Overview
Rawlin Rosario, a dedicated and experienced program manager in Culturally Responsive Systems at WestEd, is a true product of his roots, born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the vibrant cultural tapestry of Harlem. These early experiences have profoundly shaped his educational lens and fueled his unwavering commitment to achieving educational equity.
He lends his expertise to technical assistance activities, meticulously crafts research-based tools and resources, and provides invaluable research and policy support to state, regional, and local educational agencies. Rosario’s primary mission revolves around advancing the crucial work of cultivating and sustaining a school system that is culturally responsive and affirms students’ racial, linguistic, cultural, and other forms of identity. Through his work on the Systemic Equity Review line of service, Rosario is the primary author of the Culturally Responsive School Building Walkthrough tool that is used for gathering data and developing district instructional rounds. This walkthrough tool has been adopted in four districts across the country.
Before joining WestEd, Rosario served as a teacher, instructional coach, and school leader in school systems across the country, delivering professional development on instruction and culturally responsive practices, restorative justice approaches, and supporting teachers through culturally responsive instruction.
Rosario’s passion for education policy and systems change led to a Public Policy Fellowship at the New York State Education Department, where he developed the statewide CRSE Framework, co-led professional learning communities, and helped implement socioeconomic integration programs.
Throughout his career, Rosario has demonstrated a commitment to excellence, innovation, and transformative education. He delivers professional development, provides critical instructional support, analyzes data, and coaches educators to elevate their instructional practices.
Education
- 2021 MA, educational leadership, politics, and advocacy, New York University, New York
- 2015 BA, criminology, legal studies and history, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Select Publications
Rosario, R. J., Harris-Minton, P., Jacobs, J., & Lopez, D. (2024). Culturally responsive and sustaining school building walkthrough tool. WestEd.
Boas, E., Iniguez, I., & Rosario, R. J. (2024, March 24–27). Balancing efforts to shift mindsets with taking action: Navigating equity advancement in school systems. [Conference]. Carnegie Summit for Improvement in Education, San Diego, CA, United States.
Lopez, D., Rosario, R. J., & Saez, S. (2024, February 7–10). Creating waves of change: Learnings from Lansing School District’s systemic equity review. [Conference]. Elementary and Secondary Education Act Conference, Portland, OR, United States.
Diaz, J., Johnson, L., & Rosario, R. J. (2023, November 16–18). Critical race English education. [Conference]. Black Male Educator Convening, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Jacobs, J., Lopez, D., & Rosario, R. J. (2023, May 18–21). Interrogating beliefs + race-conscious practices = culturally responsive systems. [Conference]. Building Our Network of Diversity Academy Conference, Bowie, MD, United States.
Browder, E., & Rosario, R. J. (2022, October 6–9). Ain’t no stopping us now: Facing resistance in the effort to build equitable systems. [Conference]. National Coalition on Educational Equity Conference, Indianapolis, IN, United States.
Browning, A., Jacobs, J., Lopez, D., & Rosario, R. J. (2022, September 20–23). What do we need to know about ourselves? Moving racial equity research to practice. [Conference]. Society for Research on Educator Effectiveness Conference, Washington DC, United States.
