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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A display indicating a detected weapon is pictured on an Evolv AI weapons detection system in New York City, on March 28, 2024. Lawmakers in Georgia are weighing a bill that would require all public schools to have weapons-detection systems or metal detectors at building entrances. While supporters say the systems make schools safer, critics say the technology has limitations.

Barry Williams/New York Daily News via TNS

School Climate & Safety States Push AI Weapons Detection as Part of School Safety
Three states are considering whether to require weapons-detection systems at school entrances.

Evie Blad, March 26, 2026

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5 min read

Liz Yap/Education Week with E+

School & District Management Principal Turnover Went Down in This State. But That’s Not the End of the Story
North Carolina lowered its principal attrition rate. Those who stay report working conditions haven’t changed.

Olina Banerji, March 26, 2026

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6 min read

Attorneys representing New Mexico and those working for Meta talk following a verdict that found the social media company willfully violated New Mexico's consumer protection laws, on March 24, 2026, in Santa Fe, N.M. Schools have been paying increasing attention to how the use of social media can harm students.

Nathan Burton/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP, Pool

Student Well-Being & Movement Jury Finds Meta Platforms Harm Children. Why School Districts Are Eyeing This Verdict
A trial scheduled for this summer pits school districts against social media companies.

The Associated Press, March 25, 2026

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6 min read

Fred Rogers rehearses a segment of his television program "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" in Pittsburgh in this June 8, 1993 file photo.

Gene J. Puskar/AP

Student Well-Being & Movement Teachers Keep the Lessons of 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' Alive in the Classroom
Teachers say Fred Rogers' work has informed how they weave together academic and SEL lessons.

Sarah D. Sparks, March 25, 2026

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4 min read

Backpacks at a middle/senior high school in Morrisville, Pa., on Nov. 13, 2025. A new analysis explores the progress of schools in fighting chronic absenteeism when they communicated early with families of students at risk of becoming chronically absent.

Rachel Wisniewski for Education Week

Student Absenteeism Schools Made Steady Progress Boosting Attendance With This Strategy Change
The timing and tenor of communication with families matter, according to a new analysis.

Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 25, 2026

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5 min read

Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva

School & District Management Opinion 'When Are You Coming to Read to Our Class?': How a Principal Makes Time for Joy
When this elementary school leader began scheduling read-alouds, he noticed an immediate change.

Ian Knox, March 24, 2026

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4 min read

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School superintendents, from left, Carlos Gonzalez, of Roma Independent in Texas; John Skretta, of Lincoln, Neb., and Joe Gothard, of Madison, Wis., along with Ben Master, a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corp., discuss summer learning and student success at the National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn., on Feb. 13, 2026.

Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week

Student Achievement These Districts Turned Summer School Into an Inviting Destination for Students
Community partnerships helped with scheduling challenges. Themed programs heightened student interest.

Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 2, 2026

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6 min read

Students take recess outside an elementary school in St. Paul, Minn., on Feb. 23, 2026.

Tim Evans for Education Week

Student Well-Being & Movement School Counselors See Rising Trauma Linked to Immigration Enforcement
The school staff whose job it is to support students say they see major signs of emotional distress.

Ileana Najarro, February 26, 2026

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6 min read

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

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6 min read

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

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6 min read

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

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4 min read

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

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4 min read

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