Leadership

Education news, analysis, and opinion about effective school and district leadership
Recruitment & Retention Download Ease the Teacher-Hiring Process with AI (Downloadable)
Clear criteria and privacy protections are critical when using technology to smooth the hiring process.
1 min read
Professional Development Teachers Like It. Research Is Promising. Is This the Solution to Teacher PD?
A GAO report finds that teachers like collaborative teaching—and it has some preliminary research support too.
4 min read
Recruitment & Retention AI Is Changing Teacher Hiring. Here’s How
Teachers may not be aware that AI underpins both commercial and DIY hiring systems, raising concerns.
8 min read
Student Well-Being & Movement Then & Now Schools and 'Family Values': A Reboot of a Familiar Debate
The "success sequence" is the latest in a long line of proposals to have schools take up responsible decision-making.
5 min read
Illustration using a wedding cake in the foreground, and in the background is an image of Candice Bergen, who plays the role of a single parent on the television comedy series "Murphy Brown," relaxes on the set of her Emmy-winning show during a live broadcast of the CBS "This Morning" show, Sept. 21, 1992. Bergen's character will return to her TV news anchor job and will respond to Dan Quayle's remark about glamorizing single motherhood when the show resumes its new season. (Chris Martinez/AP)
Some states want schools to teach students that they have a better shot at success if they work, get married, and have a child—in that order. Debates about these "family values" have evolved and resurfaced over the years. One firestorm happened in 1992, when TV character Murphy Brown of the eponymous comedy series, played by Candice Bergen, became a single parent—a development criticized by then-Vice President Dan Quayle as an example of "glamorizing" single motherhood.
Illustration by Education Week via Chris Martinez/AP + Canva
School & District Management Explainer The 4-Day School Week: What Research Shows About the Alternative Schedule
More schools have shifted to the four-day week. How common is it? Does it save money and attract teachers?
7 min read
Fifth-grader Willow Miller raises the U.S. and Nevada flags in a daily flag-raising ceremony to start the school day in Good Springs, Nev., on March 30, 2022. Teacher Abbey Crouse assists at right. The school, along with an elementary, middle and high school in neighboring Sandy Valley, are the only schools in the mostly urban Clark County School District to meet just four days a week.
A student raises the U.S. and Nevada flags to start the school day on March 30, 2022, in Goodsprings, Nev., where the elementary school meets four days week. A growing number of schools have turned to four-day weeks over the past two decades, sometimes for budget reasons, other times for teacher recruitment and retention. But the payoff isn't always clear-cut.
Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP
Recruitment & Retention What the Research Says This State Invested in Helping High Schoolers Become Teachers. Did It Work?
The decade-old program significantly boosted the pipeline of diverse new educators.
4 min read
Learning Support Teacher Susannah Campbell speaks with prospective applicants during William Penn School District's teachers job fair at the high school's cafeteria in Lansdowne, Pa., Wednesday, May 3, 2023. As schools across the country struggle to find teachers to hire, more governors are pushing for pay increases and bonuses for the beleaguered profession.
Learning-support teacher Susannah Campbell speaks with prospective applicants during the William Penn school district's teachers job fair in Lansdowne, Pa., on May 3, 2023. New research of a Maryland program that develops high schoolers' interest in teaching shows that such efforts can pay off.
Matt Rourke/AP
School & District Management What's Your Educator Wellness Score? Here's How to Find Out
We curated a fun way for you to take care of yourself as you worry about students, colleagues, and your school.
1 min read
Image of a zen garden and with a rock balancing sculpture.
Canva

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Unlocking Success for Struggling Adolescent Readers
The Science of Reading transformed K-3 literacy. Now it's time to extend that focus to students in grades 6 through 12.
Content provided by STARI
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
Climb: A New Framework for Career Readiness in the Age of AI
Discover practical strategies to redefine career readiness in K–12 and move beyond credentials to develop true capability and character.
Content provided by Pearson

More Leadership

  • First-graders in Chelsea, Mass. public schools meet with virtual tutors from Ignite Reading in 2025 as part of a study of the program.
    First graders in Kelly Elementary School in Chelsea, Mass. meet with virtual tutors from Ignite Reading in 2025 as part of a study of the program. The Chelsea district is now targeting 1st graders for tutoring to make sure all of them meet reading benchmarks by the end of the year.
    Courtesy of Chelsea Public Schools
    Student Achievement The Case for Reading Tutoring Before 3rd Grade, Not After
    New research suggests virtual tutoring can boost literacy learning before kids begin to struggle.
    Sarah D. Sparks, February 26, 2026
    6 min read
    Students visit the Alaqua Animal Rescue in Freeport, Fla., for an SEL-based curriculum on Aug. 23, 2025.
    Students visit the Alaqua Animal Rescue in Freeport, Fla., for an SEL lesson on Aug. 23, 2025. Social-emotional learning can be a powerful tool for boosting student engagement and improving behavior and academic performance, but experts say it has to be implemented well.
    Micah Green for Education Week
    Student Well-Being & Movement Looking for SEL's Benefits? Good Implementation Is Key, Experts Say
    How well an SEL program is implemented is critical for achieving the outcomes that research promises.
    Arianna Prothero, February 25, 2026
    6 min read
    Activists are approached by federal agents for following agent vehicles, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Minneapolis.
    Activists are approached by federal agents for following agent vehicles, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Minneapolis. Federal immigraiton enforcement disrupted learning in the Twin Cities in recent months. A new national poll of K-12 parents found most oppose immigration enforcement at or near schools.
    Ryan Murphy/AP
    Families & the Community How K-12 Parents Feel About Immigration Enforcement Near Schools
    The latest national poll found most parnets opposing ICE enforcement at or near schools.
    Ileana Najarro, February 25, 2026
    4 min read
    The Fifth Ward Elementary School and residential neighborhoods sit near the Denka Performance Elastomer Plant, back, in Reserve, La., Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. Less than a half mile away from the elementary school, the plant makes synthetic rubber, emitting chloroprene, listed as a carcinogen in California, and a likely one by the Environmental Protection Agency.
    The Fifth Ward Elementary School and nearby residential neighborhoods in Reserve, La., pictured here on Sept. 23, 2022, sit near a synthetic rubber plant that has emitted chloroprene, which California lists as a carcinogen. New research finds thousands of schools are located within a quarter mile of such environmental hazard sites.
    Gerald Herbert/AP
    Student Well-Being & Movement Millions of Students Attend Schools Near Toxic Sites, a New Study Shows
    The study explores schools' proximity to hazardous sites and students' exposure to pollutants.
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, February 25, 2026
    4 min read
    A school leader changes their perspective and focuses on the positive parts of their career.
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
    School & District Management Opinion The One Word That Educators Can Use to Reclaim Their Joy
    The work may not change, but your perspective can.
    S. Kambar Khoshaba, February 24, 2026
    3 min read
    MVCS 1981
    A sign discouraging bullying is seen as two students walk into a classroom at a school in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Feb. 12, 2026. Experts say creating a sense of belonging in school can help curb problems like bullying.
    Kevin Mohatt for Education Week
    Student Well-Being & Movement 3 Driving Questions to Create a Sense of Belonging in Schools
    Students who feel they belong in their school are more likely to show up and learn.
    Arianna Prothero, February 24, 2026
    5 min read

Resources

Recruitment & Retention Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Well Do You Know Today’s K-12 Hiring Landscape?
Assess your knowledge of the key factors driving K-12 hiring today.
Artificial Intelligence Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About AI Policy, PD and Practical Use in Your District?
Answer 7 questions about AI Policy, PD and Practical Use in Your District?
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Sponsor
Supercharged by STEM Learning: How FIRST® Robotics Boosted Volusia County Students’ State Exam Scores by 50%
Hands-on STEM programming developed by the global, youth-serving nonprofit, FIRST, is proven to improve test scores, build self-confidence, and prepare student participants for real-world success.
Content provided by FIRST
Mathematics Spotlight Spotlight on Building Foundational Math Skills and Beyond
This Spotlight will provide insights on helping students build foundational math skills.
  • Screen Shot 2026 03 08 at 9.29.05 AM
    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
    4 min read
    Damon Lewis.
    "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
    5 min read
    HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 20: Students walk through the hallway to their next class at Cypresswood Elementary in Aldine ISD in Houston, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. Aldine ISD is one of the most improved school districts in the Houston area in 2025 TEA A-F ratings, increasing the district's overall score by 10 points in two years.
    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.
    8 min read
    Heather Nicholson, a Moonshot teacher, talks with Shyanne Schaefer, a student in the program during an art lesson at California New Area Elementary School in Coal Center, Pa., on May 16, 2024.
    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
    4 min read
    A document that was included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, photographed Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, shows a photo of Epstein on a inmate report from the Federal Bureau of Prisons .
    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.
    6 min read
    Students on their way to class at the Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School in Newark, Delaware on Wednesday February 18, 2026.
    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
    10 min read

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Chief of Schools
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County Public Schools