Iranetta Wright is the former superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) in Ohio. CPS is the third-largest school system in the state, serving approximately 36,000 students across 65 schools. The district has seen a 20 percent increase in student enrollment over the last decade and is the fastest-growing large-city district in Ohio.

Before CPS, Wright was deputy superintendent of schools for Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), the largest district in Michigan, with approximately 50,000 students and 7,100 employees. There, Wright led turnaround initiatives for the lowest-performing schools and previously oversaw the district’s leadership academies for aspiring principals and assistant principals.

Wright’s experience in education also includes the nearly 25 years she spent working in Duval County Public Schools in Florida. She was a teacher; assistant principal; principal; regional superintendent; and chief of schools. During her tenure, Wright helped 36 of the lowest-performing campuses in the district improve to be removed from state sanctions and avoid school closure. She also played a role in turning around the state’s lowest-performing high school, which improved from an F to a B.

Wright was recognized by City Year as a Champion of Education, by the United Negro College Fund as an Innovator in Education, and by the Michigan Chronicle as a Woman of Excellence. She earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in education from the University of North Florida.