School & District Management Blog

District Dossier

The District Dossier blog explored issues behind leading and managing the nation’s schools and school districts and provided analysis of trends, controversies, and good ideas in school and district leadership. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: school & district management, district leadership, and school leadership.

Image shows an illustration of a man climbing a ladder, with encouragement.
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States States Can Wield Huge Influence Over Principal Quality. Are They Using It?
A new report identifies policy levers states already have at their disposal to better prepare principals for their jobs.
Denisa R. Superville, November 30, 2020
4 min read
Superintendent Susana Cordova looks on as students work on laptops in a classroom in Newlon Elementary School early Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, which is one of 55 Discovery Link sites set up by Denver Public Schools where students are participating in remote learning in this time of the new coronavirus from a school in Denver.
Denver Superintendent Susana Cordova looks on as students work on laptops in a classroom in Newlon Elementary School. She announced earlier this month she would step down to take a job in Dallas.
David Zalubowski/AP
School & District Management Ex-Board Members, All Women, Take Denver School Board to Task
In an unusual public letter, the 14 former board members accuse the current board of driving Superintendent Susana Cordova out of the job.
Stephen Sawchuk, November 23, 2020
5 min read
Image shows a silhouette of a person learning, and the components to make that work is represented by gears.
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Professional Development What Do Principals Want From Professional Development?
Only about a quarter of elementary school principals say they've had access to a mentor or coach in the last two years, a new report finds.
Denisa R. Superville, November 19, 2020
5 min read
Parents and students demonstrate during a rally in New York calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio to keep schools open. De Blasio announced Nov. 18 that the city would return to all-remote schooling the following day.
Parents and students demonstrate during a rally in New York calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio to keep schools open. De Blasio announced Nov. 18 that the city would return to all-remote schooling the following day.
Mary Altaffer/AP
School & District Management New York City Shutters Schools After COVID-19 Rate Crosses Benchmark
The news came as a grim milestone as scores of districts continued to pull back from in-person learning.
Stephen Sawchuk, November 18, 2020
3 min read
Closed due to Covid-19 signs hang outside Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Md.
Closed due to Covid-19 signs hang outside Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Md.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Student Well-Being Schools Are Retreating to Remote Learning as COVID-19 Surges. Do They Have To?
More districts retreat to remote learning or halt reopening, jeopardizing a widespread return to in-person learning in 2020-21.
Stephen Sawchuk & Catherine Gewertz, November 17, 2020
10 min read
School & District Management What School Superintendents Want From the Biden Administration
School leaders' decisionmaking has been in the public eye during the COVID-19 pandemic. Will a new administration heed their concerns?
Stephen Sawchuk, November 11, 2020
4 min read
Education To Combat Learning Loss, New Project Hopes to Test and Scale 'High Impact' Tutoring
With six pilot sites already, the project aims to study the features of good programs and help expand them throughout the United States.
Stephen Sawchuk, November 10, 2020
4 min read
Federal Two Black Democrats Beat Republican Incumbents to Transform a Suburban School Board
The school board in Gwinnett County, Ga., will shift from a 4-1 white Republican majority to a 3-2 Black Democratic majority, mirroring demographic changes in the county.
Mark Lieberman, November 4, 2020
3 min read
School Climate & Safety School Reopening Plans and the Suburban Challenge
Equity, innovations, and logistical challenges were among the patterns found in an analysis of 18 suburban districts' reopening plans as they cope with the pandemic.
Stephen Sawchuk, October 30, 2020
3 min read
School & District Management Principals Are Stressed and Anxious, Especially Now. Here's 10 Things They Can Do
From exercise & meditation to tapping into community, here's some ways principals can give themselves support to cope with pandemic stress.
Denisa R. Superville, October 29, 2020
5 min read
School Climate & Safety What Do Parents Think of COVID 19-Era Learning Now?
The newest data show parents are still concerned about the quality of online-only learning, while those attending in-person believe schools are doing a decent job with safety protocols.
Stephen Sawchuk, October 29, 2020
4 min read
School & District Management When School Boards Diversify, Spending Priorities Shift. Here's How
Examining California school boards, a researcher found that electing just one Hispanic member impacts school spending and teacher churn.
Christina A. Samuels, October 20, 2020
2 min read
Student Well-Being From Our Research Center 5 Things You Need to Know About Student Absences During COVID-19
Absences are up whether students are learning in school buildings or at home, a new EdWeek Research Center survey finds.
Mark Lieberman, October 16, 2020
4 min read
School & District Management Philadelphia Principal Named National Principal of the Year
Richard Gordon turned around Paul Robeson High School for Human Services, which was slated for closure in 2012.
Denisa R. Superville, October 13, 2020
3 min read