The innovative leaders—and leading innovators—who comprise District Administration’s second annual DA 100 influencers represent the most important voices in K12 education.
Whether they’re based in a classroom, central office or business HQ, they all have one thing in common: they’re laser focused on improving outcomes for students across the country and around the world.
Here they are, in no particular order.
The DA 100 2025
Luis Solano
Deputy Superintendent for Labor
Detroit Public Schools Community District
Glenn Kleiman
Senior Advisor
Stanford Accelerator for Learning
Brian Jordan
Founder
Brian Jordan Foundation
Andrea Forcum
Professor of Teaching and Learning
Indiana State University
Carey Wright
Superintendent
Maryland State Department of Education
Mariana Padilla
Secretary
New Mexico Public Education Department
Jerry Almendarez
Superintendent
Santa Ana USD
Mark Onuscheck
Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
Adlai E. Stevenson High School
Julie Mavrogeorge
President
California Esports Association
Barbara Mullen
Superintendent
Rush-Henrietta Central School District
Brad Johnson
Speaker/Author
doctorbradjohnson.com
Deborah Kerr
Superintendent
St. Francis Public School District
Kristy Sailors
Assistant Superintendent of Operations and Technology
Eanes ISD
Victoria Thompson
Education Strategist
CDW Education
Jordyn Zimmerman
Head of Product Strategy
The Nora Project
Matthew Winters
Artificial Intelligence Specialist
Utah State Board of Education
Alana Winnick
Educational Technology Director
Pocantico Hills Central School District
Rick Surrency
Superintendent
Putnam County School District
Sophia Mendoza
Director
Los Angeles USD Instructional Technology Initiative
Ken Shelton
Consultant/Keynote Speaker
kennethshelton.net
Nick Polyak
Superintendent
Leyden Community High School District #212
Adam Phyall III
Director of Professional Learning and Leadership
All4Ed
Joe Phillips
CIO
Fulton County Schools
Kamela Patton
Interim Superintendent
Alachua County Public Schools
Tim Needles
Art Educator/Edtech Coach
Smithtown School District/Five Towns College
Matt Miller
Keynote Speaker, Author, Trainer, Podcaster
Ditch That Textbook
Kelly May-Vollmar
Superintendent
Desert Sands USD
Kendall Latham
K12 Education Strategist
Lenovo
Adeel Khan
Founder
Magic School AI
Keith Krueger
CEO
CoSN
Arman Jaffer
Founder
Brisk Teaching
Phil Hintz
CTO
Niles Township School District 219
Kris Hagel
CIO
Peninsula School District
Kip Glazer
Principal
Mountain View High School
Patrick Gittisriboongul
Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Innovation
Lynwood USD
Matthew Friedman
Superintendent
Quakertown Community School District
Rita Ferrandino
Founding Partner
Arc Capital Development
Julia Fallon
Executive Director
SETDA
Richard Charles
Chief Information Officer
Denver Public Schools
Jenny Buccos
Founder/CEO
EXPLR
Debra Duardo
Superintendent
Los Angeles County Office of Education
LaTonya M. Goffney
Superintendent
Aldine ISD
Raquel Martinez
Principal
Sageview High School
Tracie Anderson Swilley
Principal
Fairfield Central High School
Berj Akian
CEO
ClassLink
Sheryl R. Abshire
Speaker/Consultant
Torrin Ellis
Principal
The Torin Ellis Brand
Fabby Williams
Deputy Superintendent
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
Michael T. Conner
CEO
Agile Evolutionary Group
Kevin Armstrong
Executive Principal
DuPont Hadley Middle School
Alfonso Mendoza Jr.
Coordinator for Digital Learning
Sharyland ISD
LaTanya McDade
Superintendent
Prince William County Public Schools
Kristen DiCerbo
Chief Learning Officer
Khan Academy
Thomas Blakemore
Founding Director
Teach Travel Triumph Ltd.
Nicole Hockley
Co-founder/CEO
Sandy Hook Promise
Hedy Chang
Executive Director/President
Attendance Works
Marlon Styles
Professional Development Speaker/Executive Coach
Anna Marie Candelario
Director of Planning and Development
Oswego CUSD 308
Joel Coleman
Superintendent
Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
Sallie Holloway
Director of AI and Computer Science
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Debbie Jones
Superintendent
Bentonville School District
Jonathan Haidt
Social Psychologist
New York University
Marcey Sorensen
Superintendent
La Joya ISD
Steve Spangler
STEM Educator/Television Host
Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
California
Atiya Perkins
Superintendent
Linden Public Schools
Todd Whitaker
Author/Speaker/Professor
University of Missouri
Baruti Kafele
Education Speaker/Consultant
Principal Kafele Consulting, LLC
Holly Skadsem
Digital Learning Coordinator
Bloomington Public Schools
Cristian Carranza
Administrative Director
Miami-Dade County Public School District
Kelly Dolan-Sapp
Senior Director of Practice
EduSolve
A.J. Juliani
Instructor
University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
Jihan Johnston-McGlotten
Co-founder
BeatBotics
Kellèe Merritt
Principal
Spring Mill Elementary
Jeff Horton
Superintendent
SouthWest Metro Intermediate District 288
Eric Hale
Principal
Academies of Bryan Station High School
Doug Straley
Superintendent
Louisa County Public Schools
Jhone Ebert
Superintendent
Clark County School District.
Alberto Vázquez Matos
Superintendent
Middletown Public Schools
Jeni Gotto
Superintendent
Westminster Public Schools
Marguerite Roza
Director
Edunomics Lab
Sherry Durkee
Superintendent
Sand Springs Public Schools
Kevin Carl
Superintendent
Hancock Place School District
Robin Lake
Director
Center on Reinventing Public Education
Rachel Edoho-Eket
Principal
Waterloo Elementary School
Romules Durant
Superintendent
Toledo Public Schools
Andy Rotherham
Bellwether
Co-founder/Senior Partner
Ben Gustafson
Co-founder
Classroom Mosaic
Patrick Larkin
Dean of students
Lexington High School
Miatheresa Pate
Chief Academic Officer
New York City Public Schools
Michael Lubelfeld
Superintendent
North Shore School District 112
Michael Nagler
Superintendent
Mineola Public Schools
Ulysses Navarrete
Executive Director
Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents
Xavier De La Torre
Superintendent
Ysleta ISD
Andrew J. Gutierrez
Principal
Gateway Elementary School
Tony B. Watlington Sr.
Superintendent
The School District of Philadelphia
Ian Roberts
Superintendent
Des Moines Public Schools
Linda McMahon
U.S. Secretary of Education
Walter B. Gonsoulin Jr.
Superintendent
Jefferson County Public Schools
Sabba Quidwai
CEO
Designing Schools
