Monica Teixeira de Sousa

Monica Teixeira de Sousa is a faculty member at New England Law, specializing in education policy and school reform. Her work critically examines federal education initiatives like the Race to the Top grant program, emphasizing their socioeconomic implications.

Research interests include the intersection of poverty and educational outcomes, federal-state dynamics in education reform, and systemic challenges in public education. Her 2010 article highlights how concentrated poverty exacerbates struggles in persistently low-performing schools.

The Race to the Top initiative, while aiming to improve education, is critiqued for its narrow focus on charter schools and staff replacements rather than addressing root socioeconomic causes. She advocates for holistic support for disadvantaged communities.