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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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

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

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3 min read

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