Can public schools in a community with profound economic and racial divides overcome decades of deprivation to provide a rigorous and rich schooling experience for students?
Dennis J. Dupree Sr., the superintendent in Clarksdale, Miss., says absolutely. Read how he and his team are transforming the 3,100-student district in the heart of Mississippi’s Delta.
Can a large, urban district strapped for cash find creative ways to serve nutritious and appealing food to students? Bertrand Weber, the director of culinary and nutrition services in the Minneapolis school system, is in the middle of tackling this challenge now and has already delivered some dramatic results.
What happens when a superintendent in a large Florida district embraces charter school operators as partners, rather than adversaries? Robert Runcie, the schools chief in Broward County, has forged a productive partnership with his charter school colleagues.
This second annual Leaders To Learn From report from Education Week spotlights 16 smart and savvy district-level administrators with a diverse array of responsibilities who are delivering positive results with innovative ideas and strong execution. The report has profiles of each leader, along with videos that bring even more life to the work they are doing.
With more than 14,000 districts across the country, we know there are countless other leaders we should know about too, so send us their names and a substantive description of what they are doing to help us get a jump start on next year’s report.