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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"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

Corrina González, right, was a paraeducator who built a permanent career as an immersion teacher in the Fresno, Calif., district through one of its many teacher pipelines. She got intensive support from her mentor, Elica Gutierrez, left. The women meet in a regular coaching session at John Burroughs Elementary on November 6, 2025.

Andri Tambunan for Education Week

Recruitment & Retention Dozens of Teacher Pathways Fuel This District’s Talent Pipeline
A California district's homegrown teacher pathways work to secure a stable, well-trained teaching force.

Sarah D. Sparks, March 4, 2026

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12 min read

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Robert Neubecker for Education Week

School & District Management Opinion 5 Things That HR Directors Wish Teachers Knew
Here's how you can get the most out of your school's human resources office.

Anthony Graham, March 20, 2026

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5 min read

A sanitation worker picks up trash next to a mural of César Chavez in Bakersfield, Calif., on March 19, 2026. Schools around the country are weighing how to respond to new allegations about the labor leader.

Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP

Families & the Community Schools Named for César Chavez Face Renaming Debates After Assault Allegations
Dozens of schools named for the labor leader are weighing how to respond to new allegations.

Evie Blad, March 19, 2026

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6 min read

President Ronald Reagan addresses the National Association of Secondary School Principals convention in front of an old fashion red school house, background, Feb. 7, 1984 in Las Vegas, Nev. Standing behind Reagan are NASSP officials.

Doug Pizac/AP

School & District Management Q&A Meet the National Principals Association: Why the 110-Year-Old Org. Rebranded
Elementary school leaders will add new priorities for the national organization.

Olina Banerji, March 17, 2026

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6 min read

A high school student rests during a health class about sleep habits in Mansfield, Ohio, on Dec. 6, 2024. Researchers found that the number of teens getting insufficient sleep, defined as seven hours or less a night, rose from 69% in 2007 to 78% in 2023.

Phil Long/AP

Student Well-Being & Movement Teens Are Sleeping Less. Why Schools Should Be Worried
Lack of sleep is directly tied to lower academic performance.

Arianna Prothero, March 17, 2026

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4 min read

iStock/Getty

Student Absenteeism What Happens When a Shorter School Calendar Meets Chronic Absenteeism?
Short academic years hinder efforts to catch up students, study finds.

Sarah D. Sparks, March 17, 2026

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4 min read

Sonia Pulido for Education Week

Recruitment & Retention Opinion Want to Retain Teachers? Ask the Right Questions Before Hiring Them
Teachers will want to stay in schools that meet their needs as professionals and as humans.

Larry Ferlazzo, March 16, 2026

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11 min read

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