Dr. Donna Marie Cozine is in her 26th year of education and has taught from Pre-K through graduate students. She has held the positions of classroom teacher, director of curriculum, affirmative action officer, assistant principal, principal, district testing coordinator and Chief Educational Officer/ Superintendent. 

In 2012 she began imaging and planning an elementary school where students could experience joy, be taught through and with the arts, where families and staff were equally engaged in the learning and academic success of their children. From the work Renaissance Academy Charter School of the Arts in Rochester, NY was born. The school was authorized to open on December 17, 2013 and has grown from 194 students and 32 staff members to over 500 students and 97 staff members.

 

Renaissance Academy Charter School of the Arts is in its 7th year of operation and is a well respected and sought after school in the area as evidenced by a wait list of more than 525 students each year. 

Dr. Cozine is the best-selling author of So You Want to Be a Superintendent? Become the Leader You Were Meant to Be! The book is based on her own leadership experiences and her coaching of other leaders. Dr. Cozine has developed the DRIVERS approach, a proprietary method for leadership development which has been extremely successful in her work with leaders. Dr. Cozine’s second book Happy Teachers, Joyful Students, Engaged Parents: A Guide to Creating a School Community that Works was published in 2021.

Dr. Cozine recently retired from her position of CEO/Superintendent of the organization that she created in order to focus on her true passion: growing leaders. She created Consult DMC Inc. to do just that and has been serving leaders internationally through her coaching and ongoing professional learning series.

Dr. Cozine has a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Social Science from Pace University, a Master’s of Arts degree in Social Studies Education from Fordham University and a Doctorate in Educational Administration and Supervision from St. John’s University.

Based upon her decades of experience within education, Dr. Cozine founded Consult DMC Inc. to address many of the issues she personally has faced as a teacher, principal and superintendent. She artfully weaves best practices in education and leadership into her coaching to ensure her clients learn new and proven methods to grow and improve.

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Dr. Cozine’s expertise include imaging and creating a k-8 school, writing curriculum, providing professional learning to teachers, leaders, and parents on various topics, strategic planning, managing change, developing leadership pipelines, managing the relationship with a Board of Education, with other leaders, and with those they lead.