KIPP Pleasant Grove Leadership Academy

Wauneta Vann is in her 7th year as a school leader and has 16 years of experience working in education. She has also worked for the largest school district in Denver, Colorado, for 13 years. While in Denver, Wauneta served as a paraprofessional, teacher, interventionist, Assistant Principal, and Principal.

Wauneta relocated to Dallas with her daughter and their dogs in 2020 to become the Oak Cliff Academy school leader, where she spent the last three years. Wauneta was part of a fantastic team that led KOCA from a TEA D rating to a B rating and earned three TEA distinctions in two years. During her time at KOCA, she helped build out the high school model, graduated KOCA’s Inaugural class, helped transition the campus to the Paul Quinn College location, and increased the number of Advanced Placement courses students had access to.

But what makes Wauneta successful isn’t her broad educational experience but how well she can connect with students, families, and staff and how she tries to help. She graduated from Denver University with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and an education emphasis. Throughout her career, Wauneta has participated in the Relay administrative training program, the Ritchie Program, and the Learn to Lead Principal Residency Program. Her experience spans K-12+ and she has extensive experience with credit recovery, student intervention, and academic counseling.