JERMALL WRIGHT
Superintendent, Little Rock School District
ArkansasDr. Jermall Wright is the superintendent of the Little Rock School District in Arkansas, serving 21,000 students across 48 schools. With three decades of experience in public education and a strong commitment to providing equitable educational opportunities for all students, Dr. Wright provides strategic direction and guidance and actively engages with community stakeholders to enhance student and family involvement.
Wright began his career in 1997 as a classroom teacher in Florida, where he quickly transitioned to administrative roles. He established a 10-year track record as a principal at elementary and secondary schools in Florida, Washington, D.C., and Colorado. His focus areas include early literacy, strategic partnerships, community and parental engagement, data-driven instruction, and student and adult culture. As a turnaround school principal in Denver, he improved schools by at least two performance tiers under his leadership.
Dr. Wright joined the Birmingham (AL) City School District in 2017 as the chief academic and accountability officer, where he led the school improvement process. In April 2019, the Mississippi State Board of Education appointed Wright the Founding Superintendent of the Mississippi Achievement School District. In just three years, graduation rates improved by double digits in two districts, and state accreditation violations were cleared, restoring accreditation for both districts. In 2023, the Mississippi Achievement School District graduated its first group of students in the Mississippi Delta who were on track to earn their Associate of Arts degree from Mississippi Delta Community College.
Dr. Wright is also an experienced college and university instructor, having served in teacher preparation programs in two states and Washington, D.C. He was recognized by The District Administration as a top 100 education influencer in 2024.
Wright holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science Secondary Education and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida. He also has a Specialist degree in Special Education from the University of Florida and a Doctor of Education degree in Leadership for Educational Equity, specializing in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Colorado Denver.