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 & 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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Cory Alexander, child nutrition director for Osborn School District, poses for a portrait at the Garden Cafe in Phoenix on Jan. 21, 2026.

Adriana Zehbrauskas for Education Week

School & District Management Q&A How a Leader Developed Farm-to-Table School Lunches Without Breaking the Bank
An Arizona school nutrition director discusses how districts can overcome logistical hurdles and negotiate prices.

Sarah Schwartz, February 9, 2026

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5 min read

Laurie Lehman, the esports manager for New Mexico's Albuquerque Public Schools, visits La Cueva High School on January 23, 2026.

Ramsay de Give for Education Week

School & District Management Leader To Learn From How This Leader Uses Gaming to Change Students’ Lives
Laurie Lehman helped her district see the power of esports to illuminate new career paths for students.

Olina Banerji, February 9, 2026

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12 min read

Laurie Lehman, the esports district manager for New Mexico's Albuquerque Public Schools, speaks with Tremayne Webb, an esports coordinator, at Del Norte High School on January 23, 2026.

Ramsay de Give for Education Week

School & District Management Q&A 'Esports Are a Game-Changer': How This Leader Got Buy-in for Student Gaming
How one district leader turned esports into an opportunity for more than 1,500 students.

Olina Banerji, February 9, 2026

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4 min read

Alex Moseman, executive director of talent acquisition for Knox County Schools, checks in with students in Angela Childers’ special education class after a staffing committee meeting at Cedar Bluff Elementary School in Knoxville, Tenn., on Jan. 12, 2026.

Shawn Poynter for Education Week

Recruitment & Retention Leader To Learn From The ‘Off-Season’ That Helps This HR Director Fully Staff Schools
Knox County reimagined teacher hiring and is starting each year fully staffed.

Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, February 9, 2026

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7 min read

iStock

Professional Development Principals Need PD, Too. Here’s What They List as Top Priorities
Teacher retention and improving academic performance often top the list.

Olina Banerji, February 5, 2026

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5 min read

Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center after walking out of their classes on Feb. 2, 2026, in Pflugerville, Texas. Student walkouts across the country to protest U.S. immigration enforcement are drawing concerns about safety from school administrators and pushback from some politicians.

Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP

School & District Management Free Speech Debates Resurface With Student Walkouts Over ICE Raids
As students walk out to protest immigration enforcement tactics, schools face questions about safety and speech.

Evie Blad, February 5, 2026

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5 min read

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