Education Week Announces 2023 Leaders To Learn From

Eleventh Annual Report Spotlights 8 Innovative and Inspiring District Leaders

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Education Week released today its 11^th annual Leaders To Learn From special issue, highlighting the work of 8 district leaders who have deployed innovative solutions to fix some of the most pressing challenges facing K-12 schools in this critical period.

Leaders of the nation's 14,000 school districts must work to meet the needs of all students, help them recover academically and emotionally from the pandemic, and prepare them for life after high school.

These challenges are tough, but not insurmountable.

This year's EdWeek's Leaders To Learn From showcases leaders who have used their talents to get better outcomes for students. They include a family and community engagement manager in Arizona, who gives students extraordinary power to decide how thousands of dollars from the district's budget are spent. Another is a Boston behavioral health director who had the foresight more than a decade ago to partner with a celebrated hospital and university to ensure a steady pipeline of mental healthcare workers to meet students' needs. The report also features a deputy superintendent from California who is committed to exposing students with disabilities to careers that will allow them to live independently after high school.

These leaders represent one of the most diverse groups of honorees since Education Week first began elevating outstanding district leaders more than a decade ago. Half of the leaders featured are people of color. They work in districts as disparate as the 900,000-student New York City public schools and the 3,000-student district in Mineral Wells, Texas.

"As our schools navigate a time of significant change and uncertainty, I am deeply impressed with the resilience and innovation of our 2023 Leaders To Learn From," said Education Week President & CEO Michele Givens. "Their unwavering dedication to providing a quality education to every student will have a lasting impact for generations to come."

"We are honored to shine a spotlight on the exemplary work of these leaders," said Alyson Klein, a project editor for Leaders To Learn From. "We hope that their example will inspire and empower educators around the country to make a difference for the students in their communities."

The 2023 Leaders To Learn From are:

• Andria Amador, Senior Director of Behavioral Health Services, Boston Public Schools, Boston, Mass.
• Tonya Clarke, Coordinator of K-12 Mathematics, Clayton County Public Schools, Jonesboro, Ga.
• Natalie Griffin, Executive Director of Special Programs, Mineral Wells ISD, Mineral Wells, Texas
• Dean McGee, Deputy Superintendent for Educational Services and Innovative Programs, Kern High School District, Bakersfield, Calif.
• Chimere Stephens, Senior Director, Diversity and Recruitment, New York City Department of Education, New York, N.Y
• Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval, Family and Community Engagement Manager, Phoenix Union High School District, Phoenix, Ariz.
• Richard Tomko, Superintendent, Belleville Public Schools, Belleville, N.J.
• Anthony Vargas, Supervisor of Gifted and Talented Programs, Manassas City Public Schools, Manassas, Va.

The 8 honorees were chosen from among more than 300 nominees submitted by readers, journalists, school administrator groups, and experts in the K-12 field.

The 2023 Leaders To Learn From will join other national K-12 experts to discuss the big issues facing schools and share actionable strategies to solve them at Education Week's annual Leadership Symposium at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C., May 10-12. The symposium's programming is centered around three key themes: Teaching & Learning; Thriving Staff; Thriving Students, and Leadership.

For more information and to register for the Leadership Symposium, please visit www.edweek.org/events.

To learn more about the 2023 Leaders To Learn From and to nominate future Leaders, please visit leaders.edweek.org

CONTACT:

Alyson Klein, (410) 707-8937, [email protected]

Denisa R. Superville (917) 325-1466, [email protected]

SOURCE Education Week