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 second grader works on math problems at a school on May 20, 2025, in Denver. New research shows that children born during the pandemic who are now in 1st and 2nd grades, are showing slightly lower growth than other cohorts.

Rebecca Slezak/AP

Student Achievement The ‘Pandemic Babies’ Are Now in 1st and 2nd Grade. How Are They Doing?
Achievement is still lower for kids who were toddlers during the pandemic—even though they didn't experience school closures.

Sarah Schwartz, March 10, 2026

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3 min read

Sonia Pulido for Education Week

Equity & Diversity Opinion The Myths and Realities of Culturally Responsive Teaching
It's time to stop thinking of culturally responsive practices as one more item on the to-do list.

Larry Ferlazzo, March 9, 2026

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15 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

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Pedestrians cross a nearly empty street in downtown Bentonville, Ark., on May 28, 2020. The superintendent there has found strategies to recruit and retain educators, including child care and affordable housing for staff.

Terra Fondriest/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Recruitment & Retention District Leaders Want to Retain Talent. They Need to Look Beyond Just Compensation
There are steps K-12 leaders can take to keep teachers and principals in the leadership pipeline, administrators say.

Jennifer Vilcarino, February 11, 2026

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6 min read

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School & District Management Opinion The News Headlines Are Draining Educators. 5 Things That Can Help
School leaders can take concrete steps to manage the impact of the political upheaval.

Peter DeWitt & Michael Nelson, February 11, 2026

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5 min read

Matthew Montgomery, the superintendent of Lake Forest schools in Illinois, is pictured at the AASA's 2026 National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn., on Feb. 11, 2026. The Lake Forest schools established a decisionmaking matrix that informs when the district speaks out on potentially thorny topics.

Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week

School & District Management Q&A When Should a School District Speak Out on Thorny Issues? One Leader's Approach
A superintendent created a matrix for his district to prevent rash decisions.

Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, February 11, 2026

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5 min read

Jaime Garcia, the dean of academics at LISA Academy North Middle-High School won a $25,000 award from the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, in part for the work he's done to build community and academic by having students help their classmates.

Milken Family Foundation

School & District Management How Two Award-Winning Educators Created Schoolwide Systems for Academic Support
Boosting student achievement should be a building-wide mission, they say.

Sarah Schwartz, February 9, 2026

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3 min read

Cory Alexander, child nutrition director for Osborn School District, meets with the middle school culinary team, chef Theresa Mazza and Maddie Furey at the Garden Cafe in Phoenix, on Jan. 21, 2026.

Adriana Zehbrauskas for Education Week

School & District Management Leader To Learn From How One Arizona District Turned School Cafeterias Into Scratch Kitchens
Osborn schools built a scratch-cooked, local lunch program—one careful step at a time.

Sarah Schwartz, February 9, 2026

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10 min read

Dr. April Brooks, director of athletics for Jefferson County Public Schools (center), watches a boys’ varsity basketball game at Jeffersontown High School in Louisville, Ky., on Jan. 9, 2026.

Madeleine Hordinski for Education Week

Student Well-Being & Movement Leader To Learn From Meet the ‘Sports Lady’ Reenergizing Her District's Athletics
This athletics leader is working to reverse post-pandemic declines, especially for girls.

Elizabeth Heubeck, February 9, 2026

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11 min read

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