Dr. Dawn Brooks DeCosta is the Deputy Superintendent of Harlem Community School District 5 in New York City, where she leads with a bold vision for academic excellence, cultural responsiveness, and whole-child development. She is the architect and driving force behind the district’s Culturally Responsive and Affirming Social Emotional Leadership and Learning (CRASEL) framework, which has transformed teaching, learning, and leadership practices across Harlem schools.

A lifelong Harlem educator, Dr. DeCosta previously served as principal of Thurgood Marshall Academy Lower School, where for 11 years she built a model of culturally responsive, high-achieving, and emotionally supportive schooling. Her leadership legacy is rooted in nearly three decades of service, more than 16 years as a teacher in Harlem and Queens, and now as a system-level leader advancing equity and academic progress across an entire district.

Dr. DeCosta is the co-author of the groundbreaking book, The Change You Want to See: A Culturally Responsive and Affirming Approach to School Leadership (Solution Tree, 2024), which provides a blueprint for educational leaders committed to equity, social-emotional development, and culturally grounded school transformation. Her scholarship also includes articles and book chapters on culturally responsive education, parent engagement, and leadership wellness, including “Restoring the Village Through Radical Self Care” (2023) and contributions to Columbia University’s Reimagining Education journal. Her doctoral dissertation, Black Principal Perspectives on SEL and CRSL in Urban Schools: The Role of Beliefs, Values and Leadership Practices, continues to inform her leadership, advocacy, and speaking engagements.

Her work has been widely recognized: Teacher of the Year (1998), the Heroes of Education Award (2002) for her work supporting students during the aftermath of 9/11, Outstanding Educator (2002), and the Marvin Mauer Spotlight Award from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (2015). She is also a Cahn Fellow at Teachers College, Columbia University (2015).

Dr. DeCosta holds an Ed.D. and M.S. in Educational Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, an M.S. in Fine Art Education from Queens College, and a B.S. in Education from St. John’s University. She continues to champion culturally responsive leadership, equity-centered reform, and the integration of social-emotional learning as essential levers for student success and community transformation.