Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board Of Education Member Files For State Superintendent PDF Print E-mail
The Campaign Trail
By Administrator   
Thursday, 05 December 2019 10:47

Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education member and longtime education activist James Barrett filed for election today as North Carolina superintendent of public instruction.

“I’m excited to formally file for election for an office that is incredibly important to North Carolina’s present and future,” Barrett said. “The current officeholder has done real damage to students and teachers, and I bring a unique combination of skills and experience to this race that will be needed to restore respect to teachers and support for and from the Department of Public Instruction. As an elected official, I have the experience, policy knowledge, and advocacy skills to lead systemic change for the benefit of all students.  And from my day job in business transformation as the leader of large teams and budgets, I am uniquely qualified in this race to lead the large Department of Public Instruction.”

Barrett is the son of a career teacher—who was by his side, along with his wife, at the filing—and product of North Carolina K–12 public schools. He has served for eight years on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education, including two years as chair of the board.

“As my mother’s child and then on the school board, I’ve spent my life listening to teachers—and that won’t change!” Barrett said. “Unlike the current officeholder, who needed on-the-job training to work with such a large organization, I will be ready to lead on Day 1 as state superintendent—to implement positive changes in our testing regime, policies that respect teachers, and an advocate for more resources to allow teachers to do their work.”

 Alongside his elected office and longtime volunteer experience as a youth group leader, basketball and baseball coach, and school tutor, Barrett has spent his career in corporate `information technology leadership, managing large teams and projects with significant budgets—crucial skills for a state superintendent overseeing more than $13 billion in public school spending in the state and 1,000 employees in the Department of Public Instruction.

 
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