Danyelle Wright, a longtime Madison-area educator and a graduate of Madison La Follette High School, was recently selected to be the new principal at Cottage Grove School and she says that she is very excited about the opportunity.
“I am really looking forward to not only getting to know the students but also the families in the community and working together with them,” Wright tells Madison365. “In the next 90 days, I want to sit down with and get to know different families and communities. I want to work with the District Parent Equity Group as well and hear from them about what they would like to see for Cottage Grove School to be a leader and how I can implement those things.”
Based on the recommendation of Superintendent Dan Olson, the Monona Grove School Board approved the selection of Wright as the new principal of Cottage Grove School (CGS) at its special June 9 board meeting. The district said that Wright “rose to the top of the field of candidates based on not only her qualifications but also her philosophy and goals which align with those of the Monona Grove School District.”
“It’s clear that with Mrs. Wright on board, our ongoing efforts to improve the experiences of students in our district will thrive,” said Olson in a statement. “We’re proud to welcome her to Monona Grove.”
Wright, who lives on the far east side of Madison, says that she was very intrigued by the work being done in Cottage Grove and it led her to apply for the position.
“I saw the vacancy and decided to go for it,” she says. “I was so happy when I found out that I got the job. I was honored. I’m really blessed.”
The Monona Grove School District is located just outside of Madison, and serves students and families who reside in the communities of Monona and Cottage Grove.
“The school that I will be the principal of, Cottage Grove School, will serve the elementary school students from grades 2-4,” she says. “And then when I take over next year, it will be grades 1-2 and grades 3-5 will be at the new elementary school that is being built. It doesn’t have a name yet.”
4K and kindergarten classrooms are located at a separate site.
“I appreciate the equity framework for K-12 curriculum. That’s what I’m really interested in and excited about and looking forward to,” she says. “The district is becoming more and more diverse and we have kids coming from different areas of Cottage Grove and Monona. It’s important for kids to see staff that represents the students who will be going to school there.”
The theme of equity fits right into Wright’s academic pursuits and passion as she finishes up her doctorate degree at UW-Madison in the Education Leadership Policy Analysis (ELPA) department. She anticipates completing her doctorate in December 2020.
“I’m right there. I’m so close to finishing. I’ve been doing this for some time but now I can see the finish line,” she says. Wright is also a graduate of Rockford University in Rockford, Ill., and went on to earn her master’s degree from Edgewood College here in Madison. “My research is grounded in professional development in equity and I’m looking into how we can serve all of our students, but specifically students of color and marginalized groups. I’m looking at how our different systems we have in place support our equity work.”
Wright most recently served as associate principal at Toki Middle School in Madison. Prior to that, she was the dean of students at Sun Prairie High School.
(Photo by A. David Dahmer)
Wright is a strong proponent of education and says that she loves to be around students and enjoys how challenging and rewarding it is.
“I love to see kids learning and trying new things. I love how students can push my thinking,” Wright says. “Sometimes when you’ve been doing this work for a while you may feel confident about what you’re doing but then a student comes in changes how you think. For me, I love that challenge. I love knowing that each and every child that comes through definitely has an impact on my work.
“I am really looking forward to being in a space and place where I can learn more from kids,” she adds. “We are truly here for our kids and if we aren’t open-minded to hearing different perspectives – even children’s perspectives – that’s when the work becomes stagnant and that’s when we don’t have equitable outcomes for all students.”
The 2020-2021 school year will serve as a planning year for both Wright and current Cottage Grove School Principal Reed Foster, who will be moving to the new elementary school when it opens in the fall of 2021. Wright says that she wants to create models of innovation that will propel student performance for all the students at Cottage Grove School.
“My short-term goal is to get more parents involved in what we’re working on,” Wright says. “I’m really looking forward to that. I really want to make sure that the community, the families, and the stakeholders have the opportunity to learn about myself, but to also really be invested in Cottage Grove School.”
Wright begins in her new role on July 1.
