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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School counselor Laurinda Culpepper takes down students' work on a bulletin board at Walnut Grove Elementary School, on May 13, 2020, in Olathe, Kan. According to the American School Counselor Association’s State of the Profession 2025 report, many people who do not work in schools do not understand the role and value counselors have for school communities.

Charlie Riedel/AP

Student Well-Being & Movement School Counselors’ Jobs Are Misunderstood. Why It Matters
New report examines the challenges school counselors are facing and how to address them.

Lauraine Langreo, April 1, 2026

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4 min read

School & District Management Not Every Assistant Principal Wants the Top Job: 5 Views From the Field
Promotions are welcome. But assistant principals don’t plan their lives around it.

Olina Banerji, April 1, 2026

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2 min read

Attendees arrive before the start of the AASA National Conference, which hosted scores of superintendents and district leaders, in Nashville, Tenn., on Feb. 11, 2026. The organization's new survey indicates that most superintendents want to stay put for now.

Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week

School & District Management Superintendents Increasingly Report Economic Pressures on Their Districts
Nevertheless, most superintendents hope to remain in their current roles next year, a new survey finds.

Evie Blad, March 31, 2026

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3 min read

Students from Columbus, Ohio, wait outside a barrier at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, where congressional leaders were having a news conference about the federal government shutdown on Oct. 15, 2025. A new survey shows students want more of a voice in shaping government decisions.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Student Well-Being & Movement Parents and Kids Feel Shut Out of Policymaking. What Schools Should Know
New survey reveals parents and kids want more voice in government decisions.

Arianna Prothero, March 31, 2026

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4 min read

Sonia Pulido for Education Week

School & District Management Opinion ‘This Isn’t Working’: Educators Share Unsolicited Advice for District Leaders
How can superintendents improve student outcomes—without micromanaging teachers?

Larry Ferlazzo, March 31, 2026

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8 min read

Dan Page for Education Week

School & District Management Opinion We’re Not Preparing Principals for the Real Job of School Leadership
A shocking amount of school leadership is not about students. It is about adults.

Meagan Booth, March 27, 2026

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4 min read

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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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