Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 21, 1995 TAG: 9509210006
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Wright has become principal of Penn Forest Elementary School in Roanoke County after working for 21 years in the Roanoke school system, including seven years as a principal.
She had been principal at Westside Elementary for five years, and before that, two years at Garden City Elementary.
Wright had considered moving to another school system, but she said she had not found the right place and situation.
Some people were surprised by her move, but it was not unexpected for those who know her well.
"When you stay in one school or one school division too long, you limit yourself," Wright said. "I think it is healthy to move from one school to another. There is no one right way of doing anything."
Wright, 43, saw the Penn Forest post as an opportunity for professional growth, which has been a priority throughout her career.
She has made several professional moves, having worked as a teacher, principal and central office administrator.
From childhood, Wright knew that she wanted to be a teacher, but she never expected to become a principal. She used to teach her small sister in play school when they were growing up.
"We had our little desk and we had school year-round," she said. "I wanted to be a teacher from the time that I was 5."
Wright grew up in Roanoke and attended Round Hill, Breckinridge and William Fleming schools. She got her bachelor's and master's degrees at Radford University.
Wright did her student teaching in Roanoke County schools.
She started as a fifth- and sixth -grade teacher at Roanoke's Monterey Elementary School. She taught for 10 years before going into school administration at age 32.
Wright likes being a principal because it gives her the opportunity to have contact with all of the children in a school, not just one classroom.
"Each school has its own personality. They're different and I like that," she said.
Westside Elementary, where she had been principal, is a magnet school that offers programs in the performing and visual arts in addition to the regular curriculum. The school, which has about 650 children, seeks to attract white students to achieve a racially balanced enrollment.
Penn Forest, with an enrollment of about 550, is a suburban school in an affluent neighborhood with an extensive volunteer program.
"The parental involvement and support here at Penn Forest is amazing," she said. "...I hope this continues."
Wright said the school's staff and parents have been very supportive and helpful since she has taken the post. She succeeded Patricia Sales, who retired after 18 years as principal.
"I am somewhat of an outsider, but everyone has been so receptive. It has gone so smoothly," Wright said.
She has assured her faculty that she won't be making any abrupt or immediate changes at Penn Forest.
"I am not going to change things for the sake of change. If there are any changes, I will consult with the staff and the people who will be affected," she said.
Her educational philosophy is clear: The children come first.
"Whatever is done must benefit the children. We have to do what is right for them," she said.
Wright said she expects all teachers and staff members to treat every child better than their own child.
It is an approach that has a special meaning for Wright because she has two small children herself: Whitney, 10, a student at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Roanoke, and Logan, 7, a pupil at Raleigh Court Elementary School in Roanoke.
Wright said having children of her own has helped her to better understand the pressures on parents. She said it also has taught her how to balance the demands of a job and family.
Like other parents, she has to juggle her schedule to get her children to piano and soccer. She tries to leave school by 5 p.m. daily.
Wright said she is a very organized person, and that helps her keep up with a busy schedule. "I'm the kind of person who plans menus two weeks in advance," she said.
One of the special rewards of being a principal are the children's expressions of appreciation and praise, Wright said.
One morning recently, teacher Karen Martin's second-grade class came into the school lobby to serenade Wright and the office staff with songs they had learned in class.
"Things like that are nice," she said.
by CNB