Former Superintendent Defeats MAGA Homeschooler for North Carolina Schools Chief

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This article is part of The 74’s EDlection 2024 coverage, which takes a look at candidates’ education policies and how they might impact the American education system after the 2024 election.

In the race to lead North Carolina’s schools, a former district superintendent has defeated a homeschooling mom who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021 “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington. 

Maurice “Mo” Green,  a retired leader of a progressive foundation who was recruited by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to run for state superintendent, defeated Michele Morrow 51% to 49%.

“The work does not end here. It’s now upon us to put forth and implement our bold vision, direction, and plan for [North Carolina] public schools,” Green said in a statement. “Our children and the future of our state depend on it.”

The race boiled down to both candidates accusing each other of extremism. Morrow, a former nurse who focused her campaign on school safety, portrayed Green as a left-wing radical who isn’t tough on student discipline. Green, meanwhile, reminded voters of Morrow’s derogatory statements about public schools and her calls for violence against Democrats on social media, including a 2020 post that she wanted to see former President Barack Obama before a firing squad  —  comments that she said were blown out of proportion. In the final weeks of the campaign, Obama weighed in at a campaign rally in Charlotte, noting that someone “saying just crazy stuff” shouldn’t be in charge of decisions about textbooks and funding for schools.

In a statement, Morrow, who unexpectedly ousted incumbent Superintendent Catherine Truitt in the Republican primary, blamed “smear messaging” for her defeat and said the fact that the race was so close was evidence that a lot of voters agreed with her message. 

“We nearly overcame incredible odds,” she said. “Between Mo Green’s campaign funding and the support of his special interest groups, we were outspent nearly 300  to one.”

Morrow ran as an outsider, frequently criticizing public schools as “indoctrination centers” pushing liberal ideas about race and gender.  She considered her years teaching science and Spanish to homeschooled students, including her own, as adequate qualifications for the position.

Green, a lawyer, held a top spot in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and then led the 68,000-student Guilford district from 2008 to 2015. He plans to advocate for more funding for public schools. While he supports public school choice, he has been critical of the state’s voucher program. With lawmakers poised to approve a $1.1 billion budget deal that would fully fund private school vouchers and eliminate a waiting list of more than 50,000 students, Green said during a September debate with Morrow, that resources are “being drained away from our public schools.”

While he used Morrow’s past social media posts to his advantage, his background in public schools appeared to make the difference for education advocates.

“Her lack of experience in the public education sphere was glaring,” said Marcus Brandon, who leads CarolinaCAN, part of a network of policy and advocacy groups. “Mo Green, being a former superintendent, made the case [that] he knew public education, and that literally is the job.”

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