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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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

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 decisionmaking.

Evie Blad, April 10, 2026

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5 min read

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

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?

Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, April 9, 2026

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7 min read

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

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.

Sarah D. Sparks, April 9, 2026

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4 min read

Canva

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.

Olina Banerji, April 8, 2026

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1 min read

Photo illustration by Gina Tomko/Education Week + Canva

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.

Sarah D. Sparks & Gina Tomko, April 6, 2026

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1 min read

At Westwood High School, shown here on Oct. 18, 2022 in Mesa, Ariz., teachers combine classes and grades rotating between big group instruction, one-on-one interventions, and small study groups. Teachers find collaborative teaching models generally more useful than other PD models like seminars.

Matt York/AP

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.

Sarah D. Sparks, April 3, 2026

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4 min read

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Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens speaks after being announced as AASA National Superintendent of the Year in Nashville, Tenn. on Feb. 12, 2026.

Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week

School & District Management Video Meet the 2026 Superintendent of the Year
A Texas schools chief says his leadership is inspired by his own difficulties in school.

Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Kaylee Domzalski, February 19, 2026

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1 min read

Students playing basketball at Parkway Sports & Health Science Academy on Feb. 21, 2025, in La Mesa, Calif. Some schools are using sports as a way to help students develop social-emotional skills.

Ariana Drehsler for Education Week

Student Well-Being & Movement Want Kids to Have Better SEL Skills? Try Using Sports
In a panel discussion, district leaders and an expert discuss why sports is a great place to learn life skills.

Lauraine Langreo, February 19, 2026

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3 min read

Superintendents and attendees get ready for the start of the AASA National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn. on Feb. 11, 2026. A team of highlighted new scenario-based role-playing tools that district leaders can use to prep for tough conversations with school board members and other constituencies.

Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week

School & District Management Simulations Aim to Prepare Superintendents to Handle Political Controversies
The exercises, delivered virtually or in-person, can help district leaders role-play volatile discussions.

Evie Blad, February 19, 2026

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3 min read

Professional Development Three Ways Principals Are Reinventing Professional Development
Give teachers more ownership over their learning, say principals.

Olina Banerji, February 18, 2026

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1 min read

Valley View Elementary School Principal Jason Kuhlman delivers food donations to school families on Feb. 3, 2026, in Columbia Heights, Minn. School leaders in the Twin Cities have been trying to assuage the fears of over immigration enforcement.

Liam James Doyle/AP

School & District Management What School Leaders Should Do When Parents Are Detained (DOWNLOADABLE)
School leaders are increasingly in need of guidance due to heightened immigration enforcement.

Ileana Najarro, February 17, 2026

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1 min read

Bad Bunny performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif.

Charlie Riedel/AP

School & District Management Opinion Why Bad Bunny’s Half-Time Performance Was a Case Study for School Leadership
The megastar’s show was an invitation in a challenging moment. Did you catch it?

Peter DeWitt & Michael Nelson, February 17, 2026

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3 min read

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