Student Well-Being & Movement Video

The Top Priority for This District’s First Female Athletic Director

By Yi-Jo Shen & Kaylee Domzalski — September 18, 2025 1:53

“A child’s life is not worth one practice or one competition.”

That’s what April Brooks tells her coaches. Brooks, the first female athletic director for Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Ky., considers the safety of the students in her district to be her highest priority.

Keeping student-athletes safe in hot weather is a significant concern, to the point that Brooks jokes she’s nearly a meteorologist.

Here, she shares how she and her team work to ensure the safety of the student-athletes in their care.

Yi-Jo Shen is a contributing video producer for Education Week.
Kaylee Domzalski is a video producer for Education Week.

Video

Artificial Intelligence Video How AI Complicates Student Well-Being. What Schools Should Know
Many kids cannot tell the difference between an AI-driven chatbot and genuine human understanding.
Mathematics Video The Algebra Hurdle: One School's Strategy to Help Students Clear It
An EdWeek video describes an Indiana school's use of tutoring and courses with different levels of rigor to help students.
1 min read
Student Well-Being & Movement Video Female Athletes' Physical and Mental Struggle to Recover From Torn ACLs
For many female athletes who tear their anterior cruciate ligaments, the arduous hours spent recovering through physical therapy are only part of the battle.
1 min read
Artificial Intelligence Video AI + Math Learning. How to Solve a New Problem
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics makes the argument that teachers, principals, and district leaders must “stay up to date on current AI trends” to prepare students for the future.
1 min read