Dr. Dawn Brooks-Decosta

Dr. DAWN BROOKS DECOSTA is the Deputy Superintendent of Harlem Community School District 5 in Harlem, NYC where she leads the district’s Culturally Responsive and Affirming Social Emotional Leadership and Learning framework. She is the former principal of elementary school Thurgood Marshall Academy Lower School in Harlem where she focused her leadership on cultural responsiveness, social emotional learning and academic achievement. Dawn began her service of teaching 28 years ago, worked as a teacher for the NYC Public Schools teaching in Harlem, NYC for 16 years and served as principal for 11 years. Previous to that, she taught at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School in East Elmhurst, Queens.

Dawn’s awards and recognitions include, Teacher of the Year 1998, Heroes of Education Award 2002 for her work with students involving the 9/11 tragedy and Outstanding Educator 2002. She is a 2015 Yale Institute Marvin Mauer Spotlight Award winner and a 2015 Cahn Fellow with Teachers College, Columbia University. Dawn’s dissertation research is entitled, “Black Principal Perspectives on SEL and CRSL in Urban Schools: The Role of Beliefs, Values and Leadership Practices. Dawn’s published work includes a 2016 article titled, Museum Cultural Ambassadors Parent Engagement through Museum and School Partnerships, the 2019 article entitled, Cultural Awareness and Self-Awareness at Thurgood Marshall Academy, the 2021 journal article, An Unwavering Commitment to CRSE and SEL, a Columbia University’s 2022 journal article entitled, Reimagining Education: Restore, Rebuild, Curate, Uplift, and Celebrate and a 2023 chapter in the book, From Being Woke to Doing the Work: Using Culturally Relevant Practices to Support Student Achievement & Sociopolitical Consciousness entitled, Restoring the Village Through Radical Self Care.

Dawn holds an EdD and M.S. in Educational Leadership, from Teachers College, Columbia University, an M.S. in Fine Art Education, Queens College and a B.S. in Education, from St. John’s University.