Leadership

Education news, analysis, and opinion about effective school and district leadership

EdWeek Leaders To Learn From

We are excited to introduce our 2026 class of EdWeek Leaders To Learn From. These district leaders have shown persistence and creativity as they navigate the challenges facing schools in an increasingly diverse, rapidly changing world.
Meet the 2026 Leaders

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It’s really hard to change somebody’s habit when they are in their 60s, and they’re having congestive heart failure. I wanted to make a difference in somebody’s life earlier on.

Cory Alexander, Director of Child Nutrition, Osborn School District, Ariz.

So one of the things that I really took charge of was: How do we get females back into sports?

April Brooks, Executive Director of Athletics and Activities, Jefferson County Public Schools, Ky.

I love breaking the mold and breaking the rules and bringing esports as an ambassador. I love it.

Laurie Lehman, Esports District Manager, Albuquerque Public Schools

We are all part of one big community, and the earlier that everybody understands that for all of our students, the more accepting everyone is.

Debra McAdams, Executive Director of the Department of Exceptional Education, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, Tenn.

I want to get to this 24/7 always-open concept ... and not miss out on anyone who wants to work here.

Alex Moseman, Executive Director of Talent Acquisition, Knox County Schools, Tenn.

Purchasing the oil and gas company site, which is now the Tomball Innovation Center, it was a dream in my head that grew and grew and grew.

Martha Salazar-Zamora, Superintendent, Tomball Independent School District, Texas

As many times as I would say, ‘There are so many opportunities,’ [I know] I’m a middle-age, white woman [saying] this to young Hispanic, mostly male students who were having to drop out.

Elizabeth Stringer-Nunley, English Learner Lead, Galax City Public Schools, Va.

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A display indicating a detected weapon is pictured on an Evolv AI weapons detection system in New York City, on March 28, 2024. Lawmakers in Georgia are weighing a bill that would require all public schools to have weapons-detection systems or metal detectors at building entrances. While supporters say the systems make schools safer, critics say the technology has limitations.

Barry Williams/New York Daily News via TNS

School Climate & Safety States Push AI Weapons Detection as Part of School Safety
Three states are considering whether to require weapons-detection systems at school entrances.

Evie Blad, March 26, 2026

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5 min read

Liz Yap/Education Week with E+

School & District Management Principal Turnover Went Down in This State. But That’s Not the End of the Story
North Carolina lowered its principal attrition rate. Those who stay report working conditions haven’t changed.

Olina Banerji, March 26, 2026

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6 min read

Attorneys representing New Mexico and those working for Meta talk following a verdict that found the social media company willfully violated New Mexico's consumer protection laws, on March 24, 2026, in Santa Fe, N.M. Schools have been paying increasing attention to how the use of social media can harm students.

Nathan Burton/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP, Pool

Student Well-Being & Movement Jury Finds Meta Platforms Harm Children. Why School Districts Are Eyeing This Verdict
A trial scheduled for this summer pits school districts against social media companies.

The Associated Press, March 25, 2026

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6 min read

Fred Rogers rehearses a segment of his television program "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" in Pittsburgh in this June 8, 1993 file photo.

Gene J. Puskar/AP

Student Well-Being & Movement Teachers Keep the Lessons of 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' Alive in the Classroom
Teachers say Fred Rogers' work has informed how they weave together academic and SEL lessons.

Sarah D. Sparks, March 25, 2026

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4 min read

Backpacks at a middle/senior high school in Morrisville, Pa., on Nov. 13, 2025. A new analysis explores the progress of schools in fighting chronic absenteeism when they communicated early with families of students at risk of becoming chronically absent.

Rachel Wisniewski for Education Week

Student Absenteeism Schools Made Steady Progress Boosting Attendance With This Strategy Change
The timing and tenor of communication with families matter, according to a new analysis.

Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 25, 2026

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5 min read

Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva

School & District Management Opinion 'When Are You Coming to Read to Our Class?': How a Principal Makes Time for Joy
When this elementary school leader began scheduling read-alouds, he noticed an immediate change.

Ian Knox, March 24, 2026

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4 min read

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Canva

School & District Management Opinion School Leaders Must Protect Their Own Well-Being. Here Are the 3 Areas to Watch
Principals are under enormous stress. Don’t downplay it.

Michael Nelson & Peter DeWitt, March 8, 2026

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4 min read

"We're going to get to the standards ... but we have to make sure that our kids feel safe enough to come into our building," said Damon Lewis, the principal for Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy in Norwalk, Conn., and the National Middle Level Principal of the Year in 2025.

Allyssa Hynes/NASSP/NASSP via reporter

School Climate & Safety Q&A This Principal Puts Relationships Ahead of Content. Here’s How
A school leader discusses how he and his staff create a safe and supportive learning environment.

Lauraine Langreo, March 6, 2026

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5 min read

Elementary students walk to their next class in the Aldine Independent school district near Houston on Aug. 20, 2025. The district has decided to close 11 schools over the past three years due to a sharp enrollment drop.

Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

School & District Management Q&A How a School District Handled 3 Straight Years of Campus Closures
Amid 11 closures, a superintendent shares her advice for leaders in similar situations.

Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 6, 2026

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8 min read

California Area Elementary School teacher Heather Nicholson talks with student Shyanne Schaefer during an art lesson as part of a competency-based learning program in Coal Center, Pa., on May 16, 2024. The district designed the program, which eschews conventions like traditional lesson plans, letter grades, and age-specific classrooms, with a grant from Remake Learning, an organization that encourages schools and community organizations to innovate and design new learning opportunities. A new national commission will explore how to encourage such "learning ecosystems" in other communities.

Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week

Families & the Community A New National Effort Aims to Spread Learning Beyond School Walls
A new commission will explore strategies for schools to collaborate with their communities.

Evie Blad, March 5, 2026

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4 min read

A document included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, shown in a Feb. 10, 2026, photograph. A social media-fueled controversy drawing a shaky connection between the sex offender and a major school photo company used by 50,000 schools has led to calls for school districts to reexamine their use of the company.

Jon Elswick/AP

School & District Management Epstein and School Photos? How a Social Media Controversy Pulled in K-12 Districts
Districts have had to respond to a social-media fueled controversy about the sex offender and financier.

Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 4, 2026

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6 min read

Students make their way to class at the Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School in Newark, Delaware on February 18, 2026. The school's assistant principal, Rasheem Hollis, plays a key role in brokering resolutions when parents and teachers disagree about student discipline.

Demetrius Freeman for Education Week

Families & the Community Teachers Say Behavior Problems Aren't Just About Students. It’s the Parents
Parents are the third rail of the discipline conversation. Teachers say they need backup from their school leaders.

Olina Banerji, March 4, 2026

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10 min read

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