Lessons In Leadership: Roanoke superintendent puts equity in action through career and technical ed

For Verletta White, navigating and avoiding misunderstandings is a matter of listening, identifying pain points and finding common ground.

By Roger Riddell • March 1, 2023

Lessons In Leadership: How a suburban Illinois district revisited safety after tragedy

Following an Independence Day parade mass shooting, Superintendent Michael Lubelfeld began his district’s response with community engagement.

By Roger Riddell • Jan. 26, 2023

Lessons In Leadership: 5 key takeaways from a year of school leader conversations

In case you missed any of 2022’s installments, we’ve highlighted some leading insights on student voice, community engagement and more.

By Roger Riddell • Jan. 3, 2023

Lessons In Leadership: What’s it like leading a district accountable to federal, state and tribal law?

With a deep understanding of challenges facing tribal families, Quincy Natay has raised standards and achievement in Chinle Unified School District.

By Roger Riddell • Nov. 30, 2022

Lessons In Leadership: How a principal raised student voice to build ‘Connections’ across New England

During his 10 years leading Massachusetts’ Sutton High School, Ted McCarthy has focused on pushing student and teacher input to the forefront.

By Roger Riddell • Oct. 26, 2022

Lessons In Leadership: How Virginia Beach prioritizes communication, military community engagement

As a homegrown leader, Superintendent Aaron Spence also brings outside perspective from leadership stints in Texas and North Carolina to his district.

By Roger Riddell • Sept. 28, 2022

Lessons In Leadership: Florida superintendent shares takeaways from Finnish schools

During a cultural exchange trip, Putnam County School District Superintendent Rick Surrency gained insight on playtime, standardized testing and more.

By Roger Riddell • Sept. 6, 2022

Lessons In Leadership: Dallas superintendent reflects on wins, challenges ahead of second retirement

Michael Hinojosa shared how he's navigated sometimes tense relationships with lawmakers, the importance of succession planning and more.

By Roger Riddell • May 19, 2022

Lessons In Leadership: How a former pastor examined the ‘why’ of education to improve a rural district

An Idaho superintendent details how he went from the sanctuary to the superintendency to expand opportunities in a high-migrant population district.

By Roger Riddell • April 13, 2022

Lessons In Leadership: How trauma-informed practices fuel student support in a Missouri district

University City Superintendent Sharonica Hardin-Bartley ensures the needs of the whole child are front-and-center from academics to discipline and beyond.

By Roger Riddell • Jan. 31, 2022

Lessons In Leadership: 6 key takeaways from a year of school leader conversations

In case you missed any of this year's installments, we've highlighted some of the best insights on teacher retention, student engagement and more.

By Roger Riddell • Jan. 3, 2022

Lessons In Leadership: Pennsylvania principal focuses on school-family relationships to boost opportunities

For Tara Desiderio, increasing inclusivity for an eclectic student body with a variety of individual needs means focusing first on parent communication.

By Roger Riddell • Oct. 19, 2021

Lessons In Leadership: How a principal balanced teaching a class while leading through a pandemic

For middle school principal Jessica Cabeen, leadership is all about building authenticity and trust — while also navigating a TikTok challenge or two.

By Roger Riddell • Sept. 28, 2021

Lessons In Leadership: How a Georgia principal prioritized students in school turnaround efforts

Marietta High School Principal Keith Ball says being a consistent presence in students' lives matters just as much as logistical overhauls he's overseen.

By Roger Riddell • Aug. 31, 2021

Lessons In Leadership: How a superintendent tapped SpaceX to help close homework gap

With a high ELL population, Texas' Ector County Independent School District is also committed to multilingual programming and parent engagement.

By Roger Riddell • July 20, 2021

Lessons In Leadership: How can districts improve recruitment, retention for male teachers of color?

In South Carolina's Richland School District Two, Superintendent Baron Davis has also prioritized strong magnet programming and facilities improvements.

By Roger Riddell • June 22, 2021

Lessons In Leadership: 4 district leaders share advice for addressing burnout

As several spring resignations nationwide illustrate, the toll of an unprecedented year of disruption is being felt at all levels of K-12.

By Roger Riddell • June 2, 2021

Lessons In Leadership: Texas superintendent stresses importance of speaking to people’s hearts

Klein Independent School District's Jenny McGown says clear, transparent and empathetic messaging has been crucial during the pandemic.

By Roger Riddell • April 27, 2021

Lessons In Leadership: South Carolina principal works nights to help families

When Henry Darby saw struggles increase for families in his high school during the pandemic, he took a second job at Walmart to help them make ends meet.

By Roger Riddell • March 23, 2021

Lessons In Leadership: How a suburban Chicago district went ‘all-in’ with teacher training

Superintendent Ken Wallace credits strong student achievement and educator retention to a model that prioritizes experimentation, coaching and teacher leadership.

By Roger Riddell • Feb. 23, 2021

Lessons in Leadership: Principal’s viral music video highlights commitment to school culture

For Quentin Lee, injecting some fun into the day — whether directly or through MC Hammer parodies — is critical to building relationships and engagement.

By Roger Riddell • Jan. 19, 2021

Lessons In Leadership: 3 areas K-12 administrators shined in an unprecedented year

As COVID-19 disrupted schools, leaders quickly pivoted to adapt academics to remote learning and ensure basic needs were met across school communities.

By Roger Riddell • Dec. 22, 2020

Lessons In Leadership: How a Washington district’s ‘promise’ to students guides decision-making

Superintendent Susan Enfield says a mission statement isn't enough — equity and success depend on knowing every student's name, strengths and needs.

By Roger Riddell • Nov. 17, 2020

Lessons in Leadership: What does it mean to view learning through an anti-racist lens?

Boston area principal Henry Turner says conversations should be structured so students aren't overwhelmed, and transparency is key when incidents occur.

By Roger Riddell • Oct. 20, 2020

Lessons In Leadership: How a first-year principal navigated pandemic disruption

As a Feb. 1 transition to hybrid learning approaches, Principal David Brown is continuing to implement and improve supports for students, families and staff.

By Roger Riddell • Sept. 22, 2020