools since 2009, has transformed a deeply segregated system into one where students with disabilities learn alongside their peers in neighborhood schools whenever possible. Guided by the principle that all students are general education students first, she has expanded inclusive practices, professional development, and co-teaching strategies, while ensuring classroom supports, IEP alignment, and family engagement. A former special education teacher herself, McAdams combines legal expertise, strategic vision, and hands-on care for students, driving a continuous-improvement approach that has increased inclusion rates from 36% to 76% over 15 years, and reshaped the district’s culture around equity and belonging.

    Cory Alexander, director of child nutrition for Arizona’s Osborn School District, has transformed the district’s school food program into a student-centered, scratch-cooked, locally sourced operation that treats cafeteria staff as skilled professionals. Under his leadership, participation in school means has soared to 96%, while the district expanded training, pay, and nutrition education for students and families. Alexander combines creativity, strategic planning, and community engagement to build partnerships with local farms, involve students in menu design, and navigate federal policy changes, all while emphasizing quality, equity, and sustainability in school meals.

    What binds this year’s leaders together is their commitment to equip students with practical skills, inclusive opportunities, and real-world experiences they need to thrive in an evolving economy and more diverse society.

    History

    Our EdWeek Leaders To Learn From honorees have gone on to receive national accolades and have become sought after experts and speakers in their respective fields. They include 2021 honorees Quincy Natay and Valerie Bridges, who have been recognized as the Superintendents of the Year in Arizona and North Carolina, respectively; and Tiffany Anderson, a member of the 2015 class, who is now the Topeka, Kan., superintendent and a leading speaker on educating students experiencing poverty.

    EdWeek Leaders To Learn From

    — The Editors, Alyson Klein & Daniela Franco Brown

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