Voters’ Guide 2022: NC House candidates on Medicaid, global economy and education
Rep. Marvin Lucas is the incumbent in House District 42. He is being challenged in the Democratic primary by Naveed Aziz. The winner of the primary will face Gloria Carrasco, the only Republican who filed for the seat, in November's general election.
Prince Christian, Elmer Floyd and Kimberly Hardy are running in the Democratic primary for House District 43. Incumbent state Rep. Diane Wheatley faces a challenge from Clarence W. Goins Jr. in the Republican primary.
Democrats Terry Johnson and Charles Smith are competing in the Democratic primary for House District 44. No Republicans filed for the seat.
Keith Byrd, Chris Davis and Frances Jackson are competing in the Democratic primary for House District 45. The winner will run in the general election against Republican Susan Chapman.
Below are the candidates who responded to a questionnaire.
Democrats House District 42
Naveed Aziz
Age: 64
Immediate family: Husband. Dr. Khalid Aziz. Son, attorney Taimoor Aziz, daughter: Dr. Mehak Aziz
Occupation: Physician
Elected office held: None
Do you favor Medicaid expansion? Why or why not? If you do, what steps would you take to make it happen?
Yes. I am a very strong advocate of Medicaid expansion because I have seen, first-hand, the consequences of not expanding it. I run a free clinic at my office and have seen many patients suffering from complications from diseases that could have been easily prevented if they had had access to healthcare earlier. For example, diabetes, if not treated early, can lead to amputations, blindness and renal failure. If we expand Medicaid in this state, 500,000 North Carolinians will get access to lifesaving, life-changing health care. Medicaid expansion will save lives, save our rural hospitals, save money and generate jobs throughout our state. In our current system, many child-bearing age women lack health care coverage unless they get pregnant. This limits access to preventive care like screening for high blood pressure, weight loss programs to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes and substance abuse counseling. These services would not only reduce risk factors for poor pregnancy and birth outcomes but would save money for the state. For example, the average first-year medical cost for a preterm infant is $32,325 vs. $3,325 for a full term infant. Medicaid expansion would save money for the state and its citizens. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Ayanian and his colleagues at the University of Michigan argue that Medicaid expansion also helps state budgets. States spend less on the expanded Medicaid programs such as mental health and correctional health programs. Michigan state decreased its annual state spending for such programs by $235 million. For so many years North Carolina tax money has been going to states that have expanded Medicaid while our rural hospitals are being shut down. Medicaid expansion will not only bring our tax dollars back home but will bring federal dollars to our economy, stimulating spending and generating jobs. Medicaid expansion brought 29,000 new jobs in one year to Michigan and is projected to bring $153 million annually in new tax revenue. In addition to being board-certified in Internal Medicine I have dual masters in business administration and health administration. I am a mother and a small business owner. If I am elected to represent my district I will be a strong advocate for Medicaid expansion. I have the knowledge, the skills, and the resolve to do what makes sense for the people of our state. When elected, I will work to convince my colleagues that expanding Medicaid is not a Democrat/Republican or a liberal/conservative issue. It's about saving lives, saving money and generating jobs, things that we can all get behind.
What steps can North Carolina take to make it more competitive in the global economy?
Economists believe that the economy depends on four factors: Innovation, labor hours, labor quality and capital deepening. We have some of the best universities in the world and the Research Triangle is unparalleled in research and development. While the economy of certain areas like the Triangle for IT and the Charlotte area for banking sectors is very hot, our rural areas are being neglected. We need to invest in effective transportation and broadband access to rural areas. This will encourage entrepreneurship and provide people with access to remote healthcare and education. Half of our workforce is women and many of them are single mothers. We need to invest in our pre-K program for 3 and 4 years old and enhanced child care for our working families. When child care is not available or is very expensive, women cannot participate in the workforce, leading to reduced family income and to lower social and cognitive outcomes for children. Economists look at investments in human capital and early childhood development (ECD) as means to increase lifelong productivity. Higher levels of education and better skills lead to better lifelong productivity, and investments in ECD have the highest economic return. Healthy individuals will lead to a healthier economy. Medicaid expansion will not only lead to healthier individuals but will also bring our tax dollars and federal funds to our state. We need to invest in our ports and make them more competitive with those of Virginia and South Carolina so that we can capture market share of the export and shipping industries. Businesses from Western parts of our state use the port of Charleston, South Carolina, because they can use Interstate 77 and Interstate 26, whereas there is no major interstate connecting Charlotte with Wilmington. We need to connect all modes of transportation. This is extremely important because we need to develop a diverse economy, which includes well-paying blue collar jobs in construction, transportation and manufacturing. We want to create an economy with a large and powerful middle class that can create sustained growth and that can provide good jobs to people at all education levels. We need to bring the film industry back to Wilmington, which would create jobs and lay the foundation for an innovation-based entertainment economy. The post-COVID 19 decrease in the workforce and the market disruptions posed by Artificial Intelligence and automation will bring future challenges. We need to invest in R&D, equal access to education and the distribution of economic growth to all parts of North Carolina
How do you feel about the current state of K-12 public education in North Carolina? How can it be improved, and what steps would you take if elected to be sure those improvements were made?
I am not satisfied with the state of our K-12 education. NC schools rank 33 out of the 50 states. Our teacher compensation is so low that they have to work two jobs just to pay their bills. In our school system, there is only one psychologist for every 2,162 students, which is unacceptable, especially during COVID-19 and post-COVID times, and there is only one nurse per 1,000 students. We need to give students the resources to succeed and that includes health and mental health resources. I believe that every child is born with equal potential and deserves equal opportunities to succeed, regardless of color, race or zip code, but there is an opportunity gap between affluent and low-income school districts. It's now been a quarter century since the N.C. Supreme Court ruled in the Leandro case that lawmakers are violating the constitutional rights of thousands of N.C. students by failing to provide them with access to a sound, basic education. We have an annual state surplus of about $5 billion. When elected to office, I will start by strongly advocating to allocate the needed funds to help our public schools for their safe infrastructure, increasing teachers' compensation and bringing more nurses and psychologists to help our vulnerable children. Our children are our future and to safeguard and improve our future economy, we need to invest in our children.
Marvin W. Lucas
Age: 80
Immediate family: Wife, Brenda. Children, Darrell, Angela Renee and Marva Michae
Occupation: Retired educator
Elected office held: N.C. House of Representatives
Do you favor Medicaid expansion? Why or why not? If you do, what steps would you take to make it happen?
Yes! Medicaid should be expanded. Many of our low-income families have little or no insurance. General Assembly Committees are addressing legislation currently
What steps can North Carolina take to make it more competitive in the global economy?
Provide more incentives and maintain our A1 credit rating! Also, better train our workforce.
How do you feel about the current state of K-12 public education in North Carolina? How can it be improved, and what steps would you take if elected to be sure those improvements were made?
Public education in our state is currently inadequate. We need to increase “Leandro funding.” We also need to provide quality training for teachers. Provide more social resources such as nurses, social workers and psychologists.
Democrats House District 43
Elmer Floyd
Age: 79
Immediate family: Dorothy Floyd (Spouse); and Debra (James) Hill Sr., LaTonya (James) Rose III, Bonita (Steven) Nauss and Christy Bohannon
Occupation: Retired City of Fayetteville - Human Relations Director
Elected office held: NC House of Representatives District 43 - 12 years
Do you favor Medicaid expansion? Why or why not? If you do, what steps would you take to make it happen?
I support Medicaid/Healthcare expansion in any form. The expansion will aid struggling rural hospitals. I held a press conference about House Bill (HB) 655 to be heard. The bill came out of committee 25-6. The bill did not come to the floor for a house vote. The expansion would be a win-win for all involved. The federal government will pay for 90% and the providers will take for the 10%. The healthcare expansion would provide for a healthy family, a healthy community and a healthier work force. Those without will use the emergency rooms. Those costs will be passed on to those with insurance. There will be some form of healthcare that will be addressed in the short session when the house re-convenes in May.
What steps can North Carolina take to make it more competitive in the global economy?
North Carolina needs to expand its access to broadband internet to the rural counties. This will allow faster down and upload speeds versus what they have which is similar to dial-up. This is will provide the states students in the rural counties better access thus providing the opportunity to be more competitive on the world stage. With access to broadband more opportunities are available to students to take advanced level courses that are unavailable in their home school. they can be connected to another school in another county within the state by a virtual interface.
How do you feel about the current state of K-12 public education in North Carolina? How can it be improved, and what steps would you take if elected to be sure those improvements were made?
Public education is inadequately funded. The Leandro case has been around for over 25 years. This year the court ordered the state to provide $1.8B to address the Leandro case; The General Assembly has provided $1.1B.
The court will rehear the matter later this year in effort to get balanced. The General Assembly can provide additional monies from corporate tax, rainy day fund and the net state tax revenue that are deposited in the General Fund. During the fiscal year this funding for Education will increase from 58% of the state budget to 59% of the budget. The General Assembly believe that the court can not dictate funding to the general assembly.
Prince Christian
Age: 26
Immediate family: None
Occupation: Health Advocate for Blue Cross Blue Shield
Elected office held: None
Do you favor Medicaid expansion? Why or why not? If you do, what steps would you take to make it happen?
North Carolina has shown a bipartisan appetite to expand Medicaid. I will fully support efforts to expand Medicaid for over 500,000 North Carolinians across this state. Every day I am reminded of the challenges of North Carolina's lack of affordable health care in my career in the health care industry. Lack of coverage has caused North Carolinians to decline lifesaving treatment. It's time we close the coverage gap. I will continue bipartisan conversations in Raleigh regarding Medicaid expansion and work with our health care providers to emphasize the need and benefits of expanding Medicaid among lawmakers who are hesitant.
What steps can North Carolina take to make it more competitive in the global economy?
North Carolina holds the fifth largest manufacturing economy in the United States. I will build on that milestone by investing in manufacturing and technology opportunities and implement financial incentives to manufacturing and tech companies looking to relocate or expand. I will cut red tape that discourages companies from doing business in North Carolina. I will also take legislative action to address supply chain issues impacting our economy. I will also invest in education and workforce development programs that connect the unemployed with employers and provide additional workforce skills.
How do you feel about the current state of K-12 public education in North Carolina? How can it be improved, and what steps would you take if elected to be sure those improvements were made?
Without question, the pandemic has exacerbated a mental health crisis amongst our youth. I will make an urgent investment in the care of our youth and expand mental health services in N.C. public schools, colleges and universities. North Carolina has failed its constitutional duty to provide our students with a sound, basic education. Our lawmakers in Raleigh cannot seem to agree on how to make education a priority. I will act on our constitutional obligation to provide a sound, basic education for our children and make our state's education system competitive by increasing teacher pay, funding free community college for NC Students, fully funding our K-12 schools, increasing spending per student and ensuring each student has access to broadband internet.
Kimberly Hardy
Age: 50
Immediate family: One son
Occupation: Assistant Professor of Social Work at Fayetteville State University
Elected office held: None
Do you favor Medicaid expansion? Why or why not? If you do, what steps would you take to make it happen?
Yes, we should absolutely expand Medicaid and put North Carolina's federal tax dollars to work here in our state. It will especially help our clinics in eastern Cumberland County. One reason I am running for N.C. House is because the House is where Medicaid expansion crashed last year, and it's time to get this done.
What steps can North Carolina take to make it more competitive in the global economy?
One reason I am supported by the N.C. State Labor Council is because I know that we best build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out, by investing in infrastructure, protecting workers and supporting entrepreneurs. Building out public transit, clean local dependable power generation, helping our schools and providing greater options and support to our military families and veterans will make it easier for North Carolinians to start our own businesses and attract companies to locate here. Fayetteville is poised to become a good jobs capital.
How do you feel about the current state of K-12 public education in North Carolina? How can it be improved, and what steps would you take if elected to be sure those improvements were made?
I am a public school mom and former school social worker. We need to make greater investments in our K-12 public schools, including closing the broadband gap for our students, making sure every school has a nurse and a social worker, and supporting counselors, bus drivers and support staff so our teachers can focus on teaching our children. We also need to provide school districts with the support they need to improve infrastructure and the physical plant, including air quality, which will reduce student sick days and families' medical costs.
Democrat House District 44
Terry Lynn Johnson Sr.
Age: 56
Immediate family: Wife, Claudia R. Johnson; Daughter, Raelynn, Son, Terry Jr.(wife Ariel); Grandchild Amara
Occupation: Licensed funeral director/mortician: Sports official; small business owner
Elected office held: None
Do you favor Medicaid expansion? Why or why not? If you do, what steps would you take to make it happen?
Medicaid expansion is a MUST for the citizens of North Carolina. I was one of the first people in Cumberland County who contracted SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). After eight days of being discharged from the hospital, I accrued a hospital bill of $88,000. I fell in the Medicaid Gap whereas I made a little too much money to qualify for any assistance and not enough to afford a $1,300 per month insurance premium. Fortunately, I was finally awarded my disability status from the Veterans Administration and the medical bill was paid. North Carolina needs to say “Yes” to Medicaid expansion with the federal Government so that an additional 500,000 of our citizens would obtain the medical services they need. This will also help so many of our rural hospitals and physicians who are providing care to our most vulnerable will be compensated for their services rendered.
What steps can North Carolina take to make it more competitive in the global economy?
It would take a more comprehensive approach for North Carolina to be more competitive in the global economy. This will include attracting more global companies, i.e., IBM, Apple, and pharmaceutical biotech companies. North Carolina will also need to attract the workforce that these global companies will need.
How do you feel about the current state of K-12 public education in North Carolina? How can it be improved, and what steps would you take if elected to be sure those improvements were made?
Our educational system has been on a systematic decline. There are too many teachers whot are leaving the overcrowded classrooms. We need to provide equitable pay for our educators and funding for renovations and the building of new schools. This will include offering incentives for teachers i.e. loan forgiveness and tenure. Social workers and nurses should be brought back into each school.
Charles Smith
Age: 30
Immediate family: Mary Kelly Smith
Occupation: attorney
Elected office held: None. Vice chairman of Cumberland County Democratic Party
Do you favor Medicaid expansion? Why or why not? If you do, what steps would you take to make it happen?
I support Medicaid expansion in North Carolina and believe that every North Carolinian deserves access to affordable and quality health care. It is unacceptable that there are hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians who cannot afford private health insurance but who also remain ineligible for Medicaid (the "coverage gap"). This expansion can benefit multiple parties. For instance, North Carolina hospitals and emergency rooms are overcrowded and frequently required to provide uncompensated care each year to individuals that fall in the coverage gap. If Medicaid eligibility were expanded, two things would happen: 1) There would be a significant decrease in the amount of uncompensated care that North Carolina hospitals provide because the patients seen would be insured; and 2) because they would be insured, in non-emergency situations, patients could be seen in the primary care setting, which would place less of a burden on our hospitals. Additionally, with the expansion of Medicaid, there will likely be a boost in the economies and health care options available in rural areas. We have to continue efforts to expand broadband access across the state to make telehealth available in those rural areas. Telehealth services help address a major issue in rural health care, which is the distance that people living in rural settings are required to travel to reach a hospital. Lastly, through scholarships or loan forgiveness programs, North Carolina can incentivize future medical professionals to commit to serving rural areas upon graduation.
What steps can North Carolina take to make it more competitive in the global economy?
To be more competitive in the global economy, our state’s leaders in business, education, government and in our communities must work collaboratively to enhance economic opportunities through informed and consistent global engagement. To this end, we must develop and maintain infrastructure that is capable of supporting global opportunities, and we have to brand North Carolina as an attractive place to invest, study, work and visit. Specifically, we must advocate for investment in transportation (airports, highways, ports) and broadband infrastructure, which will support foreign investment and exporting success. Additionally, we must invest in and grow the research capacities of our public and private colleges and universities, including our Historically Black Colleges and Universities. When North Carolina succeeds in the global market, these successes must be highlighted by our leaders and residents through media outlets and social media. As North Carolina’s global engagement increases and more North Carolinians work or engage with people from other cultures and countries, we must also ensure that our residents appreciate the differences in the cultures and are educated and prepared to succeed in a global marketplace. We must encourage schools and universities to expand cultural exchange programs and study-abroad opportunities. More generally, we must look for ways to expand opportunities for all North Carolina residents to experience art and culture from various peoples and countries.
How do you feel about the current state of K-12 public education in North Carolina? How can it be improved, and what steps would you take if elected to be sure those improvements were made?I believe that we have to make a conscious effort to reinvest in our public education system in North Carolina. The shortage of funding for necessary support staff, including remediation tutors and instructional assistants, has left teachers without enough hours in the day to meet the educational needs of all of their students. With an increase in support staff, we would be able to create a more proactive response, going upstream to meet the needs of the whole child through early intervention. Additionally, we have to recruit and retain quality teachers and instructors, which begins with increasing salaries. For the 2019-2020 school year, North Carolina ranked thirty-third in the country in teacher pay, which is more concerning when you also consider that we fall behind bordering states in teacher pay. Moreover, to be a competitive career option, employment in the public school system must offer competitive benefits. In 2021, the General Assembly ended retirement healthcare benefits for new state employees, which will further compound the existing issue of teachers leaving public education. Additionally, new educators are forced to take annual leave for holidays when schools are closed, and as a result, they see a decrease in their paychecks as they build up that leave time. Lastly, as benefits, such as paid maternity leave, become increasingly common in the private sector, we have to implement matching benefits to attract and recruit quality teachers to seek careers in public education. If fortunate enough to serve you in Raleigh, I would be honored to fight for these benefits.
Democrats House District 45
Christopher Davis
Age: 50
Immediate family: Demetria Davis, wife). Five children (Keana, Christian, Darren, Britton, Regan)
Occupation: Elected city official, senior pastor, retired military officer
Elected office held: Fayetteville City Council (District 6 - presently serving)
Do you favor Medicaid expansion? Why or why not? If you do, what steps would you take to make it happen?
Yes, funding has been made available for our most vulnerable families, but we must validate our network of providers as well as ensure that we benchmark our processes with other states like our own, who are already successfully facilitating this program. Finally, we must validate the sustainability of this much-needed program so that it is maintained regardless of who is in office. This must Not be a political kickball.
What steps can North Carolina take to make it more competitive in the global economy?
As a serving Fayetteville official, we are presently working to facilitate a robust, diverse and highly qualified workforce. We have active and retired military professionals, and their spouses; two- and four-year higher institutions of learning; and motivated recent high-school graduates. I believe Amazon, Metronet and other major corporations see this. We must let the world know that Fayetteville is ready and willing to lead this state as an economic powerhouse.
How do you feel about the current state of K-12 public education in North Carolina? How can it be improved, and what steps would you take if elected to be sure those improvements were made?
It needs to be vastly improved, we must pay teachers and other support staff, as well as hire support professionals so that teachers can focus on their main objective - teaching our children. We need to offer life courses, banking as well as vocational skills for ALL students. I would fight to ensure that teachers pay was no less than $50,000 starting.
Frances Jackson
Age: Not provided
Immediate family: N/A
Occupation: Educator/adjunct
Elected office held: N/A
Do you favor Medicaid expansion? Why or why not? If you do, what steps would you take to make it happen?
Yes, I support Medicaid expansion. Medicaid expansion will provide medical coverage for 500,000 uninsured citizens and 30,000 veterans (NC Justice Center). Also, the passage of legislation will strengthen the economy by creating jobs. My personal experience is from my dad passing after developing kidney cancer. The medical bills were more than my stay-at-home mom could handle. His teacher's salary did not provide adequate medical coverage during segregation. As for the steps to ensuring passage of legislation: I would meet with the minority leader as to the status of the N.C. General Assembly passage and make myself an advocate.
What steps can North Carolina take to make it more competitive in the global economy?
For North Carolina to be competitive we must enhance our technology, train a diverse workforce and improve transportation. Earning a bachelor of science degree in transportation and economics from NC A&T State University (the degree is now supply chain management) I understand the wealth of a state and country is exporting more than importing. In our efforts to diversify our economies, we must educate a diverse workforce. Also, we must remove economic and social inequalities and work with the federal government to eliminate supply chain management issues.
How do you feel about the current state of K-12 public education in North Carolina? How can it be improved, and what steps would you take if elected to be sure those improvements were made?
Public education K-12 needs overhauling or revamping as planned by the N.C. General Assembly. Make licensure requirements standard. Include trades and businesses in middle school; re-establish writing teachers. Require all districts to participate in a TA to Teachers Program as a recruiting effort for all areas of education. Approve Gov. Roy Cooper's salary raise for teachers and all supporting staff. To ensure improvements were made I would request to participate on all subcommittees related to revamping education and the budget subcommittee.
Republicans House District 43
Clarence W. Goins Jr.
Age: 43
Immediate family: Amber Goins, wife. Children Axel, Phoenix, Paris and Victor Goins
Occupation: Banker-Business Development Officer
Elected office held: None
Do you favor Medicaid expansion? Why or why not? If you do, what steps would you take to make it happen?
I oppose the expansion of Medicaid. More Medicaid equals more government dependence. Medicaid expansion negatively impacts providers, negatively will impact our economy and will negatively impact private pay insureds.
What steps can North Carolina take to make it more competitive in the global economy?
We need more infrastructure upgrades, especially in cities like Fayetteville with prime real estate location along I-95 centrally located between FL and NY. We need more direct expressway/interstate spurs to Charlotte and Greensboro, which are two inland port cities. Fayetteville could serve as an inland port city with its unique geographical features, to include the Cape Fear River’s easy access to the sea ports. Increased rail lines, with direct access to the sea ports, would compliment Fayetteville and all of North Carolina. Continue expansions of our airports and establishment of an intermodal freight hub located at the airport. This would benefit Cumberland County and the entire state.
How do you feel about the current state of K-12 public education in North Carolina? How can it be improved, and what steps would you take if elected to be sure those improvements were made?
I am cncerned for North Carolina. As a parent of children enrolled in public education and a spouse of the president of the school PTA, I see day-to-day issues that our kids and school employees face. Indoctrination should not be a concern for parents. Our teachers should not feel pressured when teaching our children. Resources should not be a matter of concern for our teachers, all support staff or parents. I would continue supporting pay raise for our educators and non-teaching positions, for all are needed for the education of North Carolina. I would oppose critical race theory curriculum and common core. Implement law to require all middle and high schools to offer skilled trade classes. Work with community colleges to offer joint programs for skilled trade certifications, which would better equip all students at graduation.
Diane Wheatley
Age: 71
Immediate family: Al, Arleen, Brian and David
Occupation: Retired Registered Nurse, and retired business owner who employed over 100 people
Elected office held: Cumberland County Board of Education (past Chair), Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, N.C. House of Representatives 43rd District
Do you favor Medicaid expansion? Why or why not? If you do, what steps would you take to make it happen?
Presently a House and Senate study group is considering the federal government’s offer to cover 90% of Medicaid expansion costs. Currently, there is a gap in coverage for individuals who do not qualify for existing programs and cannot afford health care on their own. Their alternative is to go to an emergency room for routine health care. This not only creates long waiting times, but because they cannot pay and a public hospital cannot refuse treatment, the rest of us pay for their health care with higher hospital bills, insurance costs and taxes. Visits to emergency rooms cost far more than to a doctor’s office. Shifting these patients to a primary care doctor could potentially provide savings to us all. The question is whether the 10% of the cost that the state would be responsible for is affordable and sustainable. This would depend on several factors. For instance, could the state withdraw from the agreement if the federal government changed the funding formula? Also, can the regulations be precisely written to limit the expanded coverage to those truly in need and prevent others from “gaming” the system? We must keep in mind that with the current economic situation, we may be entering a recessionary period. Gov. Cooper’s proposal for Medicaid expansion is a non-starter because it is a budget-busting commitment that we cannot sustain. I am interested to see what the study group recommends. I will keep an open mind and vote in the best interests of our community.
What steps can North Carolina take to make it more competitive in the global economy?
Over the past year and a half, a number of major companies have chosen to come to North Carolina. Our efforts to compete nationally by building a business-friendly environment were key in bringing these jobs and the associated economic impact to our state. As a result, North Carolina is now ranked by CNBC as the second most business-friendly state in the country. The ability for North Carolina companies to compete globally comes down to three things: good people, efficiency, and innovation. North Carolina can assist by continuing to reduce tax burdens, eliminate unnecessary regulations that stifle innovation and provide a well-educated qualified workforce. The state can also support companies by partnering with them to promote North Carolina globally as a region where world-class goods and service are provided. We need to continue to improve and expand infrastructure to support our businesses with improved roads, airports and port facilities.
How do you feel about the current state of K-12 public education in North Carolina? How can it be improved, and what steps would you take if elected to be sure those improvements were made?
I am Vice-Chair of the K-12 Education Committee for the N.C. House of Representatives. I find the current state of K-12 public education to be one of the most troubling problems in North Carolina, and the country. It is failing in its mission of preparing our children to be successful in an increasingly competitive global economy. The controlling members of our State Board of Education seems much more focused on indoctrinating students in a left-wing “woke” social agenda than in educating them. Much of this shift has taken place out of the view of the public. There must be far more transparency from Raleigh all the way down to the local classroom. Never should a parent be prevented from knowing what their child is being taught and what level of success they are achieving. The subjects should be age-appropriate, designed to develop the child’s intellect and not in direct conflict with the values of their parent or parents. It should not demean any group, be designed to create resentment, foster a sense of guilt, or a belief that they cannot succeed. Everything in education should be based on verifiable data and not a political agenda. We should love our children, protect them, and prepare them for life. That is the only reason for public education. It should always be about the student. As legislators it is our responsibility to provide for them in the way that is most likely to achieve that goal.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Voters’ Guide 2022: Democratic North Carolina House candidates
