In its second year, the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) invited 2006 state superintendents of the year to gather in Denver, Colorado, for a rare opportunity to spend three intensive days talking and learning with their colleagues about leadership's impact on student achievement, public schools and the global economy, and about innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to public education. Nearly 25 superintendents from rural, urban and suburban districts attended the forum and spoke with candor and humor about how they are successfully overcoming the daily challenges of what many have come to recognize as one of the toughest jobs today. This report offers an inside look into the world of the nation's best and brightest education leaders. The stories they share could be the stories of almost any superintendent. The challenges and successes, no matter the district's size or demographics, will be familiar to readers. What makes these superintendents stand apart, however, is their sheer dedication to and success in finding new ways to teach, new approaches to communicate and listen to their communities, and new strategies to ensure that every child in their districts succeeds. AASA thanks the state superintendents of the year who participated in the forum. We hope we have captured your observations with the same vigor and integrity with which you shared them. While there are plenty of challenges and obstacles along the way, the mood of superintendents attending AASA's leadership forum in Denver remained upbeat. They are more determined than ever to ensure today's students are well-equipped to compete in a global economy