The superintendent of North Carolina’s public schools held a public forum Thursday to hear what the community sees as major challenges facing schools, classrooms and students and ways to solve problems.
It was a stop on Superintendent Maurice Green’s “Mo Wants to Know” tour that he has been holding in each region of the state. This was the fifth of eight public forums.
The forum was held in the auditorium of Westover High School and drew a number of active and retired teachers as well as parents.
Green, the former superintendent of Guilford County Schools, was elected to the state office in November.
Each stop on the tour is a listening-and-learning session: Green listens to what the community sees as challenges and ways to solve them.
“It requires all of us to figure out how we’re going to make this happen,” Green said.
Concerns included the loss of classroom learning during the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent mental health problems, chronic absenteeism, lack of reading skills among students in middle and high schools and a lack of support.
Distractions from social media and cell phones were also cited as problems.
“With so many distractions of social media, we’re lowering expectations. And are we going to stop giving participation trophies,” one man said.
Several people suggested implementing vocational programs in high school. Not all students go to college, and learning the skills of a trade can open doors for many.
Other concerns included low pay for teachers, classroom sizes and a lack of coordination among teachers in different programs.
One woman suggested more physical education to help students with anxiety. “I think these children need a way to relieve stress,” she said.
Several people spoke of the need for mentors and community involvement. A military veteran spoke of how soldiers could spend an hour a week in classrooms.
“How do we connect with Fort Bragg to partner with Cumberland County Schools?” she asked. “They can come there and read with them. They don’t have to wear their uniforms.”
A big problem for all state schools is updating teaching methods.
“We have to modernize education,” another woman said, drawing applause from the audience. “They’re still working with outdated [equipment] and models. We have to be better than the algorithm. It’s not our world now. We have to get the kids out of the desks — it’s 2025.”
Green listened to the input, not interrupting speakers or commenting on ideas for solving problems.
Several of those who spoke urged educators and residents to let the North Carolina General Assembly know what they want to see in the schools.
The input from the sessions will be put together by staff to use in the development of a strategic plan, Green said.
