EMC² Learning Co-Founder John Meehan Named Among District Administration’s 2026 Top 100 Influencers

Ciao folks! Michael here.

I’m excited to share some pretty awesome news about my friend and EMC² Learning co-founder, John Meehan!

John has officially been named to District Administration’s 2026 DA 100, an annual recognition celebrating 100 of the most influential voices shaping the future of K–12 education.

(Their words, not mine. 😎)

Now in its third year, the DA 100 recognizes innovative leaders and leading innovators working across classrooms, school districts, and education organizations. And while John would probably be the first to downplay the recognition, I think it’s worth celebrating.

Because here’s what makes this one especially cool: John is still doing the work, every single day, in a real, live middle school classroom.

In fact, that’s something John and I are most proud of in all that we do here at EMC² Learning. This stuff isn’t being dreamed up by a big edtech company or a publishing house. We’re both working classroom teachers, building resources inspired by the very same challenges and opportunities we encounter with our own students.

I think that’s one of the things I love most about working with John. Between teaching, writing books, coaching teachers, and traveling the country to lead professional learning, he never loses sight of what brought us together in the first place: the belief that learning should be engaging, meaningful, and FUN without sacrificing academic rigor.

And together, we’ve made it our mission to prove that playful teaching and serious learning aren’t opposites. In fact, they’re pretty powerful partners.

That’s the heart of what we’ve been building together at EMC² Learning. Helping teachers take creative risks, put students at the center of the action, and make learning something kids actually look forward to.

A huge thank you to District Administration for recognizing John’s work, and to all the incredible educators who continue to inspire what we do here at EMC² Learning.

Congrats, John! Proud to be building this thing alongside you, buddy.

Keep playing with purpose!

Michael Matera
Co-Founder, EMC² Learning