Employee Directory

Danielle Cochran

• Associate Teacher
• Email
• Park Slope
• Lower School

“I love the small moments in teaching at Poly that are different every day and with every child. They add up to produce confident, intelligent, proud, and caring individuals.”

Associate Teacher Danielle Cochran joined Poly’s Lower School faculty in 2024. She began at Poly Prep in 2020 as a substitute teacher. Teaching in all grades at the Lower School confirmed her desire to pursue early childhood education. Danielle, grew up in New Jersey, earned a B.F.A. at Ramapo College and an A.A.S. in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Technology. She designed women’s wear for many years at Ann Taylor and several other well-known brands. The choice to leave fashion design to raise her kids was a difficult one, but she never looked back, and it enabled her to find her new passion for teaching. Before joining Poly, Danielle taught English as a second language, as well as children’s summer workshops in fashion. She brings her creative background into the classroom every day and uses it to help her students engage with their learning. “Most inspiring of all is watching them grow as social-emotional learners. It’s important for a teacher to know when to ‘step in’ and when to ‘step back’ in order to let the child find their own voice,” she said.

Danielle lives in Brooklyn with her husband and three kids. She enjoys baking, traveling, and continuing her learning of French.