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Erica de Cássia Modesto Coutrim

Erica de Cássia Modesto Coutrim

Head of School and Researchers

Highest degree :

Ph.D.

Field of study :

Education

Location :

Berlin

Citizenships :

Brazilian

Experience :

16 Year(s)

Countries :

Germany, Brazil, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Chile, Argentina, United Kingdom

Gender :

Female

Sectors :

Education

digital education

bilingual education

multilingualism

policy development

Strategy

school leadership

Evaluation, monitoring and research

Public Policy and Management

Specialist in Leadership, Digital Education and Multilingualism, for over 20 years, I have been leading and participating in large-scale educational projects and research that have impacted more than 60 million children and teachers on four continents. With a Ph.D. in Education, my professional journey is rooted in my personal story as a Black Latin American woman, a single mother, a student of public schools, and an autodidactic polyglot who overcame many challenges and barriers to achieve academic and professional excellence. My mission is to transform lives through education, as mine has been and still is every day. I leverage my expertise in designing and implementing innovative, inclusive, and effective learning solutions that address the needs and aspirations of diverse learners and educators. I am passionate about leading diverse and multicultural learning contexts, and advancing the field of education with evidence-based practices, collaborative processes, and creative thinking. Portuguese, German, English, Spanish and French Speaker.

Experience

Head of School – Secondary · Authorised Signatory

Berlin

Berlin Bilingual School

August 2023

-

Present

• Holds board-delegated governance responsibility as authorised signatory, covering compliance, legal obligations, and institutional risk management across primary and secondary school. • Oversees an annual budget of approximately €2.5M: financial planning, cost control, and sustainability planning. • Leads a multidisciplinary team of 60+ academic and operational staff; responsible for HR strategy, recruitment, and performance management. • Drives digital transformation: curriculum redesign, AI-powered assessment frameworks, and instructional quality improvement across all year groups. • Aligns board, senior leadership, and institutional stakeholders around a shared strategic direction for the bilingual secondary school.

Deputy Head of School - Teaching & Learning | PYP Coordinator

Berlin

Berlin Metropolitan School

August 2022

-

July 2023

Deputy Head of School – Teaching & Learning · PYP Coordinator · Berlin Metropolitan School Aug. 2022 – Aug. 2023 | Berlin, Germany • Stabilised and strengthened teaching and learning structures through the redesign of curriculum, assessment, and reporting systems in line with IB PYP standards. • Established a professional learning culture through structured coaching, collaborative lesson planning, and reflective practice in an internationally diverse school environment.

International Advisor - Education Transformation and Digitalisation

Berlin

UNICEF | UNESCO | OEI among others

February 2013

-

Present

Project Client / Region Period Key Outcome National Curriculum Reform Ministry of Education, Brazil 2025–2026 Reform of 3,200+ public schools; development of monitoring framework and professional development system for 40,000+ teachers AI in Education Adviser UNICEF / Mozambique 2025–2026 Conducted national AI-in-education analysis and developed strategic policy recommendations; designed and facilitated high-level multi-stakeholder process (UNICEF, World Bank, Vodafone, Government) — foundation for Mozambique's national AI education roadmap Blended Learning Adviser UNICEF / Mozambique & São Tomé 2021–2025 Co-developed national blended learning strategies for two country systems, including theory of change and implementation frameworks focused on equity and access Digital Education Adviser UNESCO / YouTube Brazil 2021–2022 Led cross-sector initiative for digital education in low-income communities; convened public, private and civil society actors to co-develop scalable solutions for digital learning access Digital Learning Competencies – Programme Design OEI / Latin America 2020–2021 Developed policy framework for digital learning competencies and teacher certification model; adopted by 4 countries National Education Framework – BNCC Ministry of Education, Brazil 2017–2021 Co-designed Brazil's national education framework (BNCC) for 178,000+ schools nationwide; focus on languages and technologies

Director General – Public Education Innovation Programme

Brasília

FAPDF - fixed-term contract

December 2020

-

April 2022

• Appointed Director General with full executive responsibility for Brazil's first nationally recognised gamified secondary education programme; direct reporting line to the FAPDF board. • Managed a cross-institutional programme budget of approximately R$8M (~€1.5M) with direct P&L responsibility for staffing, technology platforms, and implementation. • Led a team of 35 staff drawn from government, education, and the private sector; responsible for recruitment, organisational design, and contract management. • Designed the governance, compliance, and sustainability model for a publicly funded innovation programme operating within a complex federal policy environment. • Coordinated across four federal ministries, three private-sector partners, and NGO actors to align policy, technology, and curriculum delivery. • Programme recognised by the Ministry of Education as a national reference model for digital innovation; design principles integrated into subsequent national curriculum guidelines. • Teacher engagement rate of 94% in the pilot cohort of 12,000 students in year one; programme scaled to 40,000 students by completion.

Head of School – Primary

Salvador

Escola Concept

January 2018

-

July 2022

• Led the academic and operational management of a bilingual international primary school with 300+ students — curriculum quality, staff coordination, and compliance. • Drove HR strategy and academic recruitment for a team of 45 teachers; achieved measurable improvement in student outcomes across 6 year groups. • Developed and implemented an innovative student-centred education model integrating social-emotional learning, bilingual instruction, and digital learning methods.

Campus Director & Lecturer

Salvador

Kroton University

January 2017

-

January 2018

• Assumed academic leadership responsibility for two university campuses with a combined enrolment of 4,200 students, in compliance with national MEC accreditation standards. • Drove institutional innovation through the expansion of blended learning provision — enabling scalable and cost-effective higher education delivery.

Doctoral Researcher

Berlin

Universidade de Sao Paulo | TU Berlin

June 2015

-

January 2017

• Joint doctoral project at the intersection of digital transformation and multilingual pedagogy within the German-Brazilian university partnership programme.

Teacher & Early Career Educational Leader

Sao Paulo

KMK German-Brazilian Programme

February 2008

-

May 2015

• Taught in the bilingual education programme and contributed to international teacher development initiatives; built foundational expertise in pedagogy, curriculum, and intercultural education.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Dr. phil.) - Education Studies

Sao Paulo

Universidade de Sao Paulo

February 2013

-

May 2017

Focus: Digital and bilingual education

German & Portuguese Language and Literary Studies

Sao Paulo

Universidade de Sao Paulo

February 2005

-

December 2008

German & Portuguese Language and Literary Studies

Awards & Certificates

Randomized Control Evaluation in Education Policy

Berlin

MIT

2023

Languages
Portuguese
Speak
Native
Read
Native
Write
Native
French
Speak
Good
Read
Good
Write
Good
English
Speak
Excellent
Read
Excellent
Write
Excellent
Spanish
Speak
Good
Read
Good
Write
Good
German
Speak
Excellent
Read
Excellent
Write
Excellent
Experience with financing agencies

6