Both of the candidates running in the Nov. 5, 2024, general election for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction — Mo Green (D) and Michele Morrow (R) — completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office.
Here are the candidates’ responses to the question: What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
Green:
- “I am concerned about the direction of the NC public school system. It needs a champion who will provide a new vision. Given my experiences, which have included being school district superintendent, a foundation chief executive, a school board attorney, and a member of numerous boards that deal with educational issues, I believe I can be that champion. My vision for the NC public school system is for it to be recognized as an excellent school system. That vision centers around preparing each student for whatever is next for them once they graduate from high school. My vision also includes character development, as I believe in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: ‘intelligence, plus character, that is the goal of true education.’
- My vision of excellence for the NC public school system can be realized through commitments by a wide variety of stakeholders (e.g., General Assembly, State Board of Education, local boards of educations, educators, Governor, parents, faith community, businesses, etc.) to the following pillars: ● Investing fully in public education ● Revering educators (teachers as well as other educators such as custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, counselors, etc.) and paying them more ● Providing appropriate and differentiated resources for each student according to their needs ● Enhancing parent and community engagement ● Ensuring safe and secure learning environments ● Celebrating the good in public education
- The vision to be excellent is core to how I work. When I was superintendent of Guilford County Schools, I worked with others to set a vision of education excellence (the successful coupling of academic achievement and character development) for the district. While GCS certainly has room for continued improvement, it is through the work of many that the district and its schools have been routinely recognized for its excellence and for being among the best in the state and nationally in academic achievement, character development and the arts.”
Morrow:
- “Safety in our schools must be a top priority. We must ensure that our most vulnerable citizens are protected from outside threats as well as ensure our classrooms are places of peace, civility and respect. Recent data reports that physical attacks on school personnel is on the rise. Students are not facing consequences for disruptive and harmful behavior and our classrooms have descended into chaos. I will ensure that our schools enact common sense discipline policies so that our teachers can teach and students can learn. I would partner with parents, teachers, bus drivers, principals, religious leaders, law enforcement, security companies and juvenile justice experts to uncover the most effective policies for our staff and students.
- The bar for scholastics must be raised and our curriculum focused on the sound, basic instruction set forth in the NC Constitution. I will end CRT and DEI programs and ideology that are dividing our students and judging them based on their skin color. I will evaluate every program in the DPI for it’s efficacy in enhancing student academic performance, character development and career preparedness and work with the state legislature and State Board of Education to reallocate funds to programs with proven track records of success. No student should leave elementary school without mastering reading, writing and math and we will broaden internship opportunities in every high school throughout NC.
- North Carolina’s educational system must be fueled by a fiscally conservative, free-market, and competitive environment, We need sound policies and practices to deliver academic results and support our staff and student needs. I will work with financial experts and legislators to streamline our spending to focus on teacher recruitment and training, student resources, and infrastructure. I will bring in an external accounting firm to track down every dime of our spending. We will identify, decrease, or terminate wasteful programs that cannot demonstrate a direct, consistent, positive impact on student success and staff retention. We will partner with local farmers, businesses and non-profits to more efficiently serve our schools in NC.”
Click on the candidates’ profile pages below to read their full responses to this and other questions.
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