Instructional leadership sits at the core of strong schools. Effective principals ground decisions in evidence, communicate a clear plan and keep student learning at the center. At the same time, they measure success by growth, in students and in adults.
Jeffrey Wright (Jeff) is the current principal of Vartan Gregorian Elementary School in the Providence Public School District. He graduated from PRN in 2022 and was recently featured in NAESP’s Principal magazine (Vol 105, Issue 3, Jan/Feb 2026). We asked him to reflect on how his preparation shaped his approach to instructional leadership and what makes him most proud as a school leader.
Leading Through an Instructional Lens
“PRN challenged me to think about leadership through an instructional lens. It was an area that I wasn’t comfortable with because of my own professional development and experiences. My pathway wasn’t necessarily the most traditional, as I moved towards becoming a principal, so PRN challenged me to focus on core leadership practices and really look at things through a data lens, saying, ‘Okay, let the data do the work.’ It can tell us what is working rather than guessing.”
“Also, there is the qualitative side, how we talk about students. There are stories beyond the numbers. So being able to merge that and then being able to communicate that clearly so that everyone knows what the plan is and that we’re working towards one goal, one specific purpose. That really helped me with being comfortable and being uncomfortable, stepping out of what I was used to, and really leaning into an area where leaders are expected to be. School leaders are expected to be instructional leaders. We have to make sure our teachers and team have what they need, because kids go to school to learn.”
Measuring Leadership by Growth
“What I’m most proud of in leadership so far has been the growth that I see. Being in a position to watch growth happening, in our students and in our adults. Seeing the growth of our teachers and staff has been awesome.”
“Being able to see the impact in my daily practice reminds me of the following quote from the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
For Jeff, leadership impact shows up in growth: academic growth and professional growth.
You can read the full interview with Jeff, including his reflections on readiness, mentorship and purpose-driven leadership.