

Monique Perry-Graves
Dr. Monique Perry-Graves is an award-winning social impact and education executive with over 20 years of experience leading in the business, non-profit, and higher education sectors. She has a relentless passion for education born from her lived experience becoming a teen mom and the unwavering belief in her potential from her family and her broader education and professional village.
In July 2021, Graves began serving as Teach For America’s first tri-region statewide executive director leading TFA’s entire North Carolina footprint. As TFA’s chief executive for the state, she leads multiple teams spanning Charlotte, the Piedmont-Triad, Triangle, and Eastern North Carolina, in support of TFA’s mission.
She is also long-time community leader serving on numerous boards and advisory committees, including the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council (CELC) Education Working Group, Governor Roy Cooper’s task force for the recruitment and retention of diverse educators (DRIVE), WGU North Carolina, EducationNC and North Carolina Central University’s College of Arts, Sciences and Humanities. She is an Aspen Institute Presidential Fellow, Inroads alum, a proud mom of an adult son, and pandemic bride.
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Perspective
Perspective | Parent educators build bridges across experience
by Monique Perry-Graves |

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Perspective | Development and connection are profound levers for change
by Monique Perry-Graves |

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Perspective | I am where I am because of others’ unconditional belief in my potential
by Monique Perry-Graves |

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Perspective | Thinking creatively about access: Expanding the role of Black narratives in the classroom
by Monique Perry-Graves |

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Perspective | What do a student, an assistant principal, and a state representative have in common?
by Monique Perry-Graves |

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Perspective | As the new year begins, let’s pause to celebrate our students
by Monique Perry-Graves |

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Perspective | The future of education will require learning from the past
by Monique Perry-Graves |

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Perspective | Voices from the heart of our communities: A spotlight on rural school leaders
by Monique Perry-Graves |

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Perspective | A new and exciting chapter for TFA in North Carolina
by Monique Perry-Graves |