District Leadership

Learn more about the work of district-level leaders including superintendents, chief academic officers, and other administrators
2025 EdWeek Leaders To Learn From
We're excited to reveal our 2025 leaders. These district leaders have shown persistence and creativity as they navigate the challenges facing schools in a rapidly changing world.
Too much information or spam concept. Social media internet user trying to stop hoax fake news, disinformation noise.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Online Rumors Can Tear School Communities Apart. How Leaders Are Fighting Back
AI, cellphones, and social media have complicated districts' communication strategies and have made fact-checking a crucial strategy.
Evie Blad, June 17, 2025
9 min read
A leader meets with their team. Superintendents, principals, schools leaders, district maps.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Download How to Boost Teacher Morale: A Guide for District Leaders (DOWNLOADABLE)
Our discussion guide for district leaders has three takeaways about teachers' attitudes toward their job. Use it to jump start PD with your team.
Stephen Sawchuk, June 9, 2025
1 min read
An overflow crowd attends a Temecula Valley Unified School District board meeting July 18, 2023, at which a proposed social studies curriculum was again debated and rejected.
An overflow crowd attends a Temecula Valley Unified School District board meeting July 18, 2023, at which a proposed social studies curriculum was again debated and rejected.
Will Lester/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG via TNS
School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Well Do You Understand The School Boards’ Role in K-12 Purchasing?
Vendors often underestimate how—and when—school boards shape deals. This quiz unpacks what you really need to know.
May 30, 2025
Sackets Harbor Central School District Superintendent Jennifer Gaffney poses with first-grade students during a school parade on May 16, 2025.
Sackets Harbor Central School District Superintendent Jennifer Gaffney poses with first-grade students during a school event on May 16, 2025.
Courtesy of Jennifer Gaffney
School & District Management Q&A How One District Fought to Get a Family Out of Immigration Detention
Jennifer Gaffney, the superintendent of the Sackets Harbor Central school district in New York, says leaders must do what is right for students.
Ileana Najarro, May 22, 2025
5 min read
A vector illustration of a large, red one hundred dollar bill on it's side with men in business suits balancing on the edge with some falling off.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School & District Management Do Districts Have 'Administrative Bloat'? This State May Let the Public Decide
A North Carolina bill would require districts to publish the salaries of central-office administrators.
Evie Blad, May 19, 2025
5 min read
Human hands created secure environment for children via home roof gesture. Adults taking care of vulnerable students.
Mary Long/iStock + Education Week
School & District Management Opinion Denver Superintendent: Why We Sued the Federal Government
Education leaders shouldn't remain apolitical in the face of immigration enforcement changes and other threats from the Trump administration.
Alex Marrero, May 9, 2025
6 min read
School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Well Do You Understand K-12 Leaders’ Social Media Habits?
Test your knowledge of how school and district leaders use social media—what platforms they prefer, how often they post, and getting their attention.
April 29, 2025
A hand offering a small school building.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School & District Management Opinion 'We Get to Be a Kayak': Why This Superintendent Isn't Panicking Over Politics
A small, rural district is ready to prove the relevance of its schools to parents and policymakers.
George Philhower, April 28, 2025
4 min read
Tightly cropped photo of an African American woman's hands around a paper cutout of different colored paper people.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management A Superintendent's Balancing Act Amid Trump's DEI Crackdown
Districts are trying to navigate a dizzying pace of new federal orders and continue working with as little fanfare as possible.
Caitlynn Peetz, April 23, 2025
6 min read
120122 mb data conferences 1385168396
Image by Getty
School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Marketing To District and School Leaders at Conferences and Trade Shows?
Think you know what catches a K-12 leader’s eye at conferences? Take this quiz and test your marketing savvy.
April 14, 2025
Illustration of two cliffs with a woman on one side and a man on the other. Both of them are holding a half of a cog wheel and bringing the two pieces together to bridge the gap between them.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Q&A The Skills Education Leaders Need to Meet the Moment
Natasha Trivers, CEO of Democracy Prep Public Schools, will be the next leader of the Broad Center at the Yale School of Management.
Evie Blad, April 7, 2025
6 min read
Illustration of silhouetted group of business people and binary code in abstract bright lights
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Research Is Shedding New Light on Superintendents to Help Them Succeed
An emerging body of research examining the leaders of the nation's 13,000 school districts is yielding actionable insights.
Caitlynn Peetz, April 2, 2025
6 min read
MB Data Emails 031622 GettyImages 1170828052
DenEmmanuel/iStock/Getty
School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: When Are District and School Leaders Most Likely to Read Emails?
Wondering when district and school leaders are most likely to check their emails? Take our quick quiz and discover the ideal times to send your messages for better engagement.
April 2, 2025
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion The Trump Administration Is Bullying Educators. We Can Fight Back
As just about every K-12 teacher or administrator knows, going along with a bully only encourages them.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 28, 2025
3 min read