Giving Compass' Take:

• The authors compile a list of K-12 education administrators that are making strides in their communities and will continue to do so in 2019.

• What are some critical education issues of 2019?

• Read about education reformers' worries over school testing. 

Running a school, let alone an entire district, is no walk in the park. You're essentially accountable for guiding the effective preparation of your community's entire next generation for success in life, civic engagement and the workplace.

It's a role that ultimately has one of the largest impacts on both the civic and economic success of your community or those your students move onto beyond high school.

While there's no shortage of district and school leaders taking on that challenge, the five represented here are tackling a spectrum of issues that are top of mind in the field — from restoring public trust in the wake of scandal to recovering from a disaster to tackling school segregation to improving climate and culture.

If you're wondering who to keep an eye on in the new year, this group is a great place to start.

Lewis Ferebee — Chancellor, District of Columbia Public Schools: Announced in December as the new superintendent for D.C. Public Schools, Lewis Ferebee has led Indianapolis Public Schools since 2013 and he began his career 16 years prior to that in Newport News, Virginia.

Meria Carstarphen — Superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools: Superintendent Meria Carstarphen has been working to rebuild the community’s trust in the district ever since she took the position in 2014. A cheating scandal that began in 2009 and led to 11 educators in the district being found guilty of racketeering is hard to forget.

Richard Carranza — Chancellor, New York City Department of Education: The former superintendent of Houston's public schools, Richard Carranza took the reins of the nation's largest school district from former schools chancellor Carmen Fariña last spring after a selection process that saw Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho back out after initially accepting the position.

Read the full article about K-12 administrators by Roger Riddell and Linda Jacobson at Education Dive