Meet the Leaders

Each year, Education Week identifies some of the nation’s most exceptional school district leaders in its EdWeek Leaders To Learn From report and shines a spotlight on their extraordinary impact on the success of educators and students.

2025 Leaders

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2025 EdWeek Leaders To Learn From
These district leaders have shown persistence and creativity as they navigate the challenges facing schools in a rapidly changing world.
Meet the 2025 Leaders

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A Passion for Saving Schools on the Brink
Sharon Griffin, the chief of schools in Tennessee’s Shelby County Schools, has led an urgent effort to turn around the academic performance of more than 20 low-performing schools in Memphis. She is recognized as a 2017 Leader To Learn From.
Sharon Griffin
Smart Ed-Tech Strategy That Comes From the Classroom
Joseph Williams, the technology director in California’s Perris Union High School District, demands fast responses to IT problems and insists on keeping close connections to teaching and learning by sitting in on lessons and coaching his colleagues. He is recognized as a 2017 Leader To Learn From.
Joesph Williams
Giving Parents a Prominent Voice in Schools
As the head of family engagement in Washington state’s Federal Way Public Schools, Trise Moore helps parents navigate a large bureaucracy and puts them at the center of the district’s decisionmaking. She is recognized as a 2017 Leader To Learn From.
Trise Moore
A Colorado Leader Taps Teacher Specialists to Serve All Students
In the highly diverse Adams County 50 district, Steve Sandoval brings teachers together to integrate supports for English-learners, gifted students, students with disabilities, and those in poverty. He is recognized as a 2016 Leader To Learn From.
California Leader Puts Spotlights on Long-Term English-Learners
Michael Matsuda, superintendent in the Anaheim Union High School District, has spearheaded new efforts to support English-learners who struggle for years to achieve proficiency in the language. He is recognized as a 2016 Leader To Learn From.
Meeting the Needs of English-Language Learners – Meet Michael Matsuda, 2016 Leader to Learn From
Accomplished Singer Leads Boston District’s Expansion of the Arts
Myran Parker-Brass, a classically trained mezzo-soprano, has overseen an ambitious expansion of the arts that has brought a diverse array of dance, music, theater, and visual-arts instruction to Boston’s classrooms. She is recognized as a 2016 Leader To Learn From.
Indianapolis Superintendent Enlists Charters as Allies to Improve City’s Schools
Superintendent Lewis Ferebee has embraced charter schools as an equal partner in raising student achievement and bolstering Indianapolis’ public school sector. He is recognized as a 2016 Leader To Learn From.
Connecting Schools, Diverse Families Is Mission for Nevada District Leader
As the head of the Washoe County school district’s efforts to engage families, D’Lisa Crain oversees a multi-faceted initiative to build bridges between schools and parents. She is recognized as a 2016 Leader To Learn From.
Connecting Schools and Families – Meet D’Lisa Crain, 2016 Leader to Learn From
Seasoned Educator Takes the Dread Out of Evaluations for Teachers
In the fraught world of teacher evaluation, Renee Pryor provides useful feedback and support to rookie teachers and those who may be struggling in the Lincoln County, Tenn., district. She is recognized as a 2016 Leader To Learn From.
Community Schools Blunt the Impacts of Poverty in Vancouver, Wash.
Superintendent Steve Webb and Chief of Staff Tom Hagley saw big economic changes coming to the Vancouver, Wash., district, and undertook a major initiative to place a range of supportive services for students and families in the city’s schools. They are recognized as 2016 Leaders To Learn From.
Blunting the Impact of Poverty With Community Schools – Meet Steve Webb & Tom Hagley, 2016 LTLF
Alabama Superintendent Creates Digital Hub in Rural Town
In Piedmont, Ala., Superintendent Matt Akin is leveraging educational technology to bring richer learning opportunities to students. He is recognized as a 2016 Leader To Learn From.
Building a Digital Hub in Rural Alabama – Meet Matt Akin, 2016 Leader to Learn From
In N.C. District, Leader Brings Play Back to Kindergarten
Steve Oates is leading the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County district to embrace more play-based learning in kindergarten, counter to a major trend of making early-childhood education more academic. He is recognized as a 2016 Leader To Learn From.
Bringing Play Back to Kindergarten Classrooms – Meet Steve Oates, 2016 Leader to Learn From

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