What School District Leaders Were Reading This Year: Top 10 Stories

There are many types of school district leaders: chief academic officers, chief technologists, social-emotional directors, superintendents and others. They all desire stability. Stephen Sawchuk, Education Week's director of communications, said that they all want stability. He was also the author of four Education Week stories that were most popular with district leaders. The ranking is determined by how many people have read the story, how long they spent reading it and how much engagement it generated via social media. The people who lead school districts in 2022 found it difficult to find calm. There were many challenges they faced: staffing shortages, learning recovery, equity, safety, and many other issues. What was the top issue? Sawchuk's in-depth investigation into how the heated debate over critical race theory was threatening efforts to improve social studies standards was the #1 story. Sawchuk explained that the story resonated because it was focused on the implications of the debate and the related legislative changes for the 'end users' (teachers, curriculum writers, and students). Revising America's Racist past What do top U.S. companies think schools could do better? Education Week's Elizabeth Heubeck spoke with top executives from several U.S. businesses to find out what they are looking for in today's student workers. Two questions were asked: What problem-solving skills would you like to see in today's students that are often lacking? What can K-12 schools do in order to bridge these skill gaps? These responses provide unique insight for districts that want to remain relevant. How to give students the confidence to take on difficult work in 2022. Teachers were given the task of preparing students for success in their next grade while also adjusting for the disruptions caused by the pandemic. Students' confidence in their abilities to tackle difficult assignments had been shaken by so many days without school routines. Sarah Schwartz, Education Week's reporter, explained how schools are finding ways to increase rigor while reducing stress for students. Why can't we talk to each other anymore? Education Week's Kevin Bushweller wrote that binary thinking was dividing the K-12 world in an essay that was popular among district leaders in 2022. He discussed why we fall prey to either-or thinking, and how we can change it. Bushweller wrote, 'It is time to resist our worst impulses and devote ourselves to full-spectrum thought. We owe it our students to show the way if we want them to embrace complex ideas and complex thinking. Why aren't there more women superintendents? The number of women in the position of superintendent is very low. They are the backbone and brain trust for America's public schools. This was the conclusion of an analysis that caught the attention of school district leaders in 2022. But how do we know? What can districts do to stop it? Stephen Sawchuk reached out to women researchers and superintendents for their insights. In 2019, Dena Keeling became the first chief equity officer in Orange County, North Carolina. She said that her job became increasingly difficult due to the national backlash against educational equity initiatives. Keeling is not the only one. Education Week's Eesha Perdharkar interviewed Keeling to get a compelling story on how difficult her job is. Vision, your house in order, and an extra $20K: What it takes to hire a superintendent. Just as with teachers, bus drivers, and paraprofessionals, the pandemic took a toll on top positions in school districts. Even though the applicant pool was shrinking, more districts were seeking to hire. Districts had to be creative and strategic when hiring superintendents. 25 Reasons Teachers Should Get Excited About Teaching. There were many reasons why teachers weren't excited about teaching in 2022. District leaders searched for inspiration to inspire them. Louie F. Rodriguez's 25 reasons to teach. The Current State of Superintendency: Four Things to Know. Superintendents were under tremendous pressure in 2022. Education Week took a look at the current state of the superintendency and found that superintendents were under tremendous pressure in 2022. What is the Key to More Equitable Schools Education Week's Ileana Narro wrote a thoughtful essay about the challenges faced by school districts in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. Najarro said that schools are making progress towards meeting the DEI goals but there is a catch. She wrote that despite all the training and purchasing all the books and changing all policies, you will still be working in a system that isn't diverse, equitable and inclusive. Read the entire story

Page 2 Superintendents are a diverse group of school district leaders. They include chief academic officers and chief technology officers as well as social-emotional learning director. They all desire stability. Stephen Sawchuk, Education Week's director of communications, said that they all want stability. He was also the author of four Education Week stories that were most popular with district leaders. The ranking is determined by how many people have read the story, how long they spent reading it and how much engagement it generated via social media. The people who lead school districts in 2022 found it difficult to find calm. There were many challenges they faced: staffing shortages, learning recovery, equity, safety, and a host other issues. What was the top issue? Sawchuk's in-depth investigation into how the heated debate over critical race theory was threatening efforts to improve social studies standards was the #1 story. Sawchuk explained that the story resonated because it focused on the implications of the debate and the related legislative changes for the 'end users' (teachers, curriculum writers, and students). Revising America's Racist past What do top U.S. companies think schools could do better? Education Week's Elizabeth Heubeck spoke with top executives from several U.S. businesses to find out what they are looking for in today's student workers. Two questions were asked: What problem-solving skills would you like to see in today's students that are often lacking? What can K-12 schools do in order to bridge these skill gaps? These responses provide unique insight for districts that want to remain relevant. How to give students the confidence to take on difficult work in 2022. Teachers were given the task of preparing students for success in their next grade while also adjusting for the disruptions caused by the pandemic. Students' confidence in their abilities to tackle difficult assignments had been shaken by so many days without school routines. Sarah Schwartz, Education Week's reporter, explained how schools are finding ways to increase rigor while reducing stress for students. Why can't we talk to each other anymore? Education Week's Kevin Bushweller wrote that binary thinking was dividing the K-12 world in an essay that was popular among district leaders in 2022. He discussed why we fall prey to either-or thinking, and how we can change it. Bushweller wrote, 'It is time to resist our worst impulses and devote ourselves to full-spectrum thought. We owe it our students to show the way if we want them to embrace complex ideas and complex thinking. Why aren't there more women superintendents? The number of women in the position of superintendent is very low. They are the backbone and brain trust for America's public schools. This was the conclusion of an analysis that caught the attention of school district leaders in 2022. But how do we know? What can districts do to stop it? Stephen Sawchuk reached out to women researchers and superintendents for their insights. In 2019, Dena Keeling became the first chief equity officer in Orange County, North Carolina. She said that her job became increasingly difficult due to the national backlash against educational equity initiatives. Keeling is not the only one. Education Week's Eesha Perdharkar interviewed Keeling to get a compelling story on how difficult her job is. Vision, your house in order, and an extra $20K: What it takes to hire a superintendent. Just as with teachers, bus drivers, and paraprofessionals, the pandemic took a toll on top positions in school districts. Even though the applicant pool was shrinking, more districts were seeking to hire. Districts had to be creative and strategic when hiring superintendents. 25 Reasons Teachers Should Get Excited About Teaching. There were many reasons why teachers weren't excited about teaching in 2022. District leaders searched for inspiration to inspire them. Louie F. Rodriguez's 25 reasons to teach. The Current State of Superintendency: Four Things to Know. Superintendents were under tremendous pressure in 2022. Education Week took a look at the current state of the superintendency and found that superintendents were under tremendous pressure in 2022. What is the Key to More Equitable Schools Education Week's Ileana Narro wrote a thoughtful essay about the challenges faced by school districts in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. Najarro said that schools are making progress towards meeting the DEI goals but there is a catch. She wrote that despite all the training and purchasing all the books and changing all policies, you will still be working in a system that isn't diverse, equitable and inclusive. Read the entire story