Carla Santorno, the superintendent of Tacoma, Wash., schools, and Aimee Rainey, the principal of Florence City Middle School in Alabama, were honored with the Women in School Leadership Award at the annual gathering of school superintendents in Phoenix, Ariz.

Thomas Tucker is the superintendent of Princeton City Schools in suburban Cincinnati, and was one of four finalists for the award.

Teachers have cited the conditions at Spain Elementary-Middle and other Detroit schools as the motivating force behind several sickouts earlier this school year.

The AASA, the School Superintendents Association, kicks off its annual conference in Phoenix with sessions exploring the common standards, education equity, technology innovation, student well-being, and instructional leadership.

Superintendent Bilal Tawwab shares stories about "the constant stress over unsafe water that disrupts the life of a community that already faces a multitude of challenges."

The National Association of Secondary School Principals and McKinsey Academy, an arm of the global management-consulting firm, have joined forces to launch a series of executive courses for principals and other school leaders.

On Feb. 9, Education Week is asking principals to use the hashtag #APrincipalsDay on Twitter and Instagram to share snapshots that capture their experiences as school leaders.

The financially strapped school district has begun using money budgeted for other departments to fix the most urgent building problems.

Lisa Epstein, a principal at Chicago's Richard Henry Lee school, grew up in Flint, Mich., and launched an effort in her school community to collect bottled water for children and families in her hometown.

Philip Lanoue, the AASA Superintendent of the Year, is planning to take the reins in the Fulton County, Ga., schools.