Leadership is lonely. That was the most consistent theme in the article submissions we received for this issue. Principals, superintendents, curriculum directors, and coaches all wrote about feeling physically and intellectually isolated from others who share their roles and responsibilities. Many said this feeling persists even when their teachers are engaged in learning communities.

At the same time, the response to this issue’s theme, learning communities for leaders, is encouraging. The record number of submissions we received suggests leaders want to talk about this isolation and find solutions to combat it. The many creative and effective learning communities they wrote about show collaboration among leaders is happening and may be increasing.

In sharing this issue with you, we aim to amplify that momentum and inspire you, whatever your role, to find or create a learning community that meets your needs. Learning in community is a fundamental aspect of high-quality professional learning, as reflected in the Standards for Professional Learning, because learning is a social endeavor. We learn things from others that we would never have discovered on our own. Often, collaborative learning even helps us learn more from ourselves.

It is important to be intentional about learning communities in a time when AI is a growing part of our educational ecosystem. Many leaders find AI to be a helpful tool, often describing it as a thought partner. But human and technological thought partners provide different inputs and insights. Even — or especially — with the growing use of AI, there is an important and unique role for learning communities with other human beings. There is a real risk of losing sight of that and of how to balance or integrate technology and human connection.

This issue’s articles are a testament to the power of community, as are Learning Forward’s experiences with our academies, networks, and conferences, which continue to serve large and thriving groups of educators. Both in print and in person, our members and stakeholders regularly tell us how much they value the time and space to learn with and from other educators who have brilliant minds and passionate hearts. They also value and leverage AI and other forms of technology. Indeed, AI and professional learning communities are both among the top five most popular conference session topics so far for our December 2025 annual conference. Community and technology can go hand in hand to reduce the isolation and loneliness of leadership, if we are intentional about how they are built and experienced.

This issue’s Focus articles provide guidance and examples of how to create, implement, and sustain successful learning communities. They illustrate how to tailor them to specific roles and needs while also describing processes and conditions that apply to all kinds of collaborative communities.

The Ideas, Tools, and Updates sections provide windows into the many learning communities Learning Forward facilitates, including our upcoming annual conference, by sharing tools and key insights. We encourage you to see them as either first or next steps in your collaborative learning journey and to build on them with previous and future issues of The Learning Professional.

We are honored to have you as part of our learning community. As always, we invite you to reach out with your feedback and ideas, or just to connect.

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