Briefings

Top EdTech Products: These are our winners for 2025!

District Administration and the Future of Education Technology® Conference (FETC®) have announced the finalists and winners of the Top EdTech Products of the Year...

Why introducing a smartphone ban worked for this leader

"We wished we had implemented it sooner," says Alabama's 2024 Assistant Principal of the Year, Charles Longshore, of Dothan Preparatory Academy's smartphone ban.

FETC 2025: What’s happening at this year’s first edtech conference

The annual FETC conference gathers K12 education leaders and decision-makers to explore cutting-edge technologies to enhance student achievement and reimagine education.

NSPRA superintendents to watch: See the new 2024-25 list

The NSPRA, the organization representing school public relations professionals, has released its latest superintendents to watch list for 2024-25. The annual NSPRA superintendents to watch...

On the move: The latest superintendent hires and promotions

Superintendents were on the move right through the end of the year. District Administration is maintaining a running list of new hires and promotions. Special...

FETC 2025: Overcoming the hidden harm of ‘racial battle fatigue’

On FETC 2025’s Coach Leader Track, featured speaker and educational consultant Asia Lyons will shed light on a lesser-known and physically debilitating harm.

Parent engagement: How to build better partnerships

As confident as leaders may feel about spearheading new student success initiatives, assuming parent engagement is a given may be unwise.

DA names Superintendent of the Year and Districts of Distinction

Tony Watlington, leader of The School District of Philadelphia, was named Superintendent of the Year at this week's 2025 District Administration National Awards Program ceremony.

Diverse teachers: How to find which states lead the way

A new map that reveals which states have the most diverse teachers comes with troubling details about the changing workforce.

What does Trump have in mind for K12 education?

Will the U.S. Department of Education be dismantled? Or does Trump's proposal ring hollow? Tune into this story as we provide updates in the months leading up to his first day in office.

How this district made a great leap in state rankings

Johnston County Public Schools Superintendent Eric Bracy used ESSER dollars to pay for a high-quality, research-based curriculum, he says on the latest episode of the "Talking Out of School" podcast. Now, the move is paying off.

How instructional audio technology can reach more learners

In this school district, instructional audio "levels the playing field" for students, especially its English language learners.

How to sync success with your school board, part one

Too often, school board members point their fingers away from themselves, says this school board member. It's time for leadership to point the finger inward and ask, "What can we do better?"

School staffing: Are we in better shape heading into 2025?

The number of teaching positions in U.S. public schools is holding steady. But that doesn't mean school staffing pressures have vanished. 

Reasons high school graduation numbers will decline

By 2041, high school graduation numbers will decrease by 13%, exacerbating the pressures felt by colleges as they brace for an enrollment cliff.

Shutting down schools is controversial. But is it common?

Two large districts scrapped controversial plans for shutting down schools, with the fallout costing one California superintendent his job.

FETC 2025: Reimagining time, space and pace in the classroom

The transformation is necessitated by technology—from the good old Internet to generative AI—that is making traditional teaching obsolete.

How E-Rate can fill ESSER’s gaps for technology services

Without pandemic relief, E-Rate, and a new federally funded pilot program for cybersecurity, can help districts sustain critical tech investments.

4 K12 predictions to help you lead effectively in 2025

Are you prepared to navigate 2025's challenges? Here are some predictions to help guide your list of priorities for the new year.

Public school enrollment: Are there warning signs in the latest numbers?

Public school enrollment dipped slightly in the most recent count and there are some bigger, long-term warning signs in the early grades.

Ainsley Hill tells us how to tame the ‘AI circus’

Has AI, with all of its new capabilities and challenges, made the world of edtech feel a little out of control? If so, FETC speaker Ainsley Hill is here to help.

What does Trump have in mind for K12 education?

Will the U.S. Department of Education be dismantled? Or does Trump's proposal ring hollow? Tune into this story as we provide updates in the months leading up to his first day in office.

How a school shooting impacted this leader’s approach to safety

In 2004, former special education teacher Michael Bennett was the victim of a gunshot wound by a student. Twenty years later, he's prioritizing safety as a superintendent.

FETC 2025: Why tech needs diversity in more ways than one

Cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and diversity are three of the top issues in K12 IT departments. They are also the big themes at next month's FETC 2025.

FETC 2025: How to return to relevance in the ‘era of distraction’

There are more effective ways of re-capturing your students’ attention than banning smartphones. As most educators know, engagement was a challenge prior to the arrival of Snapchat and TikTok.

Education policy: How it will shift under new administration

If appointed secretary of education, Linda McMahon’s tenure is likely to emphasize workforce development, parental rights and a decentralization of federal education oversight.

School boards: These topics were more in focus in 2024

At the top of the list are CTE and pre-K, two concepts at opposite ends of the K12 spectrum, according to the school data tracking firm Burbio.

FETC 2025: ‘Highlighting voices who are doing really cool things’

Featured speaker and classroom leader Victoria Thompson brings a fresh spin to her sessions, starting with how educators can collaborate across the curriculum at their schools.

DA 100 education influencers: Hadi Partovi

Hadi Partovi is a tech entrepreneur and the CEO of Code.org, whose computer science classes now reach 30% of American students.

How this district improved graduation rates by 25 percent–and how you can, too

The Lansing School District has pioneered an intentional approach to boosting graduation rates. And here's the good news: It's seamlessly replicable.

Teacher pay: Bigger raises and better benefits will ease shortages

Teachers report that their pay grew over the last two school years. But the average raises fell far below the increases teachers desired, according to a new survey.

See which hot topics dominated the latest DALI summit

Building a trusted brand became just one facet of a broader conversation leaders shared about how they strengthen their communication strategies.

5 challenges impacting school-home communications—and how to solve them

Parents want weekly updates from schools on their child's performance. However, you'll be hard-pressed to find a school that does. Here's why.

Reasons high school graduation rates are where they are

The majority of states had lower graduation rates in 2022 than they did before the pandemic. Here's why.

Agile education: How to develop problem-solvers and problem-finders

Agile approaches can help teachers and students make authentic learning a reality in the classroom by providing an "operating system" for teams to work together.