My Bio
Jennifer Souza is a parent, community advocate, and leader dedicated to helping children and families thrive. As the mother of a large, multiracial, and multi-abled family, her advocacy is both deeply personal and rooted in lived experience. Jennifer has been a leader in parent engagement, literacy advocacy, special education, and community organizing, helping families navigate complex education systems and ensuring that every child has access to opportunity.
Having lived and worked in five countries, Jennifer brings a global perspective to public education and a deep understanding of the challenges and strengths that come with learning a new language. Through her own experiences living abroad and communicating across cultures, she has developed a strong appreciation for multilingualism and the experiences of English learners and families with limited English proficiency.
Jennifer has founded and revitalized parent organizations, served on district committees, and worked alongside families, school staff, and community leaders to strengthen public schools. She is completing the prestigious Teach Plus California Policy Fellowship in September 2026, where she has engaged in state education policy work, met with lawmakers, and advocated for evidence-based solutions to improve student outcomes. As part of her fellowship, she authored an op-ed on literacy that was published in Comstock's Magazine, highlighting the importance of ensuring all students have access to effective reading instruction.
Jennifer believes that strong schools are built through collaboration, transparency, and meaningful partnerships between families, educators, and the community. Her work is grounded in a simple principle: every child deserves to be seen, supported, and empowered to succeed.
My Key Issues
Education
Public education funding should prioritize students and classrooms, not consultants or performative initiatives that fail to deliver measurable outcomes. I believe districts must invest transparently and responsibly in educators, evidence-based instruction, and direct services, especially for students with disabilities and other historically underserved communities.
Education
After-school programs provide safe, structured environments that support academic growth, enrichment, and social-emotional development during critical hours when many children would otherwise be unsupervised. They also improve economic opportunities for parents by enabling consistent work schedules, reducing childcare instability, and supporting family financial stability.
Cultural Diversity and Inclusion
I believe public education must be intentionally anti-racist, confronting systemic inequities and ensuring that resources, opportunities, and decision-making power are distributed fairly. Schools should actively dismantle practices that disadvantage students of color and instead invest in inclusive, culturally responsive systems that allow every student and family to thrive.
Send Me a Message
Have questions or suggestions? I would love to hear from you!