Governance and Leadership

Illustration

School Superintendents Head for the Exits

In big districts, brand-new leaders fill vacancies
About 200 people protested the removal of merit-based admissions at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia. The author is in the front, in pink.

How “Mama Bears” Won a Court Victory—and Helped Elect a Governor—in Virginia

Immigrant parents from Asia fight discrimination in admissions at a top high school
Photo of Marcus Foster

Marcus Foster Raised Expectations for All Students

Historian John P. Spencer on one of the first Black superintendents of a large urban district
The San Francisco school- board recall effort was led by parents Siva Raj (left) and Autumn Looijen.

School Board Shakeup in San Francisco

Arrogance, incompetence, and woke rhetoric trigger successful recall effort
Illustration

“It Felt Like Guerrilla Warfare”

Student achievement levels in the Nation’s Report Card: a brief history of “basic,” “proficient,” and “advanced”
Illustration

Locally Elected School Boards Are Failing

Pandemic stress-tested school governance, revealing many flaws
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona watches as President Joe Biden speaks to students in a classroom during a visit to Luis Muñoz Marin Elementary School in Philadelphia, Friday, March 11, 2022.

New Biden Rules Would Slow Charter Growth

Parents, governors register objections to proposed changes
A man reads a copy of Maus by Art Spiegelman

Suits Challenging Book “Banning” May Be Better Politics than Law

School boards can’t suppress ideas they dislike but do have “broad discretion”

Newsletter

Notify Me When Education Next Posts a Big Story