CHARLOTTE — General elections in North Carolina are set for Nov. 5, and many statewide offices have candidates in the running from the Democratic and Republican parties.
The race for state superintendent is one of the closest-watched races down the ballot. Republican Michelle Morrow is facing Democrat Mo Green. Morrow has previously made controversial comments including calling for the execution of former President Barack Obama.
Below are the unedited responses from the candidates.
Mo Green
What is your occupation? Retired (former Executive Director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Superintendent of Guilford County Schools and General Counsel/Deputy Superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools).
Why are you running? I am running because I am deeply concerned about the current direction of the North Carolina Public School system. It is woefully underfunded, even while funding for a taxpayer funded private school voucher program is being increased dramatically. Its educators are belittled through low pay and respect. Statewide student academic performance must be improved, and we must have a vision of excellence. North Carolina public schools need a champion who will provide a new vision. Given my experiences, which are outlined in the questions below, I believe I can be that champion.
What is the most important issue and how do you plan to address it? Our public school educators are the backbone of public education. They are currently undervalued, underpaid, and underappreciated in North Carolina. I support increasing pay for public school educators and providing professional development support for all public school staff. As an example, we must return North Carolina to a state that reveres teachers. Teaching is a noble profession, but our state has woefully underpaid and consistently disrespected them. They play a pivotal role in our children’s lives, and we must pay them more and give them the appreciation they deserve. We also must ensure they have access to the professional development needed to perform their duties at the highest levels of excellence. At a minimum, teachers must receive pay raises in their base compensation to at least the national average.
Do you support the expansion of Opportunity Scholarships? I am opposed to the taxpayer-funded private school vouchers, called the Opportunity Scholarship program. In general, I do not support the use of public funds to allow students to attend private or parochial schools. My opposition grows exponentially when these types of programs are allowing wealthy families, who can already afford to pay the tuition for private schools, to receive vouchers. North Carolina’s taxpayer-funded private school voucher program diverts desperately needed funds from students in our public schools. Our state is, sadly, already 48th in the nation in funding for public education. Its educators are woefully underpaid, making it extremely challenging for our state to meet its constitutional mandate to provide a system of free public schools where all students can receive a sound, basic education. The current legislative action through House Bill 10 – to spend an additional $463 million taxpayer dollars on more private school vouchers for the wealthiest of North Carolina families – will only make the ability to meet this obligation worse.
What should be done to ensure school safety? Using my extensive experience dealing with school safety issues, including having worked with law enforcement and directly supervised a school district law enforcement department, I will work to ensure safe, secure learning environments for our children in our over 2500 public schools. To that end, initiatives will include:
● Gathering and communicating best practice information for making schools safe environments, including information about facility upgrades, effective technology tools and behavioral practices; advocating for resources to implement those best practices; and providing technical support to local school systems and schools so that they can implement best practices. ● Increasing access to mental health services across the state through advocacy efforts with the General Assembly, seeking funds from various other sources for these services and working with schools on ways to make it easier for students and staff to access mental health services. ● Working with law enforcement and school personnel to develop effective, positive relationships that enhance the safety of schools while also developing positive behaviors of students. ● Developing and refining policies that make schools welcoming and safe environments for all students, develop positive student behaviors and character and address inappropriate behavior.
How will you use your office to improve student test scores? When I was Superintendent of Guilford County Schools, we collaboratively created a strategic plan for our district, resulting in notable gains in graduation rates and academic achievement and state and national recognitions for academic performance, character development/service learning and the arts. Today, Guilford County Schools has some of the best schools in the state and the country. Certainly, no public school is perfect. But I am the only candidate who knows our public schools and who can understand how to solve the challenges we face. My Vision, Direction, and Plan for North Carolina Public Schools is called “Achieving Academic Excellence” and features six key pillars: prepare each student for their next phase in life, invest fully in public education, revere public school educators, enhance parent and community support, ensure safe, secure learning environments, and celebrate the good in public education. More details for each of these and specific action items are available on my website: www.mogreenfornc.com/pillars.
What sets you apart from your opponent? There are three key features of contrast between me and my opponent, Michele Morrow: experience, belief in our public schools, and character. I am the only candidate who has worked and improved NC public school districts: I’ve been the Superintendent of Guilford County Schools (GCS) and Deputy Superintendent/Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. My opponent’s background is as a nurse. She’s never worked for or enrolled her children in a North Carolina public school. Rather, she took her children to the attempted insurrection at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. My wife and I were blessed to send both of our kids to public schools. My opponent has called public education a “cesspool of lies, evil and deception” and indoctrination centers, said they’re taken over by Satan, and urged families not to send their children to public schools. The last contrast point is character: under my leadership, GCS was recognized as a national district of character. My opponent called for the executions of many, including President Obama and Governor Cooper. The NC Chamber called her a threat to our state’s business climate. Thanks for your consideration to be your next NC Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Michele Morrow
What is your occupation? Nurse, Medical and Education Advocate.
Why are you running? I believe that our school system can be so much better than it is. Currently it’s failing our students, parents AND teachers. Proficiency rates are at all time lows. Teachers are fleeing our schools in record numbers. Depression, drugs and violence are at an all time high. Our children are not being properly educated. They are not being prepared to successfully enter adulthood. This is not acceptable. It’s time for a change. It’s time for an outside voice.
What is the most important issue and how do you plan to address it? School Safety. Quality teaching simply cannot occur if there is chaos in the classroom. We must have a code of conduct for every student, teacher and administrator where behavior and academic participation is clearly laid out and consequences for all who fail to meet them. We must have respect for our teachers in the classroom and administrators must have their backs.
Do you support the expansion of Opportunity Scholarships? Yes. For a variety of reasons, many parents believe their assigned school just isn’t serving their children’s needs. And they have no other choice. Opportunity scholarships create options for these parents who otherwise have nowhere to turn - particularly those from marginalized communities. Healthy competition will raise the bar for all school systems.
What should be done to ensure school safety? We must have a minimum of two School Resource Officers in every school and weapons detection systems. That is an absolute. We must make our schools the safest buildings in the state. Safe from violence both from the outside and from in the classroom. We must get back to administrative intervention and de-escalation. We must return to common-sense discipline.
How will you use your office to improve student test scores? Improving test scores is not as important as improving basic education. We must insist that all children are proficient in reading, writing and math - and quit simply lowering standards to achieve advancement goals. We must return to teaching our children HOW to think, not what to believe. We are failing our children by continuing to lower expectations just so we can make our schools’ performance look better.
What sets you apart from your opponent? My opponent IS the system. He is a typical bureaucrat that has played an active role in the horrendous decline of our education system. I am not. I am not part of this failed system. I am the solution. I am an outsider with fresh ideas and a vision for turning our school system around. I believe our schools can once again serve our students with excellence rather than serving the system at our students’ expense.
(WATCH BELOW: Candidates on both sides of the aisle want Helene victims to cast their ballots)
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