Meet the Leaders

Each year, Education Week identifies some of the nation’s most exceptional school district leaders in its EdWeek Leaders To Learn From report and shines a spotlight on their extraordinary impact on the success of educators and students.

2026 Leaders

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2026 EdWeek Leaders To Learn From
Introducing our 2026 EdWeek Leaders To Learn From, highlighting innovative district leaders.
Meet the 2026 Leaders

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How Nashville Dismantled Segregated Classrooms for Students With Disabilities
Nashville overhauled special education to prioritize inclusion, and changed school culture.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JANUARY 14: Debra McAdams, Executive Director, Department of Exceptional Education at Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools visits Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School Of The Arts in Nashville.
A Superintendent’s Vision Turned an Oil Site Into a Career Launchpad
A Houston-area superintendent turned a bankrupt industrial site into a CTE powerhouse and revenue source for her district.
Martha Salazar-Zamora, center left, the superintendent of Tomball Independent School District, walks with colleagues on January 13, 2026, in Tomball, Texas.
Meet the ‘Sports Lady’ Reenergizing Her District's Athletics
This athletics leader is working to reverse post-pandemic declines, especially for girls.
Dr. April Brooks, the director of athletics for Jefferson County Public Schools, (center) watches a boy’s varsity basketball game at Jeffersontown High School in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday, January 9, 2026.
How This Leader Uses Gaming to Change Students’ Lives
Laurie Lehman helped her district see the power of esports to illuminate new career paths for students.
Portrait of Laurie Lehman in the classroom at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on January 23, 2026.
How One Rural District Used College Students to Keep English Learners in School
This leader's mentorship program with a local university has helped rural English learners at risk of dropping out.
Elizabeth Stringer-Nunley, English Learner lead for Galax City Public Schools, works a jigsaw puzzle with students at Galax High School on Monday Jan. 12, 2026.
How One Arizona District Turned School Cafeterias Into Scratch Kitchens
Osborn schools built a scratch-cooked, local lunch program—one careful step at a time.
Phoenix, Ariz., January 21,2026:Cory Alexander, Child Nutrition Director at Osborn School District, meets with the middle school culinary team and Theresa Mazza (glasses, Chef/ Nutrition Ed) and Maddie Furey at the garden Cafe in Phoenix, Arizona, on Jan 21,2026. They met to go over the “Appley Ever After Tres Leches Baked French Toast with Cinnamon Thyme Apples” dish for the Feeding the Future contest.
The ‘Off-Season’ That Helps This HR Director Fully Staff Schools
Knox County reimagined teacher hiring and is starting each year fully staffed.
Executive Director of Talent Acquisition for Knox County Schools, Alex Moseman, checks in with some students in Angela Childers’ special education class after a staffing committee meeting at Cedar Bluff Elementary in Knoxville, TN, on Jan. 12, 2026.
This Leader Said All Kids Will Do College-Level Work. What It Took to Get There
Jennifer Norrell led an effort to more than double the percentage of high schoolers taking AP in her district.
Dr. Jennifer Norrell, superintendent of East Aurora School District 131, visits East Aurora students at the Music Recording Studio at Resilience Education Center in Aurora, Ill., on Dec. 4, 2024.
Computer Science for All: This District Leader Is Making It a Reality
An initiative to create and expand a computer science program pays big dividends in a Colorado district.
Anna Otto, Computer Science and Online Learning Coordinator for Adams 12 Five Star Schools, and her 9-year-old son, Aiden, who was born prematurely at 28 weeks and lives with cerebral palsy, pictured at home in Longmont, Colo., in Dec. 17, 2024.
Meet the DEI Leader Using Data—and Heart—to Foster Student Belonging
A district's DEI director uses data and an approachable style to do his work despite a challenging political environment.
Ty Harris, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Virginia Beach City Public Schools, delivers closing remarks and applauds students for their work during the Power of We event at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center at Old Dominion University in Virginia Beach, Va., on Dec. 18, 2024.
This Leader Made the Tagline 'Discover Your Future' Real for Students. Here's How
Lazaro Lopez was the architect of an early national career-pathway model that is still reaping dividends for students.
Lazaro Lopez, associate superintendent for teaching and learning at High School District 214, visits the manufacturing lab at Wheeling High School, where he talks with students and their instructor, in Wheeling, Ill., on Dec. 3, 2024.
This Tech Director Is Revolutionizing Special Education With Gaming
Evan Abramson led the creation of an esports arena for students with autism spectrum disorder. It may be the first in the country.
Evan Abramson, 47, Director of Technology and Innovation at Morris-Union Jointure Commission, sits for a portrait at the school in Warren, N.J., on Jan. 15, 2025. Morris-Union Jointure Commission works primarily with students up to the age of 21 on the autism spectrum. Abramson, through his experience watching his own son with special needs play video games, helped bring an e-sports lab to life at the school in order to help students better regulate themselves.