And levels grew in every other state as families took matters into their own hands to ensure their child's needs were met, whether academically or emotionally. "Districts now have more staff than ever and fewer students," said Marguerite Roza, director of Georgetown University's Edunomics Lab, in June. "So what happens next?"

"The most important thing in education, in my opinion, is staring into the eyes of an inspiring human teacher," Cheyer said during a recent webinar hosted by the National School Boards Association. "Again, a lot of it comes from motivation."

Artificial intelligence and teacher retention: These are just a few of the issues experts anticipate education leaders will have to face this year. But we're here to help you get a head start.

"Paper records, stored in one location, in a non-environmentally controlled warehouse, for instance, are much more at risk than digital records secured by digital passwords," K12 technology leader Beverly Miller says.