McWright honored with the prestigious Jeffrey Lawrence award
Dr. Anthony McWright, a proud Leland High School graduate, has been awarded the 2025 Jeffrey Lawrence Award — the highest honor given by the Arts Schools Network (ASN), the nation’s largest professional organization for specialized arts schools.
The award recognizes the head of an ASN member institution who demonstrates exceptional leadership, integrity and an unwavering commitment to arts education. Named after Jeffrey Lawrence of the Professional Children’s School in New York, it is considered ASN’s most prestigious distinction. McWright received the honor during the ASN annual conference in Sarasota, Florida.
McWright previously served as executive principal of the Denver School of the Arts, where his innovative relationship-centered leadership earned national attention. His success at DSA led to his recent selection as the leader of the Responsive Arts & STEAM Academy in Denver Public Schools, expanding his influence across one of the nation’s most diverse school districts.
A Principal Who Truly Sees People
Colleagues praise McWright for his ability to build authentic meaningful relationships.
“He sees people — truly sees them — and honors their unique contributions with profound respect.”
Students feel supported and empowered under his leadership. Teachers feel valued and trusted. Families feel connected to a school community rooted in joy, equity and artistic excellence.
An Advocate for Arts Access
Beyond his own schools, McWright is a vocal champion for arts education nationwide. He regularly advocates for increased funding, expanded programming and equitable access to arts opportunities, helping secure scholarships and partnerships that benefit students from all backgrounds.
ASN managing director Dr. R. Scott Allen noted:
“When arts school leaders demonstrate outstanding efforts toward excellence, we recognize and reward their achievements with awards such as the Jeffrey Lawrence Award for Dr. McWright.”
McWright’s achievements reflect a legacy rooted deeply in Leland. His mother, Deloris McWright — a retired educator and founder of Mother Goose Learning Center — has spent more than two decades caring for and teaching Delta children. What she built in 1997 at the request of working parents grew into a mission: classrooms filled with play, structure, joy and familiar faces; safe spaces where generations of children were lifted with love.
That legacy lives on in her son. The light she poured into her community now travels with him onto a national stage, where he lifts students just as she lifted them here at home. His recognition is a testament to Leland’s educators, families and strong community roots — a reminder that the Delta grows leaders whose influence begins here and blooms far beyond it. Dr. McWright is also the son of Ceotha McWright, the president of The Leland Deacon Alliance.
