As of October, 2,235 students were currently—or had been—homeless since the school year began. That's a nearly 20% increase from last year. It's part of a national and statewide trend, according to a new federal Department of Housing and Urban Development report.

The best leaders are those who know their strengths, embrace their team's diversity and adapt their play to meet the moment. For the goal is never personal glory, but collective victory.

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?"

A superintendent's work is professional and personal for Raymond Sanchez, who leads the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns in the suburbs just north of New York City.