To the Editor:
Public education has always been the great equalizer, and North Carolina has always been a “light in the South” as far as education is concerned. In recent years education has been at the forefront of many people’s minds at the local, state, and national level. Decisions about education can be very personal, like where your child or grandchild might attend school or how your tax dollars are going to be spent. A business owner might be more interested in what kinds of bills and policies shape what our students learn, what the workforce will look like, or who will work to solve the problems of tomorrow. Regardless, all are impacted by our public education system.
With elections around the corner in November of 2024, who you vote for could have a huge impact on what the future of our community looks like, in more ways than ever before. At the state and national levels, candidates running for education positions, and those impacting how education is funded are running on platforms that are complete opposites from one another. One side believes in education as an investment in the community, while others are confident the system should not exist.
On the state level, we elect an N.C. superintendent to lead public schools. In addition to many tasks, the person that holds this position must understand the law, finances, and the function of education. As citizens, we have the right to vote for this incredibly distinguished office so we feel our interests are represented for the future of our community.
In 2024 your choices for N.C. superintendent are Mo Green, who has served as a county superintendent and school board attorney, and has run an organization that funds public education projects. Opposing him is Michelle Morrow, who does not believe public education should exist.
The future of our children in Iredell County depends on the decisions made at the state level. Those decisions will be deeply influenced by the vision and motivation of the N.C. superintendent, who will either be someone who will lobby for legislation that could help our kids eat a warm meal and ensure that every child has access to an equal education, or someone who will work to take public funds from struggling children to give to private institutions in the form of voucher programs that predominantly help wealthy folks whose children already attend private schools.
Mo Green will be joining the Iredell County Democratic Party to inform citizens of Iredell and rural areas of his stances and experiences. If you are a public school advocate, please join us on April 13 at the Statesville Civic Center at 6 p.m. to learn more.
Ticket sales end on Thursday, April 11, at 8 a.m. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door. Buy tickets online and learn more about the event at iredelldemocrats.com.
Beth Kendall, chair
Iredell Democratic Party
Dear Beth Kendall,
This is a very dishonest post in regards to Mo Green’s opponent. I do hope people will do their own research. You and Iredell Free News have printed yet another bold faced lie to say that Michelle doesn’t believe public school should exist. Surely, people that read that will question, look it up for themselves, and then question why you would lie…https://www.morrow4nc.com/meet-michele
If you read her website you’ll see that her children attended all types of schools, including public, and her hopes are to remove barriers and distractions from public schools to help all students achieve their potential.
Please do better.
If the Moms For Liberty group is backing Morrow, then make sure to support her opponent. Moms For Liberty is an evil group looking to destroy our school system.
We have the knowledge, manpower, and funds to make every school in America safe.
But, tragically, our schools have become the most dangerous place in society for our youngest citizens.
Our educational system is purposefully inciting the next generation to doubt god, their parents, themselves, and our country.
Time to #TakeBackOurSchools and Make Education Great Again!
#BetterSchollsBetterFuture
From Michele Morrow’s Twitter. @michele4nc
Our public educational is a powerful, tax payer funded arm of the Democratic Socialist Party. They have been indoctrinating our kids against god and America for decades!
We love you. @realDonaldTrump!!!
Again, directly from her Twitter page.
“I also think its beneficial that we understand that children who are very limited in potentially their ability to understand a lot of higher level concepts that we really focus on teaching them life skills…For instance I have two cousins who are mentally retarded by definition…I know we don’t use that term very much anymore”
She actually said this out loud in a debate with Tyler Swanson, 9/10/2022.
Kelli Harris, you can defend this poor excuse for a human all you would like. It doesn’t change the facts. This woman has zero educational experience other than homeschooling her own children. What qualifies this woman to lead our state’s education system? Is it because she is highly qualified and looking out for the best interests of the kids of this state, or is it because she stands with the likes of Donald Trump and his minions? My guess is the latter.
This woman has zero qualifications to do the job she is seeking through election. The (R) beside her name is the only qualification needed in the eyes of people like you.
Make no mistake, the goal of the GOP is to cause chaos and rile their toxic base with every single thing they attempt to do. They don’t attempt to lead or govern; they attempt to keep the division going. And they are very successful at doing so.
These people see themselves above everyone that doesn’t look like them or worship the same imaginary being in the sky as them.
If you want facts, look into the US Constitution. The 1st Amendment plainly states:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress if grievances.
Wouldn’t it make sense for someone who is seeking elected office in the United States to understand the laws and rules they will be sworn to uphold?
Your god, nor any of the other 4,000 ones, do not belong in government affairs. Period. I don’t make the laws; I’m just forced to live by them.
Who are you? Where are you from? What does the Dr. Come from? And next do you think one way only or try to look at all sides of a problem?
Well, Bull White Hawk, none of that is any of your concern. But I will address the last question. You’re going to need to be more specific.
Just Google this person and her comments during an unsuccessful run for the Wake County School Board:
“… In addition to calling schools “socialism centers” and “indoctrination centers,” and urging people not to send their children to them, Morrow has also accused Democrats of stealing the 2020 Presidential election, suggested the death penalty against President Obama, Bill and Melinda Gates and “traitors,” called for the arrest of Joe Biden, referred to the COVID-19 vaccine as “population control,” called Islam “evil” on numerous occasions, suggested fake nooses on the necks of climate change protestors weren’t tight enough and joked that a mass shooting would be staged to distract from 2020 election controversy in Arizona. Morrow attended the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot with her oldest children and said she was there to teach her children a lesson about citizens’ role in a democracy.”
https://www.wral.com/story/in-cary-opposites-face-off-for-district-9-s-seat-on-the-wake-county-school-board/20530056/
I don’t believe a d thing Kelli Harris says. Ever notice that 99 percent of these crazies are from somewhere off?
I see Paula Mimnaugh has started her own group. Did moms for Liberty kick her out? Lol
Mo Green is a well educated man who cares about public education. It is important for our students, teachers, bus drivers, custodians, teacher assistants, and administrators to have someone leading them who understands how to educate and differentiate educational experiences for a wide array of students. He knows the intricacies of driving a bus, cleaning protocols for a school, and budget code constraints in governmental accounting.
Home school parents like to pretend they are educators. They are not teachers by any means, just as I am not a doctor, a nurse, or a plumber. Yes, I have given my children Tylenol and put bandaids and ointment on their scrapes or cuts. I have stayed up with them at night when they had a fever, cleaned out their ears when they had wax, pulled a splinter from their finger – but I am neither a doctor or a nurse.
I have tightened a loose pipe and attached a hose to a faucet – I am not a plumber.
I have taken care of animals and washed, fed, and taken care of them when they were sick – I am not a veterinarian.
I drive a car, can change a tire, and add fluid for my wipers – I am not a mechanic.
I have taught my children Math and worked with them as they learned to read. I am an educator by trade and have a diploma to back that up, but I am quite aware I do not have the required knowledge to teach them every subject they need to learn, ie Physics or AP Calculus. I am wise enough to know my limitations.
Michelle Marrow is no more qualified to run our state educational system, than I am to run the state board of medicine. Do not be fooled by party affiliation. Think carefully about who you select and if they actually have the skill set, knowledge, and expertise to do the job. These are our children who are at risk. Do not make this a political game.
The letters I see today give me hope for public education. I continue to hope and pray there are enough sane voters in our state to elect Mr. Green, an educated and qualified candidate, as superintendent.
Candidate Morrow is a dangerous QAnon right wing extremist. In 2020 she expressed support for the televised execution of former President Barack Obama and suggested killing then-President-elect Joe Biden.
In other comments on social media between 2019 and 2021 Morrow made disturbing suggestions about executing prominent Democrats for treason, including Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Hillary Clinton, Sen. Chuck Schumer and other prominent people such as Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates.
“I prefer a Pay Per View of him in front of the firing squad,” she wrote in a tweet from May 2020, responding to a user sharing a conspiracy theory who suggested sending Obama to prison at Guantanamo Bay. “I do not want to waste another dime on supporting his life. We could make some money back from televising his death.” This is in the public record.
Sloan Rachmuth, Morrow’s campaign manager, tweeted just last week:
“We are developing an easy-to-use data base for documenting radical public school teachers in NC, complete with social media dossiers and background checks (all public information). We will also be offering expert training on evidence gathering and citizen journalism to students 7th grade and up. We’ll be paying $$ for evidence and for stories. Stay tuned.”
Again, this candidate is a clear and present danger to our public schools and her leadership will be authoritarian, toxic and disastrous for NC public education.
Agree! Ms. Morrow is unqualified.
Please vote for the qualified person not the party. This GOP is nothing like the party you used to know. They are all about power and scare tactics.