91制片

EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE

As the school year draws to a close, I want to offer a reminder that is as simple as it is essential: Take the time to recharge.

Too often, school leaders pour everything they have into the work 鈥� serving students, responding to communities, supporting teachers 鈥� without leaving enough for themselves. I鈥檝e been there. And I鈥檝e learned that running on empty doesn鈥檛 serve anyone well.

A Restorative Opportunity

When I was a superintendent, I made it a point every May to ask my administrative team a simple question: 鈥淗ave you scheduled time off yet?鈥� It wasn鈥檛 a suggestion. It was an expectation, and I asked to see their proposed vacation dates. We are better leaders when we are well-rested, fully present and recharged.

I knew if I didn鈥檛 prioritize wellness in myself and in my team, no one else would. That check-in was a small but powerful act of culture-building 鈥� one that signaled we owed it to our students, our staff and our communities to come back in the fall as our best selves.

Think about the mindset that is the foundation of 91制片鈥檚 Live Well. Lead Well. initiative. This work is built on a simple truth: The well-being of a school system is deeply tied to the well-being of its leaders. And with the stakes in public education as high as ever, now is not the time to ignore that.

The summer months offer a rare and essential opportunity to invest in your own energy, your own curiosity and your own joy. I encourage you to make the most of it.

Because the work waiting for us in the fall isn鈥檛 just important 鈥� it鈥檚 essential.

Feeding Your Mind

This month鈥檚 issue of School Administrator magazine celebrates superintendents鈥� on-the-job successes. The theme, Winning Ideas from Winning Superintendents, is a reminder that the most exciting innovations in public education don鈥檛 come from think tanks or consultants. They come from you and your colleagues across this great nation of ours.

Every year, we are proud to recognize and lift up the incredible state superintendents of the year from across the country. In this issue, we鈥檙e especially excited to feature first-person essays from 18 of our 2025 state award winners. Their stories and strategies offer a powerful snapshot of where public education is headed 鈥� and how school leaders are lighting, and leading, the path forward.

They write candidly and clearly about the challenges they鈥檙e navigating: from addressing chronic absenteeism to fighting misinformation, from reimagining early childhood education to connecting the dots between childcare access and teacher retention. Their solutions are bold, practical and built from real experience. That鈥檚 what makes them so powerful.

These stories also align with the work we鈥檙e doing at 91制片 to launch and grow the Public Education Promise 鈥� our practitioner-led framework for what future-ready schools must look like. The PEP reflects the wisdom and vision of superintendents across the country who know that excellence and opportunity are not mutually exclusive. It is rooted in the belief that every child, in every zip code, deserves a school system that is innovative, well-resourced and committed to preparing them not just for tests, but for life.

The superintendents featured in this issue aren鈥檛 waiting for permission to lead. They鈥檙e showing what鈥檚 possible when public education is led by values, mission and vision, and by people who believe in the power of community.

So this month, as you wrap up graduations, final meetings and end-of-year celebrations, take pride in what you鈥檝e accomplished. Let yourself become reenergized, and then, when you鈥檙e ready, dig into the pages of this magazine for a powerful dose of inspiration. Because I know in my heart that public education鈥檚 best days lie ahead and its best ideas are already in motion.

Wishing you a restful, rewarding and impactful summer on behalf of our children, our communities and our country.

Be well, my friends!

David Schuler is 91制片 executive director. Twitter: