AASA will announce the recipients of the 2026 Women in School Leadership Awards at the 2nd General Session of the association’s National Conference on Education on Friday morning, Feb. 13, in Nashville.
The awards, presented by AASA in partnership with Horace Mann Educators Corporation, recognize outstanding female leaders who have made significant contributions to education in two key job categories: superintendent and central office/principal.
The 2026 Women in School Leadership Award finalists are as follows in the Central Office/ Principal category:
- Mary Decker, associate director of schools for teaching and learning, Franklin Special District in Tennessee; and
- Janeen Peretin, assistant to the superintendent, Baldwin-Whitehall School District in Pennsylvania.
In the Superintendent category, the two final contenders are:
- Myriam Rogers, superintendent, Baltimore County Public Schools in Maryland; and
- Crystal Turner, superintendent, Saddleback Valley Unified School District in California.
The finalists are evaluated on their leadership in meeting the learning needs of students, personal and organizational communication strength, constant professional improvement of knowledge and skills and active community involvement.