Peggy Wyns-Madison

Sloan Public Service Awards • 2020

Title and Organization Principal, PS 15K, Patrick F. Daly Magnet School of the Arts NYC Department of Education

Bio

Born and raised in Bedford Stuyvesant, Peggy Wyns-Madison wanted to be a teacher since the fourth grade. She graduated from Howard University in 1982 and taught for 15 years at PS 131, Brooklyn. She was a technology staff developer from 1997 to 2001. In 2001, she became Assistant Principal of PS 15 and six years later, was named Principal, a position she has held for 13 years. She receives accolades from students, parents, teachers, Red Hook residents and the scores of nonprofit leaders who have programs at PS 15. Students designed the school’s two playgrounds, helped build community gardens that grow fresh produce for residents, and are the stars of the feature-length documentary Microplastic Madness that details their work to help achieve Plastic Free Waters. Indisputably, PS 15 is a flagship for the community. One parent recalls, “My daughter and I both felt a real sense of belonging and a sense of mission, like we were part of something larger that was doing good for everyone.” Says another, “You feel welcomed and cared for the moment you walk into PS 15. That’s all Peggy.”