Green served as executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation from 2016-2023. Before that he led Guilford County Schools, the third-largest district in the state, as superintendent for more than seven years. He also spent seven and a half years at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in various roles, including deputy superintendent. Previously, he worked as a lawyer in private practice after serving two U.S. judicial clerkships. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics and a law degree, both from Duke University. He is married and has two adult children.
The job:
The state superintendent of public instruction leads the Department of Public Instruction, administers a $17.2 billion budget, and oversees the state’s 115 school districts, including the more than 90 school-based health centers. The state superintendent serves on the N.C. State Board of Education as secretary and chief administrative officer, and belongs to the N.C. Council of State.
Our Q&A with Green:
The following responses were provided by Green. They have been edited for length.
What is your plan to address the mental health issues plaguing today’s youth, issues that can surface during school hours and can impact academic performance?
Many of our children are facing a severe mental health crisis. I am advocating to ensure safe and secure learning environments through several ways. One of those ways is to provide schools with sufficient mental health professionals, like counselors and social workers.
Many of these efforts will require funding, so my focus will be on working with the General Assembly to fully fund the currently woefully underfunded public school system. Other efforts may include policy changes that can be done without legislation. I will also work with the State Board of Education to require additional professional development for educators on issues related to mental health, especially those caused by school-based bullying, harassment, and violence.
North Carolina schools are woefully behind recommended ratios for the number of healthcare professionals per student, from nurses to social workers to psychologists. What is your plan to address this?
School is a critical frontline for our children’s healthcare access. I stand in strong contrast to my opponent, who has said: “It is not the public school’s role to do before school care and after school care and to feed them breakfast and to feed them lunch and to be their counselor and to be their teacher and to be their healthcare worker. Because now what should be even more frightening to parents, is now they are taking on the role of mental health clinics within our school.” I believe that our public education system has a responsibility to ensure student well-being is taken care of during school supervision. I am deeply concerned about North Carolina’s position with those key recommended healthcare professional ratios. See my answer to question one for more information.
How prepared are North Carolina’s schools to handle learning during a future pandemic? What lessons can we take from COVID-19, including what we should do differently? What do you think NC schools did well?
I will need to evaluate the current state of technology within DPI if I am elected, which will have significant impact on potentially learning through another pandemic. Based on my current knowledge, I understand that technological challenges that DPI will likely face in the next four years include either improving the current student information system or migrating to a new system. Continuing concerns will include the digital divide and closing the digital gap to ensure equity across all North Carolina schools and districts. We will also need to remain engaged in efforts to maintain safety for systems and processes and, most importantly, student online safety. One major lesson from COVID was the ability to utilize new forms of funding to promote academic excellence and student safety.
While cigarette use has dropped among teens, other nicotine products such as vaping and now nicotine pouches are becoming increasingly popular. What role should schools play in tobacco/nicotine prevention? What’s your stance on students taking part in surveys such as the biannual Youth Behavioral Risk Survey (for background, the NCGA made this and other surveys opt in rather than opt out for parents)?
I believe that in collaboration with families, students, and staff, surveys such as the Youth Behavioral Risk Survey are critical for serving our students well and ensuring academic excellence is achieved. With that same collaboration, and potentially through counselors, health classes, and other avenues, students can receive age-appropriate, medically accurate information about the dangers of nicotine. North Carolina agencies such as the Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch, N.C. Chronic Disease and Injury Section, also provide resources to educate healthcare providers, school leaders, parents, and other caregivers and the public on the issues of nicotine use and vaping. I envision partnerships with such agencies to be certain parents and educators are well-informed.
The Parents’ Bill of Rights law passed last year makes sex education an “opt-in” class, potentially leaving many students without instruction on STDs, pregnancy, sexual assault, and more if parents don’t remember or understand that they have to sign up their child. Where do you stand on this change? How will you ensure that parents understand this change?
I am opposed to the Parents’ Bill of Rights. This legislation, even through its title, suggests that parents are not already welcome and involved in our public schools. That is a false narrative. Our public school educators recognize how vitally important our parents are in educating our students. Parents should be and are involved in our schools. That’s a positive thing for public schools. The rights of parents were firmly established in law before this bill passed, and I have concerns that the new law is more about scaring teachers and creating an environment of fear and silence when we need schools to be welcoming, safe places. As State Superintendent of Public Instruction, I would support efforts to have students be taught comprehensive, medically accurate health education in North Carolina schools in middle and high schools.
What, if anything, should school personnel do about students who come to them expressing that they’re transgender?
Our schools should be safe, welcoming, and inclusive to everyone. Every child deserves to learn, and every staff member deserves to work in an environment that is safe for them to be themselves. Because of bullying, hatred, and violence against transgender individuals, we must take extra measures to create welcoming environments instead of hostile ones. We have to be focused on the very real education challenges in front of us, such as getting a well-paid teacher in every classroom and addressing the shortage of mental health professionals who support the well-being of our students.
Any other health-related issues connected to K-12 schools that you’d care to weigh in on?
I will apply my decades of leadership experience where my overall strategy is to listen, learn, and then lead. I have a track record of bringing communities together—beyond political differences—to achieve remarkable things on behalf of students. Because I will always continue to listen and learn about the needs of local schools and districts and NCDPI, these priorities will be updated. Overall, my Vision, Direction, and Plan for North Carolina Public Schools is called “Achieving Academic Excellence” and features six key pillars: prepare each student for their next phase in life, invest fully in public education, revere public school educators, enhance parent and community support, ensure safe, secure learning environments, and celebrate the good in public education.