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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iStock/Getty

School & District Management The Wacky Thanksgiving Traditions Bringing School Communities Together
Principals encourage their students and staff to find new ways of giving back and showing gratitude.

Olina Banerji, November 25, 2025

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4 min read

Demonstrators picket against ICE outside of Hoover Elementary School in Oakland, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2025. Educators who work with immigrant families across the country are reporting increased anxiety and absences among students amid heightened immigration enforcement.

Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via AP

School & District Management From Our Research Center The Widespread Effects of Immigration Enforcement on Schools, in Charts
Educators working with immigrant families report student anxiety and absences in a new national survey.

Ileana Najarro & Alex Harwin, November 24, 2025

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6 min read

Most secondary educators don't get much teacher preparation to help students struggling to read. Realizing that its teachers needed help, the Marietta district in Georgia has invested in PD that gives high school teachers techniques for integrating word-reading, vocabulary, and other skills, like this workshop at Marietta High School on Nov. 10, 2025.

Jason Drakeford for Education Week

Professional Development Teachers Need Help Reaching Teens Who Missed Basic Reading Skills. Can PD Help?
There are far fewer PD providers to train secondary teachers on reading fundamentals.

Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, November 24, 2025

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9 min read

High school teachers learn how to teach reading to struggling older readers during an AIM training at Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga., on Nov. 10, 2025.

Jason Drakeford for Education Week

Professional Development Video How One District Is Getting Secondary Teachers Up to Speed on Reading Support
A district invests in improving secondary teachers' knowledge to help students needing reading support.

Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, November 24, 2025

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1 min read

Canva

Professional Development Opinion Calling Yourself a 'Lead Learner' Doesn't Make It So
As an educator, knowing your job well can dull your desire to grow. There's a way to change that.

Michael Nelson & Peter DeWitt, November 23, 2025

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5 min read

Mason Wargo, 17, a student at Morrisville Middle/Senior High School, stands in the hallway in the school in Morrisville, Pa., on Nov. 13, 2025. Wargo was concerned about how a legislative impasse that resulted in a much-delayed state budget would affect his ability to graduate this year.

Rachel Wisniewski for Education Week

Budget & Finance A School District Almost Had to Close Mid-Year. What Happened?
A school district's close call with financial despair offers a reminder that school funding is perennially precarious.

Mark Lieberman, November 21, 2025

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14 min read

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