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Name: Michele Morrow

Political party: Republican

Age as of March 5, 2024: 52

Campaign website and/or social media links: michelemorrownc.com

Current occupation: Administrator

Professional experience: Registered Nurse, educator, advocate, grassroots activist

Education: Bachelor of Science in Nursing

What offices have you run for or held before? Have you had any other notable government or civic involvement? Ran for (Wake County Public School System) School Board, District 9, 2022; at-large member, GOP Executive Board; spokesperson for Liberty First Grassroots; legislative liaison at Pavement Education Project.

What do you think is the biggest issue in North Carolina that you would be able to shape if elected?

Safety in schools, fiscal responsibility, academic excellence and career preparedness.

What do you think is or is not working well under the current office holder? If not, how would you change it?

Our students are failing; classrooms are filled with chaos; drug use, violence and mental crises are on the rise; we have a drastic shortage of teachers and bus drivers; and the current administration has failed the last two audits.

I would order an external audit (of) the DPI; prioritize school staff and student needs; replace politically charged, racially divisive and sexually explicit content from curriculum; and strengthen parental and community involvement.

What would you do to strengthen public schools?

See above.

How would you help schools make up for students’ learning losses during the pandemic?

Remove nonacademic trainings and content from our schools and focus on the basics of reading, writing, and math during K-5. I would return textbooks and hands-on instruction to our classrooms and limit screen learning.

(I would) initiate a code of conduct with clear expectations and consequences for staff, students and parents; invest money into making our schools the safest buildings in the state; and partner with businesses in the community to offer internships, skilled trades and associate level classes in every high school.

I would also seek partnerships with members of the community to use our schools in the evening for tutoring/ESL classes.

What role, if any, should schools play in promoting diversity and equity?

The only diversity and equity our schools should be promoting is diversity of ideas and teaching methods and equity of opportunity.

What should be done to address staff vacancies in your agency?

We must focus money first and foremost to our boots-on-the-ground staff and student resources. We should evaluate the process for non-education majors to become teachers and create a clear, simple path to teaching if someone has graduated college or has years of marketplace experience. We also need to bring order and civility back to our buses and classrooms.

Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?

I do not disagree with my party platform. I disagree with my primary opponent who has not upheld that platform and has, instead, placed people in leadership who are clearly opposed to conservative values and has made many decisions regarding teacher trainings, statewide data systems, budgetary decisions and standards and policy writing that are in direct opposition to our party platform.