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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Waging a Fight for Equity Amid Affluence
2019 Leader To Learn From Shomari Jones advocates for low-income students and students of color whose needs are often obscured by the high-achieving, mostly affluent school system.
Shomari Jones
Elevating the Arts to Improve Student Achievement
"I believe this is the exit [from poverty] through the arts,"says fine arts instructional specialist Christie-Jo Adams of her efforts to use arts integration to help turn around three struggling schools.
A Warrior Against the Inequities in Schools
“Inclusive excellence.” That’s a vision statement and call to action for Superintendent Roberto Padilla’s school district that for too long had left behind its students most in need.
A Bold Vision for Education in Appalachia
2019 Leader To Learn From Jeff Hawkins and the staff at the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative are bent on changing the narrative about what’s possible in Appalachia.
Jeff Hawkins
Confronting and Combatting Bias in Schools
Claiming a school is inclusive doesn’t make it so, says 2019 Leader To Learn From Angela Ward. Building environments where everyone feels valued and supported takes a commitment to challenging, thoughtful work, she believes.
Angela Ward
Taking Struggling Schools to New Heights
Nonprofit foundations usually influence how school leaders work. In the case of Superintendent Wendy Wyman, the reverse turned out to be true as well.
Wendy Wyman
Pioneering Tech-Savvy Rural Schools
We don’t have the most resources, but we’re going to find a way to provide really great opportunities for our kids,” says Superintendent Suzanne Lacey.
Suzanne Lacey
On a Quest to Move Children of Poverty Into the STEM Pipeline
2019 Leader To Learn From Emilio Pack has drawn on his life experience as an immigrant to create a group of charter schools where children of color can feel they belong—and study for careers in STEM fields.
Making an Art Out of Teaching Math
Teaching math should empower teachers and students alike, says Joanna Burt-Kinderman. The instructional coach in Pocahontas County, W.Va., is one of our 2019 Leaders To Learn From.
Superintendent Turns to Students for Advice
Superintendent Joseph Meloche regularly turns to students to inform his decisionmaking in the Cherry Hill, N.J., school district. He is recognized as a 2018 Leader To Learn From.
This Superintendent Turns to Students for Advice
'I Can Be a Catalyst': Schools Chief Steers His District Onto Right Path
Superintendent Emmanuel Caulk is executing on a plan to restore confidence in Kentucky’s Fayette County school system where financial troubles and inattention to low-income, nonwhite, and special education students had drawn criticism. He is recognized as a 2018 Leader To Learn From.
'I Can Be a Catalyst': Schools Chief Steers His District Onto Right Path
A 'Perpetual Fighter' Looking Out for All Kids
Deputy Superintendent Susana Cordova’s unwavering commitment to equity for all students has led to major improvements for English-learners in Denver’s public schools. She is recognized as a 2018 Leader To Learn From.
A ‘Perpetual Fighter’ for Equity for All Students