Meadow Elementary School's Assistant Principal Among K-12 Dive 2026 Rising Leaders in Education

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"Rising Leaders: 10 standout assistant principals and district leaders you should know in 2026-27"

These administrators are going the extra mile on school turnarounds, culture, student interventions and supports, and more.

Earlier this year, K-12 Dive asked readers to tell us about the assistant principals and district leaders going above and beyond in their schools. After careful consideration of the heap of nominations detailing the commitment, innovation and outside-of-the-box thinking in school systems across the U.S., we’re excited to showcase the accomplishments of 10 educators who are leading their schools and districts into tomorrow.

From guiding school turnarounds and improving school culture to expanding interventions and student supports, the educators highlighted here stand out as some of the top emerging leaders in the nation’s public schools.

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Excerpt:

Juliana Rashwan credits much of her success in strengthening her school’s culture and climate to partnerships throughout Meadow Elementary’s school community. “I believe that meaningful change happens when we work together — administrators, teachers, families, the PTA, and community partners — to expand what is possible for our students,” Rashwan told K-12 Dive.

From collaborating with Principal Yolanda Martin on determining what experiences and opportunities remain to be provided for the school’s roughly 600 students or working with the PTA on initiatives like academic challenges and special events, she aims to enrich learning for all students.

One recent accomplishment: deepening Meadow Elementary’s social studies curriculum by helping students connect directly with students at Kajiado Children’s Home in Kenya. Meadow Elementary School’s students learned about Kenyan culture, exchanged letters and participated in a virtual meeting that brought the young learners together. These interactions ultimately resulted in the Meadow Student Council, students, staff and PTA working together to raise over $14,000 to buy 14 brand-new bicycles for the Kenyan students, which many will use to get to school, said Superintendent Anthony Mignella. 

Working in a building with a sizable special education population, she said, also keeps her inspired “to think even more intentionally about access and inclusion.”

“This has motivated me to continually seek out new partnerships and resources so that we can remove barriers and ensure that every child feels seen, supported, included, and empowered to succeed,” Rashwan said. “When we work collaboratively, we can create a school culture where every child has access to opportunities to grow, be challenged, discover their strengths, and feel that they truly belong.”

View the full list in K-12 Dive >>