Jorge Valenzuela, PhD, is an education and performance coach, author, and keynote speaker at Lifelong Learning Defined, where he provides professional development and coaching for educators and school leaders. He blends science with soul—drawing from his backgrounds in computer science, classroom teaching, family life, and instructional leadership.

 

His mission is simple: help educators and school leaders strengthen instructional leadership, improve Tier 1 core instruction, design meaningful project-based learning, and lead through conflict with greater emotional acuity and emotional intelligence.

 

At Richmond City Public Schools in Virginia, Dr. Valenzuela served in the Career and Technical Education department, where he supervised the district’s STEM career pathways program. He also contributed to districtwide instructional improvement efforts during a period in which all 50 schools achieved full state accreditation. That systems-level experience continues to shape his approach to school improvement and leadership development.

 

A graduate of Old Dominion University, his doctoral research focused on integrating aspects of computer science into K–12 instruction. These experiences inform the frameworks he is best known for: Instructional Innovation+ for strengthening instructional leadership, Tier 1 core instruction, differentiated instruction, and student engagement; PBL+ with AI Literacy for meaningful project-based learning, purposeful technology use, and future-ready teaching; and the Emotional Acuity Framework for educators and executives navigating relationships, boundaries, human behavior, difficult conversations, and conflict.

 

As a faculty member at Old Dominion University and an experienced consultant, author, and presenter with organizations including Corwin, Solution Tree, and ASCD, Dr. Valenzuela supports educators and school leaders in implementing practical, research-informed strategies that strengthen teaching, learning, and leadership capacity.

 

He is also a published researcher and host of the Lifelong Learning Defined podcast, where he and his guests share practical insights to help educators teach effectively, lead with purpose, and create lasting improvement.