Dr. Teruko Dobashi

Dr. Teruko Dobashi’s journey began in San Francisco, California, where, as a former foster youth, she engaged in social justice and community organizing—laying the foundation for her lifelong commitment to education and equity. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, she joined Teach For America, relocating to the Mississippi Delta where she taught 4th and 5th grade and worked in juvenile detention settings. She went on to earn a Master of Social Work from Jackson State University, a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Doctorate in Education from Georgia State University. Her arts-based phenomenological dissertation, “Black on Black School Discipline: Double Consciousness & the Perspective of Disciplining Your Own,” was recognized as Dissertation of the Year.
Dr. Dobashi currently serves as the principal of M. Agnes Jones Elementary School, where, in her first year of leadership, the school improved in all areas of CCRPI—reflecting her unwavering focus on instructional excellence, equity, and student outcomes. Since joining Atlanta Public Schools in 2018, she has served as a 5th grade teacher at Scott Elementary in the Douglass Cluster and as Assistant Principal at Toomer Elementary in the Jackson Cluster.
Throughout her career, Dr. Dobashi has been recognized for her impact, including honors as a Sue Lehmann Regional Finalist, Teacher of the Year, Equity Champion, and Assistant Principal of the Year Finalist. Beyond her professional roles, she is deeply engaged in community work and is an accomplished spoken word artist, performing across the country and using her voice as a tool for liberation and healing.
Grounded in the words of Tupac Shakur—“I’m not saying I’m gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will”—Dr. Dobashi embodies the transformative power of education. As an abolitionist educator, her leadership is rooted in love, light, and liberation, advancing culturally responsive, critically conscious, and equity-driven practices.
Dr. Teruko Dobashi epitomizes the ratchetdemic leader—a dynamic force for change who dismantles oppression through art, authenticity, and an unrelenting commitment to the liberation of all.