It’s both scary and sad to say, but the future of public education is unknown. This is the case across the country and in our own state of North Carolina.
Far-right candidate, Michele Morrow, received the majority of votes for N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction in the March 5th GOP primary, defeating Republican moderate Catherine Truitt. Morrow has called public schools “indoctrination centers” and urged people not to send their kids to public schools. She also attended the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and supports policies such as arming teachers.
Morrow believes that schools are “grooming” children – pushing “social, political, and sexual agendas.” She vows to eradicate “Critical Race Theory and porn” from classrooms, despite the fact that there is no evidence to suggest these things are being taught in our schools. Her five children have never attended public school in North Carolina.
If Morrow were to be elected in November, our state’s educational system would be led by someone with zero experience, someone who undermines public education, vilifies teachers, and makes false and inflammatory statements about what students are supposedly being taught.
Alarm bells should be going off in everyone’s heads. It’s time to wake up to the fact that there are bad people out there who purposely instill fear to gain power and control in our institutions. Electing the wrong people will intensify the already divisive, destructive, chaotic atmosphere, and create an even more toxic environment for our children and grandchildren.
Voters have all the power. Do we have the will to reverse course?
Annette Bell, Otto