Education leaders outlined 11 recurring problems school and district leaders are prioritizing in 2026, including equity, student engagement, chronic absenteeism, multilingual learners and staff absenteeism. The authors derived the list from nearly 1,000 leaders in coaching and hybrid instructional projects. The piece groups concerns into categories—student outcomes, equity and engagement—and underscores that while politics intrude, leaders focus on operational challenges that affect classroom outcomes. The article cites multiple research briefs and reports that quantify attendance and equity gaps. For higher‑education units that train teachers or partner with districts, these front‑line K‑12 priorities translate into demand for specialized preparation programs, clinically oriented fieldwork, and research partnerships aimed at attendance, multilingual instruction and equitable outcome measures.