In her role at Marshall County High School, Leah Beth has put in place a variety of systems to help guide students toward academic and personal goals. Among the most notable is a positive behavioral interventions and supports system that has led to fewer academic and disciplinary concerns and an ability to identify root causes of problems with attendance, behavior and achievement.

According to Kem Cothran, K-12 placement liaison at Murray State University’s College of Education and Human Services, Beth has also worked to implement co-op classes that allow students to gain up to 60 dual credits in a chosen field, as well as a teacher apprenticeship program that helps students become elementary or special education teachers.

“She takes the initiative to provide resources, opportunities and support to help all students become college or career ready,” Cothran wrote in her nomination.

In her role as coordinator of global education, Hannah Butler oversees English as a second language programming, world languages, dual language immersion and global leadership.

Her accomplishments include implementing a credit-by-demonstrated-mastery process using tools such as the American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages, which has allowed students to earn course credits based on their language skills rather than course availability.

This has also made it possible for students in rural schools who only had access to Spanish 1 and 2 to still qualify for the North Carolina Global Languages Endorsement and Seal of Biliteracy. A Seal of Biliteracy is a recognition awarded by a school, district, state or other organization that recognizes proficiency in two or more languages.

Testing options in the district have also expanded to include languages beyond Spanish, including Arabic, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole and Mandarin.

“His service to our students has shaped the culture. This culture is truly a culture of community, involvement and learning,” said Dairee Njie, instructional coach at Central Middle School.

Using a “highly research-based” approach to leadership, said Njie, Kendrick Claxton approaches challenges at Kansas City’s Central Middle School with a mix of reflection, problem-solving and patience.

Among the initiatives he has introduced are Academic Parent Nights, which focus on improving understanding of student data and bolstering parent and community involvement. He is also applauded for working to understand and support students’ needs, including by providing second chances with supportive learning time rather than using punitive measures.

“Overall, Mr. Claxton promotes pedagogical efforts that support all the students in our environment,” said Njie.

Rebecca Guest’s work to support a collaborative and supportive culture at Vienna High School has been so successful that the school earned “Strong” ratings in all five categories of Illinois’ 2024 5Essentials Survey. The annual survey of students, teachers and parents is used to identify areas of improvement for learning environment and culture at schools across the state.

Guest has also played a key role in developing comprehensive plans to expand computer science and cybersecurity education with a focus on equitable access for all students, said Phillip Hosfeldt, dean of system programs at Vienna High School.

Guest’s “Get Into the Learning Zone” campaign, aimed at refocusing students in the wake of COVID-19, highlighted the importance of distraction-free learning environments through policies that limited cellphones and backpacks during instructional time.

Furthermore, student engagement efforts like an “End of Summer Beach Party/Club Rush” have helped to build connections among students and staff, boosting engagement to the point that only eight out of 390 students reported no participation in school activities during the last school year, Hosfeldt said.

With a focus on innovation and equity, Carlos Lopez has spearheaded cutting-edge initiatives in his Michigan school district.

Seeing students as “the natives in this AI world,” Lopez’s work has contributed to the launch of the district’s AI Ambassadors program, in which students coach their teachers on artificial intelligence tools, and to Ypsilanti Community High School being recognized as the nation’s first HP AI Spotlight School. 

Lopez is also an active voice in Digital Promise’s League of Innovative Schools, sharing best practices and seeking guidance on new approaches to bring to Ypsilanti’s students and educators.

Brad Lovell has made significant operational changes in Ohio’s Sycamore County Schools that “rebuilt a fractured district from the ground up in less than two years,” said Sycamore Junior High School Principal Janelle Schunk.

Among his accomplishments listed by Schunk: creating and implementing hiring, evaluation and maintenance systems that support seven schools, and crafting handbooks and training all administrators in best practices, systems and processes.

For those who work with Lovell, this has resulted in better efficiency, accountability and consistency of procedures within the school system, Schunk said.

“Brad's clarity for structure and process has moved our district forward and allowed us to shore up systems that were detracting from the work we all want to do — educating kids!” Schunk wrote.

Currently in her third year as executive director of career and technical education in Texas’ Aldine ISD — and eighth year in the district overall — Brooke Martin is credited with leading impressive growth in career education participation. 

Under her watch, enrollment in Aldine’s more than 45 CTE programs, 117 dual credit courses and 46 industry-based certifications has grown to 20,000 students. Among the latest such programs is the Health Education and Learning (HEAL) High School, which opened in summer 2024 in partnership with Memorial Hermann Health System and is expected to expand to serve around 760 students by 2029. 

Martin has also worked with the district’s multilingual services department to provide equitable CTE access to the district’s English learners. Partnerships with CTE providers have helped improve course offerings and certifications, expanding opportunities for students.

This year, Aldine ISD was named a 2025 CTE District of Distinction by the Career and Technical Association of Texas.

“Mr. McCullough can be found first in our building each morning and is the last to leave,” Tenia Maurer, assistant principal at Currituck County High School, told K-12 Dive.

A steady presence whose decision-making skills make him a go-to for school staff on topics ranging from school operations and master scheduling to building safety plans, McCullough particularly stands out when it comes to meeting the needs of exceptional children, Maurer said in his nomination.

McCullough is seen within his district as an expert on federal, state and county policies and laws for individualized education programs and Section 504 plans, serving as district representative at all IEP meetings. He also helps coach teachers on improving instruction and curricula for all students, Maurer said.

“He is a model for how a hardworking and knowledgeable school assistant principal with his attributes can support Currituck County High School's mission and goals,” Maurer said.

With a collaborative and strategic approach to leadership, Matthew Ritter has led district improvement efforts while engaging students, parents and teachers in the process, Monique Darrisaw-Akil, superintendent of Uniondale Union Free School District, told K-12 Dive.

His work has led to social-emotional screeners being used in all of Uniondale UFSD’s secondary schools, higher graduation rates and an expansion of the district’s Advanced Placement program, Darrisaw-Akil said. 

Ritter has also overseen the launch of professional learning communities for every school in the district, shifting how educators participate in professional development by giving them more control over their own learning, a greater sense of respect, and more excitement around faculty meetings, Darrisaw-Akil said.

Moreover, he is credited with mentoring and coaching new leaders, as well as launching an aspiring leaders program that helps the district identify and grow leadership from within.

Under Yvonne Evy Wright’s leadership, the Denzel Washington School of the Arts has had a clear vision for integrating its arts focus throughout core subjects and every facet of school life.

“Teachers at the Denzel Washington School of the Arts feel supported, students are seen and heard, and families are connected largely due to Ms. Wright's inclusive approach and relentless advocacy for arts integration in education,” Principal Andrea Thomas told K-12 Dive.

Wright’s accomplishments include curating culturally responsive curricula, elevating student voices through performance and exhibition, and supporting a school climate built on diversity, creativity and excellence, Thomas said. Wright has also built partnerships with arts organizations that allow students to gain exposure to artists through mentoring relationships, and she has led professional development programming to build a deeper understanding of the arts’ impact on student achievement.

“Under her leadership, we have seen not only full participation in the arts, but an increase in academic achievement,” said Thomas.