Jan. 6 Protester and Former Superintendent Vying to Lead North Carolina’s Schools

Most assessments suggest Michele Morrow is an improbable choice to head North Carolina’s education system.

Having homeschooled her children for more than ten years, actively participated in the “Stop the Steal” rally leading up to the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, and used controversial terms like “indoctrination centers” to characterize public schools, Morrow’s history is quite distinct. Additionally, she made a now-notorious 2020 tweet calling for a televised execution of former President Barack Obama.

In an interview with The 74, Morrow, who had previously dodged questions about her past tweets, downplayed these remarks, stating she made them in jest. She unexpectedly defeated Republican incumbent Catherine Truitt in the primary and now faces Maurice “Mo” Green, a former district superintendent, in the upcoming election. Despite her history of provocative tweets, she dismisses them as merely political in nature.

“This is an issue for adults,” she remarked. “It’s not how I envision what should be happening in our classrooms.”

Morrow isn’t the lone participant from the January 6 events vying for office this year. One is in contention for a Congressional seat, while an organizer of the rally is running for the Texas House. However, if elected, Morrow would oversee more than 2,700 schools and a $13 billion educational budget, a unique responsibility among protesters.

She cites her nine years teaching science and Spanish in a homeschool co-op as her primary qualification for the role. Over the past six years, she claims to have gained a “clear insight” into what voters desire in a state schools’ head, emphasizing academic excellence and character development. In contrast, Green highlights his background in leading an educational agency and advocating for increased education funding, especially as Republican legislators are expanding voucher programs.

Morrow underscores policies such as a scientific approach to reading instruction and intensive tutoring in math as potential bridges across the political spectrum in a state marked by a divide between Democrats and Republicans. However, her challenging statements and occasionally extreme language are driving away potential allies.

“I am concerned about the rhetoric,” expressed Marcus Brandon, who heads CarolinaCAN, a network supporting school choice advocacy. While he favors expanding the state’s voucher initiative, he believes Green is the better candidate for the job. An attorney by profession, Green led the Guilford County Schools for seven years, including Greensboro.

“We need a robust public school system,” stated Brandon. “Seventy-five percent of our children are education-bound.”

Following her unexpected primary triumph in March, Morrow’s campaign received a significant financial boost from North Carolina’s business community. Nonetheless, she lags financially behind Green. As of the end of June, Green had over $578,000 in reserves compared to Morrow’s $50,600.

Whoever emerges victorious will face a system grappling with critical issues like a historic teacher attrition rate and stagnant funding. North Carolina purportedly ranks 48th in per-student funding, trailing almost $5,000 below the national average of $16,131, as per the Education Law Center’s latest school finance report. Morrow contends there is sufficient financial resources for education, suggesting that districts merely need to prioritize effectively.

“Our focus should be on a leader who prioritizes the students,” remarked Lauren Fox, senior director of policy and research at the Public School Forum of North Carolina, which champions public education. She aspires for the next superintendent to continue Truitt’s tradition of appointing a teacher adviser, given the current sentiment among educators who sense marginalization and lack of voice.

Green concurs with this sentiment and frequently emphasizes Morrow’s past statements, including her description of public schools as a “cesspool of evil and lies” during early pandemic Facebook live sessions. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the GOP’s gubernatorial candidate, echoed similar sentiments by referring to teachers disparagingly in a speech last year.

“Our educators are being treated with disrespect,” Green emphasized to The 74. The state ranks 42nd in starting teacher salaries, according to the latest National Education Association salary report. “Attracting individuals to this vital profession becomes even more challenging when the pay isn’t adequate.”

During his tenure at Guilford from 2008 to 2015, graduation rates soared by nearly 10 percentage points to over 89%, alongside improved scores on the ACT exam.

Tapped for the role by outgoing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, Green believes he’s better placed to advocate for state funding increments and assist districts in coping with shrinking budgets as federal relief funds diminish. In the wake of the Great Recession, Green initiated a move to return money to the state to aid officials in balancing the budget.

After leaving Guilford, Green led the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, a philanthropic institution supporting a range of social, educational, and environmental causes. He is a proponent of charter schools and backs in-district choice within Guilford. Nevertheless, he emphasized the need for adequate resources in public schools to offer quality options.

His stance resonates with many in a state where several economically challenged districts legally pushed for better funding in 1994 to ensure a foundational education for students. The foundation Green headed financially supported efforts to determine the necessary state allocation for programs like pre-K and teacher training. However, the conservative state Supreme Court is now deliberating whether to reverse a 2022 ruling mandating an $800 million education improvement fund for the poorest regions of the state.

Green hailed the foundation as an entity dedicated to uplifting marginalized communities.

In response to Green’s ties with the association, Morrow has labeled him a progressive and an extremist. She notes the organization’s funding for groups advocating for reducing the presence of school resource officers to address the school-to-prison pipeline.

She affirms her commitment to safeguarding teachers by placing student conduct at the core of her campaign. Citing state data showing nearly 1,500 assaults by students on public school staff during the 2022-23 academic year, she recently attended a sheriff’s convention in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to address school safety.

Feeling unfairly judged by educators within the public school system, Morrow transitioned to homeschooling when her eldest daughter, who had learning difficulties, struggled to progress.

“She was receiving daily math tutoring, yet math facts weren’t clicking for her,” she shared.

Although she homeschooled her four other children subsequently, she clarified that not all public schools fall short. She highlighted exemplary STEM programs in her local Wake County district as a case in point.

“The assumption that opting for homeschooling means disdain for public schools couldn’t be further from reality,” Morrow contended.