Maurice ‘Mo’ Green touts experience, highlights Michele Morrow’s right-wing extremism in candidates’ fourth debate

Democrat Maurice “Mo” Green and Republican conspiracy theorist Michele Morrow, candidates for state superintendent of public schools, have held numerous debates already this election season, including one earlier this week in Greenville.

Green and Morrow rarely agreed on the issues in previous debates and this one was no different, according to The Center Square’s reporting. Morrow once again tried portraying herself as an outsider with more “moderate” ideas and Green touted his leadership experience and highlighted all of the reasons why Morrow is uniquely unqualified for the job.

Progress North Carolina Action reviewed the debate and compiled numerous examples of Morrow’s less-than-truthful debate moments, some of which we’ll highlight below.

Improving schools 

Claim: Morrow said her plan would focus “on boots on the ground staff” and ensure “students have the resources they need and … the opportunity for trades and technical training.”

Reality: Morrow’s plan to reject more than $1.5 billion in federal education funding would slash resources at our public schools, including funding for career/technical training and school staff.

Qualifications and experience

Claim: Morrow has harped on her position that qualifications and experience make you “entrenched in this bureaucratic system.”

Reality: Working for seven years as superintendent of one of the largest school districts in the state, as Green did in Guilford County, is far more qualifying than being a right-wing conspiracy theorist insurrectionist whose children don’t even attend public schools in the state and never have.

Guns in schools

Claim: Morrow said she believes every school needs “at least two SROs” and “They need to be armed.”

Reality: Green agreed that SROs should be armed, but disagreed that every school needs two. Green also pointed out that Morrow “would argue that we should have teachers and other educators be armed.”

School punishments and consequences

Claim: Morrow said, “The problem we have today is that our children are not learning consequences for their actions when they’re young.”

Reality: It seems that Morrow only believes some people should have consequences for their actions considering she attended the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6. She also called for the suspension of the Constitution and for a military coup to keep Trump in power. She has faced no consequences for her insurrectionist actions and has downplayed her attendance, despite videos she posted on social media from that day.

Money in education

Claim: On education funding, Morrow said “It matters more how you’re spending” than the amount schools get. She supports “school choice” (private school vouchers) and said programs “15, 20 and 30 years old” need to be audited for return on investment.

Reality: The Republicans’ “Opportunity Scholarship” program, which they just pumped another $463 million into but didn’t give teachers any additional raises, will be a disaster for public schools and taxpayers. Those who benefit the most from the private school voucher program will be well-off families now that Republicans removed income eligibility restrictions.

Green called for an increase in public school funding and referred to the Opportunity Scholarship program as “a taxpayer voucher scheme,” which resulted in a laugh from Morrow. Green added that if we’re looking for places to save money, “The private school voucher program would be a great place to start.”

In her closing statement, Morrow said she has “spent the last six years fighting for everyone’s right to quality education [and] for medical freedom,” adding, “You can choose Morrow for change, or ‘Mo’ of the same.”

Green’s closing statement focused on his qualifications.

“I’m the first, I’m told, nontraditional superintendent of a school district in the state of North Carolina. I brought to bear lots of issues, and lots of experience, respecting however and in fact revering our educators to try and lift them up and move them forward.”

He closed by saying, “There actually is one person who has walked the walk, who has improved student outcomes, raised graduation rates, and the district recognized as a national district of character.” 

That person is Maurice “Mo” Green.

Looking for ways to ensure Michele Morrow doesn’t win in November?

Feeling concerned about how tight the race is for the state superintendent position and how to fight extremists like Michele Morrow? 

If so, Join Gov. Roy Cooper and statewide organizations at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, for an “SOS” webinar on how to Save Our Schools from the far-right extremism of Morrow.

Cooper, alongside students, educators and parents, will discuss the crucial role the Superintendent of Public Instruction plays and the huge contrast between Morrow and Democrat Maurice “Mo” Green.

Morrow is an insurrectionist and a conspiracy theorist, has no public education experience and has threatened to abolish our education system. She has also called for the public execution of Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as well as Cooper.

Green has worked in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and served as superintendent of Guilford County Schools for seven years. While in Guilford County, Green developed the district’s first-ever strategic plan that increased graduation rates, student achievement on test scores and scholarship dollars for graduating seniors.

North Carolina has a choice between far-right violence and experienced care.

Click here for more information on the event and to register for the webinar.