North Carolina鈥檚 new Superintendent of Public Instruction Mo Green was in the Charlotte region this week, visiting a school in Concord for a listening session with parents, students, teachers and others.
Green met with an enthusiastic crowd Wednesday night in the auditorium of Harold Winkler Middle School in Concord. It was the latest stop of his 鈥溾�� listening tour.
The state superintendent says he鈥檚 trying to hear from people across the state as he shapes the Department of Public Instruction鈥檚 strategic plan for education. Guests were asked to share their praise, frustrations and potential solutions.
And 鈥渓istening鈥� really was the defining word of the night for Green, who seldom weighed in on attendees鈥� comments. DPI staffers instead passed a microphone around the room for nearly an hour and a half.
There were a few recurring themes 鈥� many people called for more support for special education services. That鈥檚 something Green told reporters he鈥檚 heard around the state.
鈥淲e are all working extremely tirelessly," said Madison Liddle, an Exceptional Children teacher. "It is crazy the amount of hours that are being put into everything that we do and we do it because we love children. And that is why we are here, because we love kids and we know they need the support, but there needs to be more.鈥�
Liddle suggested more contacts at the state that teachers could reach out to for support, more reading programs for middle school EC students and more information sessions for parents so parents and teachers can work more closely together.
Parents, meanwhile, called for more state funding for special education and better accountability for when special education plans aren鈥檛 being enforced. One suggested a system of local parent advisory committees that could help the state hold schools accountable when special education needs aren鈥檛 being met.
Parents also expressed concerns about bullying and mental health. There were also calls for better teacher pay and recruitment. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board member Dee Rankin was in attendance. He suggested the state consider a new plan to provide free education at state universities for students with a certain GPA who want to go into teaching.
This week鈥檚 listening session was held as federal actions continue to create uncertainty for schools across the country. School districts are navigating the Trump administration鈥檚 efforts to cut the federal Department of Education and bans on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Some attendees called for diversity efforts to continue, such as Amanda, a ninth grade student.
鈥淲e need more Hispanic resources to support diversity," she said.
She also said she hopes the state will consider students' voices as move through the General Assembly to restrict cellphone use in classrooms.
At the national level, town halls have recently been infused with tensions over the Trump administration鈥檚 cost-cutting efforts and other policies. Videos of angry attendees shouting down Republican Congress members have dominated social media and cable news. That wasn鈥檛 the case at Green鈥檚 event. But partisan politics did seep in, when one attendee weighed in on Green鈥檚 election. He beat conservative Republican Michele Morrow, who generated controversy for appearing outside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, protests calling to overturn Joe Biden鈥檚 election
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 one very important thing we need to celebrate, and that鈥檚 the fact that our state superintendent beat a f- - -ing insurrectionist," the attendee said.
But Green resisted taking the bait, saying he understands people have different opinions on the election, but urged cooler heads.
鈥淚 do things the way I do them in honor of my mother, and she would not abide certain language," Green said. "And so I hope that you鈥檒l hear me that as we have a conversation tonight, that we do it in a way that would honor my mother.鈥�
After the event, Green, a Democrat, he鈥檚 advocating for higher teacher pay and more funding for special education services at the state level, and he praised a Republican-led bill that proposes a significant increase in teacher pay. The state鈥檚 strategic plan will be created later this spring.
