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District Leadership: a guide for teachers
By Devin Lewis, Founder of NextGround
- Sets strategy
- Leads PD
- Manages programs
- Leads leaders
You might like this if
- You think beyond one building
- You want to shape policy and programs
- You can align many stakeholders
What the job is
District roles design programs and support many campuses at once, with titles like director, coordinator, or program manager.
A day in the role
A program planning meeting, two campus visits, a budget review, and a presentation to senior leadership.
Teaching skills that translate
Leading a PLC becomes leading leaders, and making one classroom run becomes making a system run across buildings.
How teachers get there
Usually after campus leadership, coaching, or specialist work, and the path doesn't have to be a straight ladder.
Pay and outlook
Occupation: K-12 education administrators (closest match)
- Median pay
- $105,870
- Projected growth
- Little or no change through 2035
View the source. Data as of May 2025 wages, 2025 to 2035 projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
NextGround can help you prepare for
Program designStakeholder managementBudget basicsChange leadership