CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As school starts across North Carolina, the woman who oversees the state's 2,500 public schools and administers the $11 billion budget is looking to her last months in office.
"Our work is not done yet," Catherine Truitt, North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, said on WCNC's Flashpoint.
In an upset, Truitt was defeated this spring in the Republican primary by political newcomer Michele Morrow. Morrow has garnered national attention for controversial social media posts supporting conspiracy theories and calling for violence against Democrats.
"If she were to ask me to endorse her, the answer would be no," Truitt said.
Truitt, a Republican, questioned the motivation of Morrow, who homeschools her children.
"It's always been a mystery to me why someone who has never trusted her own children with the public school systems, and someone who's never worked in public schools in any capacity at all, would want to be the state's leader of our public schools," she said.
Truitt said Mo Green, a Democrat, is "very well intentioned" but she hesitated to endorse his candidacy.
"I wish that that Mo would be a little bit more aggressive with his policy positions," she said.
Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the N.C. Association of Educators, also appearing on WCNC's Flashpoint, said her organization is supporting Green.
"What we need here during this critical election is someone who knows and respects public schools," Kelly said.
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Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and how it impacts everyone with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly.
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