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This article is part of 74’s EDlection 2024 Coverage looking at candidates’ education policies and how they might impact America Education system after 2024 elections.

In the race to lead schools in North Carolina, a former district superintendent defeated a homeschooling mother who attended the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.

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

“It doesn’t end there. It’s now up to us to lay out and implement our bold vision, direction and plan for (North Carolina’s) public schools,” Green said in a statement. “Our children and the future of our state depend on it.”

The race ended with 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 was not tough on student discipline. Green, meanwhile, reminded voters of Morrow’s derogatory comments about public schools and his calls for violence against Democrats on social media. 2020 post He said he wanted to see former President Barack Obama in front of a firing squad — comments he said were blown out of proportion. Obama in the final weeks of the campaign weighed At a campaign rally in Charlotte, he stated that someone who “says crazy things” should not be responsible for decisions about textbooks and school funding.

Morrow, who unexpectedly unseated incumbent Superintendent Catherine Truitt in the Republican primary, said in a statement that he blamed “smear messaging” for his defeat and said the fact that the race was so close was proof that many voters agreed with his message.

“We were overcoming almost incredible challenges,” he said. “With Mo Green’s campaign finances and support from special interest groups, we spent nearly 300 to one.”

Morrow acted as an outsider and frequently criticized public schools as “brainwashing centers” that promoted liberal ideas about race and gender. He thought his years teaching science and Spanish to homeschooled students, including himself, were qualifications for the position.

Attorney Green was a top graduate of 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 also criticized the state’s voucher program. Lawmakers are preparing to approve a law $1.1 billion budget agreement Green said it would fully fund private school vouchers and eliminate the waiting list of more than 50,000 students. september debate With Morrow, resources are “being pulled from our public schools.”

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

“The lack of experience in public education stood out,” said Marcus Brandon, who leads CarolinaCAN, part of a network of policy and advocacy groups. “Mo Green, a former superintendent, claimed he knew public education and that was literally the job.”

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